Forestville
FOOD & DRINK
Well-known Healdsburg restaurant owner ordered to pay over $82,000 following federal labor investigation
Prominent Sonoma County restaurant owner and chef Octavio Diaz has been ordered to pay $82,666, including back wages, damages and penalties, following a federal labor investigation into his Agave Mexican Restaurant in Healdsburg. According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Labor, the restaurant denied three employees more...
Every Bite’s a Sweet Surprise at New Penngrove Bakery
If buttercream had a fan club, I’d be its president and CEO, yet it’s taken me almost three days to get through two-plus inches of lipstick red strawberry frosting atop my Dolly Parton-themed “I Will Always Love You” cupcake. And not for lack of trying because...
Popular California Restauranteur Fined $71K for Failing to Pay Overtime
A popular Sonoma County chef denied three workers at its Healdsburg, California establishment of more than $35,000 in overtime wages, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Investigators in the department’s Wage and Hour Division say chef Octavio Diaz shortchanged three employees at Agave Mexican Restaurant and Bar by depriving...
Struggling restaurant flooded with support after daughter shares a video of dad waiting for customers
The power of social media has been beautifully put to good use recently when a daughter shared a video of her father waiting in their empty restaurant. The heart-warming video has gone viral and TikTok users have been flocking to support the family business. Lee's Noodle House on Hopper Avenue opened in 2003. It is owned and operated by Vuong, Lee's father and Ha Tran, Lee's mother. Vuong and Ha serve and cook Vietnamese dishes. While Lee's sister worked at the restaurant before becoming a nurse, Lee also worked at the restaurant throughout high school. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant had seen a decrease in customers. This is what Vuong was pensively reflecting on in the video shared by his daughter.
Windsor songwriter Max Vogel makes finals in national contest
Windsor country singer and songwriter Max Vogel, a former firefighter and emergency medical technician, is one of the top four finalists in the ARIUM 2024 Sounds of Summer contest. Voting for the final round will run from July 22 to Aug. 16 at ariumliving.com/sounds-of-summer, with voters allowed to cast a new vote once a day. “Something I think is important to say is that I’m so grateful for ...
After being nursed back to health, baby giraffe reunited with her mother at Safari West
A giraffe calf at Safari West in Santa Rosa who had been cared for by park staff since a feared infection at birth two weeks ago was reintroduced to her mother over the weekend. After noticing her temperature was low, keepers decided to separate the calf from her mother, Malaika. They gave her an IV through her neck to administer antibiotics and fluids to help get her healthy. A few days later ...
Mezzeluna, Cotati’s new Greek restaurant, is more than just a place to eat
Greek cuisine is popular the world over, not only because of the diversity and many options available, but also because it is healthy. Cotati’s new restaurant, Mezzeluna, follows that tradition. Their mission statement explains their culinary goals: “At Mezzeluna, our mission is to offer a genuine Greek dining experience that goes beyond just eating. We strive to create dishes that are true to Greek culinary traditions, using the freshest ingredients and authentic recipes.”
A new, exciting summer season at the Green Music Center
This new season features indoor-outdoor concerts from popular artists including pop music sensations Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw; American music icons The Beach Boys; chart-topping country artist Niko Moon; Reggae/Pop legends UB40; and singer and songwriter; businesswoman, author, television celebrity, and two-time Latin Grammy Award winner, Chiquis. Concerts take place in Weill Hall with seating both in the hall and on the outdoor grass and terraces of Weill Lawn. Lawn tickets for most performances are $30 (kids 12 and under are half off).
Rock Out with Kristen Tanner
Last week, I interviewed the local rock band Echolyptus. I continue this rock series this week with the Santa Rosa Mineral and Gems Society. Founded in ’76, the bicentennial year, this society’s open membership currently includes over 100 dues paying rockhounds. I spoke with gem fancier and membership chair Kristen Tanner about the local rock scene.
Environmental docs available for comment on Koi Nation casino plan
photo credit: Koi Nation via Bay City NewsRendering of a proposed casino and resort near Windsorproposed by the Koi Nation of Northern California. The public can weigh in on potential environmental impacts of a casino and resort southeast of the town of Windsor in unincorporated Sonoma County proposed by the Koi Nation of Northern California, following the release of a draft environmental impact statement from federal regulators. The U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs completed a draft environmental impact statement that will be open for public comment until Aug. 26 for the controversial proposed development on a roughly 68-acre site that the federally recognized...
Stay in your own Mason Lane
Santa Rosa’s Own Will Evankovich on joining Styx. Of the 99.99% of local bands that aspire to be touring national and international acts playing arenas and amphitheaters, only the remaining 0.01% make it through to the big leagues of rock and roll stardom. While many amazing bands from Sonoma...
A ‘force of nature’: Award-winning local winemaker’s resilience pays dividends
Patience and perseverance — those are the two virtues the wildfires have taught Bibiana Gonzalez Rave. While the recent Point Fire didn’t pose any problems for the vintner of Cattleya Wines, she said it brought back “challenging memories.” The Tubbs Fire in 2017 forced Gonzalez Rave to evacuate from her Santa Rosa home with her husband, Jeff Pisoni, and their year-and-a-half toddler and ...
‘Loads of wine,’ a slew of seafood at summer winery events
SEBASTOPOL Maker of “cult” wines part of dinner at The Redwood Winemaker dinners are a dime a dozen around these parts, but when Eric Sussman of Radio-Coteau teams up with Geneva Melby and Ryan Miller of The Redwood, it’s one to notice. The “cult” Sebastopol winery is pulling corks on some rarities like a 2018 estate Pinot Noir and a Syrah aged for 10 years at a 6-course dinner beginning at 6 ...
View 'Play on Light' and 'Studio Obsessions' Art Exhibits at Finley Community Center
Explore local art at Santa Rosa's Finley Community Center! "Play on Light" features Naomi Murakami, Alexis Wilson, and Karen Bolan, showcasing diverse interpretations of light through painting, sculpture, collage, crochet, and quilting through Sept. 23. Additionally, the Person Senior Wing hosts "Studio Obsessions" through Sept. 8 by Barrie Sterling and Shoshana Bernie, highlighting Sterling's vibrant creativity and Bernie's personal expressions. Both exhibits are open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa.
Po Shu Wang's "Intersecting Infinity" selected for Fire Station 5 Public Art Project
The City of Santa Rosa and the Santa Rosa Fire Department are proud to announce the selection of Po Shu Wang, a distinguished artist from Berkeley, CA, for the creation of a permanent site-specific public art installation at Fire Station 5. Po Shu Wang's proposal, titled “Intersecting Infinity,” features a striking 8-foot stainless steel sculpture symbolizing the phoenix rising. This proposal was chosen following careful deliberation by a selection panel and consideration of community input gathered through a public survey.
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