Mouthful: Dine by sunset for Austin Creek’s 50th anniversary

Celebrating Austin Creek: Saturday, Aug. 2, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods host a Sunset Dinner in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Austin Creek State Recreation Area.

The event begins with appetizers and is followed by dinner, prepared by Northwest Catering, at 6 p.m.

Appetizers include butter lettuce cups with pea shoots, rainbow carrots, potatoes and crispy shallots; antipasti skewers of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil; and smoked salmon crostini with creme fraiche, chives, dill and shallots.

Dinner features a mixed green salad and fresh bread with olive oil, both served family style. Individually plated entrées include a choice of smoked Victorian Farmstead chicken with preserved lemons, herbed potatoes and sautéed kale and chard or marinated and grilled Alive and Healing tempeh with the same accompaniments. The vegan option is also gluten-free. Your choice of entree must be made when you purchase tickets.

Wines selections include Barefoot Bubbly, MacMurray Ranch Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir, William Hill Chardonnay, Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel and Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon.

The event takes place at Schoolhouse Flat, overlooking the back country of the 5,700-acre park. There will be live acoustic music.

Cost is $100 per person, which includes commemorative items in honor of the anniversary; attendance is limited to 80 guests.

For tickets and for details about shuttle service from Guerneville to the dinner site, visit stewardscr.org or call 869-9177.

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Dancing Under the Stars: Coppola Winery hosts its first Saturday Night Salsa of 2014 this Saturday, July 26, with Mazacote, featuring Louie Romero.

The evening begins with salsa dance lessons from 6 to 7 p.m., following by dancing until 10 p.m. on the winery's new oak dance floor. Food and wine will be available for purchase at the nearby Pool Cafe.

Cost is $25 per person for the general public and $20 for wine family members; the price includes dance instruction. Reservations are recommended, and you can make yours at francisfordcoppolawinery.com.

Upcoming Saturday Salsa Nights include Aug. 23 with Carlitos Medrano y Sabor De Mi Cuba; Sept. 27 with Pacific Mambo Orchestra; and Oct. 18 with Avance.

The winery is located at 300 Via Archimedes in Geyserville.

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Art in the Vineyard: Friday, Saturday and Sunday (July 25-27), Robert Rue Vineyard and Winery (1406 Wood Road, Fulton) presents 'Valley of the Moon Art Association Show' from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. A reception for the artists takes place from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The show is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society's Relay For Life and will include a silent auction, along with pulled-pork sandwiches with cole slaw for $5 a serving. There will be wines to taste and to drink and bocce ball to be played.

For details about the winery, visit robertruevineyard.com.

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Butterflies and Dragonflies: On Saturday, Quarryhill Botanical Garden hosts a talk and walk with Don Mahoney, curator at the San Francisco Botanical Garden and president of the Hallberg Butterfly Garden in Graton.

Attendees will enjoy a walk through the spectacular gardens to identify the many dragonflies and butterflies that live there.

Cost is $10 for members and $15 for the general public. To snag a spot, call 996-3166.

Quarryhill Botanical Garden is located at 128411 Sonoma Highway in Glen Ellen. For more information, visit quarryhillbg.org.

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Soft Opening, Tender Pizza: Vignette, the newest addition to the Barlow, opened quietly to the public on Tuesday. For this first week, as staff members get their sea legs and the equipment goes through its initial paces, hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Starting Monday, regular hours, noon to 10 p.m., will kick in.

The design of Vignette is striking, with soft metal and earthy monotones surrounding a gorgeous blue tile wood-burning oven that draws the eye and holds it. It is the restaurant's sole source of heat.

The menu is lean and focused, with a vegetable of the day, a couple of appetizers, a salad and a handful of Neapolitan-inspired pizzas, intended as individual pies but generous enough for two to share.

The beverage list is similarly focused, with a handful of intriguing selections.

Vignette is chef Mark Hopper's latest endeavor. Most recently, he was chef for Farmshop in Marin County. Although he doesn't mind if you call his casual restaurant a pizzeria, he left it out of the name intentionally.

'Maybe there will be days when we don't serve pizza,' he commented during a trial run last Sunday. 'Maybe we'll do Sunday dinner with porchetta.'

Vignette is located at 6750 McKinley St., not far from Morris Street in Sebastopol.

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Peach Season! The store at Dry Creek Peach and Produce (2179 Yoakim Bridge Road, Healdsburg) has opened for the season.

If you're looking for fresh peaches, bellini mix, stone fruit jams and a small but outstanding selection of farm produce, you can stop by between noon and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through mid-September.

The beloved farm also attends the Healdsburg Farmers Market on Wednesday and Saturday and the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market on Saturday.

For more information, visit drycreekpeach.com.

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Demo Class at Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar: On Saturday, Rosso (53 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa) hosts a cooking class that will reveal how the restaurant prepares some of its most popular dishes, including roasted chicken, Romano beans with tomato vinaigrette and more. Participants will taste the dishes paired with a selection of local rosé wines, including County Line Rose of Pinot Noir and Davis Family Wine Cote Rose.

Cost is $40 per person, plus tax. To sign up, call 544-3221 or email mljetson3@yahoo.com.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 17 books to date, including 'Vinaigrettes and Other Dressings.' You'll find her blog, 'Eat This Now,' at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. Email Jordan at michele@salad dresser.com.