Oktoberfest Continues in Valley Ford: The response to last weekend's "Rocktoberfest" at Rocker Oysterfeller's Kitchen and Saloon (14415 Highway 1, Valley Ford) was such a great success that the celebration will continue through Oct. 27.
Here's the deal. During the restaurant's regular hours — Thursday and Friday, 5-8:30 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 8:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. — a special menu of classic German fare and drink will be available.
Highlights include pan-seared miniature bratwurst with Sonoma Brinery sauerkraut and spicy mustard; a selection of German salad; sauerbraten; wiener schnitzel; crispy potato pancakes with house applesauce and cheese spatzle with crispy onions, green salad and horseradish vinaigrette.
Buttermilk fried chicken, Rocker burgers, oysters and artichoke-crab cakes also will be available.
It's all accompanied by Bavarian polka music and, on the patio, festive decorations.
For reservations, call 876-1983.
Another Reason to Visit Valley Ford:There's a new kid on the chocolate block, so to speak.
HydroSouls, the sweet little company based in Bodega Bay that makes aromatherapy products for humans and animals, has just released a line of handmade chocolates.
Offered as chocolate bars and chocolate-covered toffee, these confections are made with organic fair-trade chocolate.
Currently, they are available at HydroSouls' little shop at 14390 Highway 1 in Valley Ford and, on Sundays, at the Bodega Bay Farmers Market. The shop is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Monday.
A portion of the profits from their sale will benefit Cradle of the Moon, Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports a small herd of horses rescued from unhappy situations.
For more information, visit hydrosouls.net.
Los Muertos at the Market: From 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the Petaluma Farmers Market will help you get ready for D? de los Muertos by offering an opportunity to make paper flowers and decorate sugar skulls.
Grupo Invasion will play Latin music throughout the day, joined by an abundance of local, seasonal and primarily organic produce, poultry, meat and seafood.
If you think you'll linger, you might want to bring a cooler and a bucket of water for flowers, as this market always has gorgeous bouquets.
The market is located in Walnut Park, at the corner of Petaluma Boulevard South and D Street.
All you need to do is show up, but be warned: This market is very well attended. For easy parking and the best shopping opportunities, arrive early.
White Rats, Brown Bones: Earlier this week we stopped by Recheche du Plaisir and were delightfully creeped out by a life-sized rat made of solid white chocolate. If you're looking for an unusual treat for Halloween, this could be it.
The sweet little sweet shop also has white chocolate bones, dark chocolate bones, solid chocolate skulls, bony chocolate witch fingers and hands, chocolate mice and more.
The shop at 3401 Cleveland Ave. in Santa Rosa is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit rdpsweets.com.
Crow Cookies! Patisserie Angelica (6821 Laguna Park Way, Sebastopol) is currently taking orders for Halloween goodies.
Its selections include ghost cupcakes, tombstone cupcakes, jack-o'-lantern cakes, a pumpkin patch cake featuring chocolate chiffon layered with fudge, skeleton cookies and, yes, crow cookies, which we can't wait to see.
We're hoping there may be bat cookies, too, but don't know yet.
The retail store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but orders can be placed throughout the week at 827-7998. Patisserie Angelica will be open all day on Halloween.
Stay tuned for details about the bakery's annual open house, when you can sample all their seasonal specialties.
Wine, Whim & Song at Coppola Winery: A new tasting experience is being offered at Francis Ford Coppola Winery (300 Archimedes, Geyserville), something that is a natural progression from its popular "Tasting in the Dark" program, when guests are blindfolded throughout a guided tasting.
The new 90-minute tasting elevates the sense of hearing, not typically associated with the pleasures of wine, to equal or nearly equal importance with taste.
Skeptical? We were, too, but recently enjoyed a demonstration by Clark Smith, author of "Postmodern Winemaking" (University of California Press, 2013, $34.95), during which Smith actually altered the taste of a wine on the palate by the music he played while we were tasting. It was eerie and unmistakable.
If this sounds like something you'd like to explore, check out postmodernwinemaking.com and then sign up for the tasting at Coppola.
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