Cafe Europe closes after 23 years

Auf Wiedersehen, Cafe Europe: The Santa Rosa German-style eatery (104 Calistoga Road, Santa Rosa) will shutter today after 23 years of schnitzel slinging.

“We extend generous and heartfelt gratitude to our customers, the long-term faithful and the newcomers alike,” said chef/owner Herbert Zacher.

The St. Francis Shopping Center space will be reborn as J Cafe and Grill in early June with military and restaurant veteran James Horton in the kitchen. Injured during a military deployment to Iraq, Horton decided to parlay his lifelong interest in cooking into a degree at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

The menu will feature fresh takes on simple comfort foods like breakfast omelets, buttermilk pancakes and scrambles along with lunchtime burgers, patty melts, club sandwiches, soups and salads. We like that there are a number of interesting “healthy choices” like an Italian veggie hoagie, lemon basil shrimp pasta and chicken pita burgers with yogurt sauce.

Dinner is in the works, but the restaurant will focus on breakfast and lunch at opening. Horton hopes to “give back” to fellow military vets by offering fundraising events for charities like Sonoma County Vet Connect, and keep prices reasonable (most dishes are under $10) so the restaurant is approachable for all. Horton’s wife Tiffani will serve as both baker and front of house, and local restaurateur Norman Carver will serve as sous chef. Watch for opening details.

hhhhhh

Where Food and Tech Connect? S onoma County journalist Naomi Starkman has been named a 2015 James S. Knight Fellow. The prestigious award is given each year to just 20 individuals worldwide to study a particular issue facing the media. Starkman, who runs the food system website CivilEats.com, will spend her time looking at how to make food policy news part of readers’ daily diet.

“My goal is to explore ways in which Civil Eats-and all online publications-will survive in this rapidly changing media landscape while making sure that award-winning, independent journalism stays alive,” she said. Amen, sister.

In an editorial on her website on Thursday, she wrote, “Journalism and agriculture are two sides of the same coin: Both have been made artificially cheap. We have come to expect free media, just as many expect to be able to buy a dozen eggs for under $3.00. But lack of social investment in both of these public goods is leading us down the wrong path... buying healthier, sustainably produced food helps keep the environment cleaner, ensures that farm animals and workers are treated better, and leads to better personal health outcomes,” adding, “But investing in well-crafted reporting and thoughtful commentary is equally important in a world of listicles, sponsored content, sensational headlines, and dumbed-down aggregation.”

The fellowship is based at Stanford, where journalism and technology are being carefully studied. It’s also geographically between the Central Valley - the farming capital of the nation - and Silicon Valley. “This ideal location foments solutions to this food journalism question and is the perfect place for me to incubate Civil Eats as I mine its myriad assets,” she said. We can’t wait to see what she comes up with.

Food and tech innovation is also the focus of Bite Silicon Valley, a three-day event featuring high-profile chefs Roy Choi, Jose Andres, Michael Voltaggio, Tom Colicchio, Michael Mina and local chef, Louis Maldonado (of Healdsburg’s Spoonbar and Pizzando) as well as digital food movers Danielle Gould of Food + Tech Connect, Danielle Nierenberg of Food Tank and Kerry Diamond of Yahoo! Food. The event runs June 5-7 at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium and includes a Grand Tasting and cooking demos on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets range from $149 for a one-day tasting to $499 for a three-day, all-access pass. Details online at bitesv.com.

hhhhhh

Goose and Gander: New Chef Howard Lee Ko: St. Helena’s Goose & Gander has tapped Chef Howard Lee Ko as its new chef de cuisine. Most recently from the kitchens of Michelin darlings Restaurant at Meadowood and the French Laundry (as well as Picholine and Daniel in NYC), he’s some serious firepower for the nearly four-year-old restaurant. Opening chef Kelly McCown left last winter after an offer in Sacramento.

“We are thrilled Howard Ko is leading our culinary team at Goose & Gander. He brings his incredible talent, vast experience and a fresh, new perspective to our restaurant and is excited to add his take on the popular style enjoyed by our many happy regulars. The timing is perfect as we embark on our fourth year of business. . .we feel very fortunate to have him with us," said proprietor Andrew Florsheim.

The restaurant, which was formerly Martini House, received solid reviews under McCown and got a much-needed facelift when new owners took over. The upstairs/downstairs space features a large dining room and an intimate and well-loved bar downstairs. The menu, described as “public house” new American cuisine, includes hearty dishes like steak tartare, roasted bone marrow, burgers, duck confit and pan-roasted chicken. No word yet on if/when the menu will change. Goose & Gander is located at 1245 Spring Street, St. Helena, (707) 967-8779. The restaurant and Basement Bar are open Sunday through Thursday from noon until 11:00 p.m., and stay open until midnight on Friday & Saturday. Starting July 1, the Basement Bar is open every night until midnight, www.goosegander.com.

People.com has chosen Bodega Bay’s Duck Club as one of its 10 Most Beautiful Restaurant views in the US. According to the magazine, ”The stone fireplace is the centerpiece at this cozy, clubby eatery, but the panoramic views of Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean deserve equal billing. Nestled in a dreamy bay, the restaurant overlooks a wildlife sanctuary, adding to the serene, natural beauty.” Just another day in paradise.

Heather’s food and dining blog is at BiteClubEats.com