Mouthful: It's Glendi time

It’s Glendi Time! This weekend, the 25th Annual Glendi festival takes place at Saint Seraphim Orthodox Church (90 Mountain View Ave., Santa Rosa).

Glendi, which means party in Greek, is one of the year’s loveliest festivals, with a huge array of delicious foods from Russia, Greece, Eritrea, Italy and the Middle East. The foods are available both to enjoy on the spot and to take home.

This year there is a new Biergarten, sponsored by Petaluma Hills Brewing Company and, as always, there are a lot of great activities for kids, including a food area.

There’s wine, crafts and dancing throughout the festival, with the music of Edessa, a Greek and Balkan band.

Both churches, the original Protection of the Holy Virgin and the newish Saint Seraphim, will be open for guided tours, lectures and prayer.

The history of Glendi is fascinating. In its first year, 1989, it was washed out by a tropical storm that broke before dawn. The event moved inside and it was a great party. Initially, In 1991, it expanded to both Saturday and Sunday and has continued every year except 2011, when the new church was under construction.

If you attend only one festival this fall, Ms. Mouthful recommends Glendi. Admission is just $5 and free for kids under 12. There is limited on-site parking so try to carpool.

The festival takes place from 11 am. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

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Luther Burbank Open House: This weekend, September 20 and 21, Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experiment Farm hosts an Open House and Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., both days.

The celebration includes a docent tour through the garden and Burbank’s historic cottage, where you can see photographs of the farm in its prime.

Preserves, made from the farm’s fruit, perennial plants and apple fritters will be available for purchase. Sandy Eastoak’s paintings will be on display, as well.

Admission is free. Gold Ridge Farm is located at 7777 Bodega Ave. in Sebastopol. For parking, follow the signs.

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Sierra Nevada Brew Dinner: Next Sunday, September 28, HopMonk Tavern (230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol) hosts a beer dinner featuring the popular Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, with a special guest from the brewery.

The menu opens with Pale Ale paired with an appetizer-style schnitzel, followed by potato dumplings with sweet walnuts and dill, with Vienna Lager alongside.

Oktoberfest will be served with grilled bratwurst with spaetzle, cabbage and apples. Next comes sauerbraten with red potatoes, Brussels spout kraut and Harvest IPA. For dessert, it’s Flipside Red IPA paired with caramel and chocolate covered soft salted pretzels.

But wait! There’s more, a final nibble of German Chocolate Cake Truffles and Narwhal Imperial Stout.

Cost is $65, which includes both tax and gratuity. Things kick off at 6 p.m. For reservations, call 829-7300 or visit hopmonk.com.

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Oyster Alert: On Saturday, Robert Rue Vineyard and Winery (1406 Wood Rd., Fulton) hosts its annual Oysters, Wines and Appetizers Happy Hour from 4 to 8 p.m.

Admission is $15, which gets you a glass of wine and four oysters, either on the half shell or barbecued or a mix of the two. Additional oysters are $2 each.

Wine will be available for purchase by the glass and bottle. A stroll through the outdoor metal sculptures and live music are free.

This event is limited to 30 guests and the cutoff for reservations was Monday. However, it’s always worth a last-minute call to see if there is a space. Call 578-1601 to see if the oyster fairies are on your side.

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New Restaurant in Petaluma: On Sunday, September 21, Native Kitchen and Kombucha Bar (110 Petaluma Blvd. North) celebrates its grand opening. It is no coincidence that it is taking place on World Peace Day.

Opening ceremonies begin at noon. The day will include a special feast for peace and a healing meditation.

In addition, the restaurant is committed not just to being a gay-friendly establishment but to being known as one.

The menu features small plates, salads and big plates at both lunch and dinner. There is an emphasis on vegetables, though chicken is an option, too. You’ll find such selections as jalapeño cornbread skillet, table-side guacamole, macrobiotic quinoa bowl, seasonal flatbreads and vegetable carpaccio. Prices range from $3 to $15.

Native Kitchen is more than just a restaurant. Kombucha is house made and there’s an apothecary, too, where you’ll find handcrafted bath and body products made without chemicals.

For more information, visit nativekombucha.com.

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The Barlow Street Fair Continues: The Barlow’s Thursday Street Fair continues through the end of October. Food vendors, crafts people, service providers and others line McKinley St. from Morris St. to Petaluma Ave. in Sebastopol from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and most of The Barlow’s shops remain open for the fete.

As of press time, rain was predicted for this week’s fete, featuring popular local band Frobeck. But, when it comes to rain, we all look up at the clear sky, sigh and think, “Promises, promises.” Is there one of us unwilling to get wet at a street party in exchange for a bit of sky moisture?

Next week, Gator Nation headlines the entertainment.

For the best parking, carpool and arrive early. Also, keep in mind that Highway 12 into Sebastopol has ongoing construction. Take an alternate route if you can.

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What Fork, Which Spoon, Please, Thank You: On Sunday, Left Bank Brasserie in Larkspur hosts another Sunday Supper with Syndi Seid, a social etiquette and protocol expert and founder of Advanced Etiquette.

The evening is perfect for the entire family. Here’s how it works. The evening begins with a presentation at 5:30 p.m., followed by a three-course dinner that starts at 6 p.m.

The presentation, geared towards children old enough to read a menu and hold flatware, includes instruction on how to order properly, when to begin eating, how to handle silverware and what to do when you have finished your meal.

Cost is $45 for adults and $30 for children, plus beverages, taxes and gratuity. For reservations, call (415)927-3331 or visit leftbank.com.

This sort of event is a perfect time to also teach kids about dressing appropriately for the commons, which means boys do not keep their hats on inside and everyone dresses respectfully. It’s a chance to dress up!

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@saladdresser.com.