Say ‘aloha’ to brunch with island vibes at Flamingo Club’s Lazeaway Club

The chef at the Flamingo Hotel offers three recipes for a tropical weekend brunch.|
JENNIFER GRAUE
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

If social media posts are any indication, it felt like half of Sonoma County headed to Hawaii for spring break while the rest of us were left here to wallow in yet another atmospheric river (or two) and live vicariously through their photos of sunny beaches, surf god statues and sandy toes.

Whether you’re wishing you were one of the lucky ones on the beaches of Waikiki or you’re longing to return to Lahaina, it’s possible to channel those island vibes here on the mainland with a brunch that captures the flavors of a tropical getaway.

At the Lazeaway Club in Santa Rosa’s renovated Flamingo Hotel, chef Chris Ricketts oversees a menu that pulls from culinary traditions all around the Pacific Rim and beyond, with influences from Korea, Japan, the Philippines and more, much like you’d find in Hawaii.

“We’re going for that vacation-staycation (feeling), like you’re-transported-out-of-here kind of vibe, so we want the food to reflect that,” Ricketts said.

But, he’s quick to add, they use local ingredients as much as possible to achieve that vacation feeling. For example, they get their greens from County Line Farm in Petaluma and make their own hoisin sauce with dried plums.

“I don’t want to order lychee from a thousand miles away that has a horrible carbon footprint,” Ricketts said.

Ricketts took over the reins at the Lazeaway Club late last summer. The Oakland-area native has spent time in kitchens all around the Bay Area, including at the Michelin-starred Lord Stanley in San Francisco and the now-closed Manresa in Los Gatos.

He also worked in the kitchens of tech giants Twitch and Pinterest, cooking for up to 1,000 people a day. The people he served came from all over the globe, which required him to come up with ever-changing, diverse menus.

“You can’t say, ‘Oh, I don’t really know that cuisine.’ You have to figure it out. It forced me to expand my horizons a little bit,” he said.

Ricketts and his wife, Elizabeth, a chef who Ricketts said is “honestly more talented than me,” spent six months before they married traveling and cooking around Europe, including in Spain and on a goat cheese farm in Tuscany.

The couple moved early last year with their now 18-month-old daughter to Santa Rosa’s Bennett Valley neighborhood. He was still commuting to San Francisco when the opportunity at the Flamingo arose and he jumped at the chance.

By comparison, the 10-minute commute from his home to the restaurant is its own kind of paradise, and Ricketts is enjoying using the time he previously spent driving back and forth to get acquainted with life in Sonoma County.

“It’s the first time in forever that I actually know my neighbors,” he said. “We hang out and barbecue in each other’s backyards on the weekends, and I haven’t gotten to do that in ages.”

Hawaiian vibes

Hawaii has become a home away from home for Ricketts, whose parents now live there. The island state is also the birthplace of one of his favorite things to eat.

“I love Hawaiian plate lunch,” he said. “It’s one of my top five favorite meals ever. The rice and seaweed, macaroni salad and whatever the protein is.”

One popular type of plate lunch is loco moco: a heaping scoop of rice topped with a ground-beef patty and fried egg, all smothered in gravy. It was created for some voracious teenage boys in the late 1940s at a restaurant called Lincoln Grill in Hilo. It’s fame spread all over Hawaii, and it’s cherished by locals and tourists alike.

“It’s one of the most popular cheap, blue-collar foods you can get in Hawaii. There’s a place on Oahu called Rainbow Drive-In, and it’s one of my absolute favorite places to go,” Ricketts said.

His version on the Flamingo’s brunch menu doesn’t stray too far from the basic formula, but it does include special touches such as pickled seaweed and sauteed mushrooms mixed with the rice, plus a drizzle of housemade chile crunch sauce over the entire dish.

“I try to do a version that’s not quite so ‘I need to take a nap after this.’ I want you to be able to go on with your day,” he said.

Healthy and fresh

The Aloha Waffle, topped with a tropical fruit salad, is more than just a catchy name. Ricketts’ version truly seems to capture the “aloha spirit” — compassion or mutual understanding and respect for others. He created it as a menu option that’s automatically gluten-free — no special requests required.

“There’s not that awkward ‘Hey, can you do this for me? (conversation).’ Putting someone in that position is not hospitality,” Ricketts said of creating a menu that’s more inclusive of various dietary needs.

That philosophy crystallized for him while he worked in the highly diverse tech industry.

“If I can do a waffle that’s 95% as good (as a regular waffle) and do it gluten-free, then I’m going to do it gluten-free,” he said. “It’s a better experience for everyone.”

The fruit salad for the waffles also can be part of a yogurt parfait made with the Lazeaway Club’s housemade granola, studded with nuts and dried fruit including macadamia nuts and goji berries. Order the parfait over brunch or make your own at home. Made in a large batch, the granola is a perfect weekend cooking project that pays dividends: Combine it with fruit and Greek yogurt for a quick and healthy weekday breakfast.

Avocado toast, another brunch-time darling, gets a pan-Pacific treatment at Lazeaway. It’s topped with grilled maitake mushrooms that are tossed in a miso vinaigrette. It’s a preparation Ricketts is willing to put up against the avocado toasts that are ubiquitous on coffee shop and cafe menus all over Sonoma County.

“Our avocado toast is the best around,” he boasted. “I’ll take the Pepsi challenge on that.”

Loco Moco

Makes 5-6 servings

Traditional Loco Moco is a carb-heavy, stick-to-your-ribs meal. Chef Chris Ricketts’ version still will fill you up, but he lightens it by stirring sauteed mushrooms and seaweed salad into the rice.

For the beef patties

2 pounds ground beef

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

For the mushrooms

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons olive oil

To assemble

6 cups cooked rice (made with 2 cups dry Cal-Rose rice)

Wakame Seaweed Salad, recipe follows

Loco Moco Gravy, recipe follows

5-6 large eggs

⅓ cup sliced green onion, for garnish

¼ cup chile crunch (such as Big Spoon Sauce Co.), for garnish

First, make the beef patties. Mix together the beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Form into 10 to 12 patties of about 3 ounces each. Place on a platter or baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to cook.

In a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the mushrooms until they release their liquid, the liquid evaporates and mushrooms become a deep golden brown and caramelize.

Combine mushrooms, approximately 1 cup (or more, if desired) of drained Wakame Seaweed Salad and rice together in a large bowl. Divide mixture among 5 or 6 plates (approximately 1 ½ cups per plate).

In the same skillet you cooked the mushrooms in, sear the beef patties on both sides and cook to medium or desired doneness. Place 2 patties on top of each plate of rice. (To make sure patties are hot when you serve them, you can keep them warm in a 200-degree oven until the eggs are nearly cooked, then assemble as directed.)

Wipe out the skillet and add a bit more oil. Turn the heat to medium. Fry the eggs in the skillet, over easy or to desired doneness. Place on top of the beef patties.

Ladle approximately ⅓ cup of gravy evenly over each plate, then top with 1 tablespoon of chile crunch and garnish with sliced green onions.

Pickled Wakame Salad

Makes approximately 2 cups

You can make this recipe ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Dried wakame seaweed is available at Asian markets and grocery stores that have well-stocked sections of Asian ingredients.

2 cups rice vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon chile flakes

¼ cup julienned onion

3 cloves garlic

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons salt

2 cups dried wakame seaweed

In a saucepan, bring all ingredients except the wakame to a boil. Place dried seaweed in a bowl and pour hot liquid over the wakame. Allow to cool, uncovered, at room temperature. Once cooled, cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Loco Moco Gravy

Makes approximately 3 cups

3 cups chicken stock

¼ cup tamari or soy sauce (if not gluten free)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 lime, cut in half (optional)

In a small saucepan, whisk together all ingredients except for cornstarch and bring to a simmer.

Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Whisk cornstarch slurry into the stock mix and simmer until thickened. At the very end, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the gravy. Stir, taste and add more, if desired, for a brighter flavor. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Lazeaway Club’s Aloha Waffles

Makes approximately 6 waffles

1 ½ cups gluten-free flour (such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 To 1)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons melted butter

⅔ cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the fruit topping

¼ cup diced kiwi

¼ cup sliced strawberries

¼ cup diced Mexican papaya (can substitute mango)

¼ cup diced pineapple

To serve

2 tablespoons toasted, shredded coconut

Whipped cream

Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Maple syrup

In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.

Add fruit to a small bowl and stir gently to combine. Set aside.

Preheat a waffle iron and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Add batter to the waffle iron (amount will vary depending on the size of your waffle iron) and cook until golden brown. Remove waffle to a wire rack to rest before serving, which will make for a crispier waffle.

To serve, top each waffle with mixed fruit, whipped cream and a sprinkle of coconut. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with maple syrup.

Magic Mushroom Avocado Toast

Makes 4 servings

3 large ripe avocados, peeled and pitted

2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pound (or more) maitake mushrooms (also known as hen of the woods mushrooms)

For the miso dressing

¾ cup miso paste

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons agave syrup

¼ cup champagne vinegar

¼ cup canola oil

2 tablespoons garlic

To serve

1 loaf seeded wheat bread (such as Village Bakery seeded sourdough)

½ cup arugula

1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

First, make the miso dressing. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash together avocado, 2 teaspoons of salt and lemon juice. You want the consistency to be spreadable but still slightly chunky. Set aside.

For the mushrooms, preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Tear the mushrooms into large chunks. Brush or toss lightly with olive oil, and grill for approximately 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through. Remove mushrooms to a bowl and season with remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. When mushrooms have cooled slightly, toss them with enough miso dressing to coat. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator in an airtight container for future use.

In a bowl, combine arugula and radish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and toss lightly.

To assemble, cut thick slices of bread and brush with olive oil. Grill over medium-high heat until browned on each side. Spread each slice generously with avocado. Top with mushrooms, then the arugula and radish salad. Serve immediately.

Lazeaway Club Granola

Makes about 10 cups or 20 servings

Chef Chris Ricketts serves this housemade granola as part of a yogurt parfait topped with berries, kiwi and pineapple. Feel free to use whatever yogurt and fruit your heart desires.

3 ½ cups rolled oats (about 12 ounces)

¼ cup hemp seeds

¼ cup flax seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup buttermilk

4 ounces melted butter

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

¾ cup dried cranberries

½ cup dried blueberries

⅓ cup goji berry

In a medium bowl, combine rolled oats, hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds. Toss with a flexible spatula to combine, then stir in buttermilk and melted butter. Cover with plastic and set aside until oats are stiff and dry, about 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, stir in sugar and salt. Re-cover and let sit another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Spread pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds and macadamia pieces on a parchment-lined sheet pan and toast until fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, toss with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir in dried cranberries, dried blueberries and goji berries. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

When the sugar has dissolved into the oat mixture, scrape the mixture onto the parchment-lined half-sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hours, removing the sheet pan every 20 minutes or so to stir the oats to ensure even cooking. When the oats are golden brown and dry to the touch, combine with the dried fruit and nuts. As soon as the granola has cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a month.

You can reach Staff Writer Jennifer Graue at 707-521-5262 or jennifer.graue@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @JenInOz.

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