Page 18 - Sonoma County Gazette MARCH 2020

B y P e t e r Po s e r t
He was completely blind by
beyond the ordinary into the realm of T T h h e e B B a a r r o o n n & & T T h h e e B B i i s s t t r r o o c i d e r v i n e g a r s u c h t h a t i t i s e l e v a t e d
then, couldn’t see a thing.
“exquisite.” That really is the heart of
We would sit around the weathered
picnic table in our backyard under
the wisteria arbor by the water on his annual spring visits. He couldn’t have seen how naturally beautiful the place was at that time.
The flavors of the Cassolet careen around and then meld together from every corner of the palate, creating a memory like those of the adventures with lost
loves. Scallops are perfectly sautéed with a pinpoint accurate sauce, accompanied by gougeres-like puffs of savory deliciousness, apples, and micro-greens. The highlight are buckwheat crepes. The Alsace crepe, an astounding dish with sausage, apples, and gruyere
is like the best pizza dish for maybe 100 miles in any direction. Desserts are highlighted by spectacular apple fritters that carried me back to the old days at the Union Hotel. Creme caramel has the right crunch and creaminess. The flourless chocolate cake is Devine. Bistro 29 is the real deal.
Bistro 29, 620 5th St, Santa Rosa | 707-546-2929 | Bistro29.com French cuisine, isn’t it - elevating the normal into the stratosphere?
It was in the early 1970s at our old North Bay home. He could sense the beauty though, I’m sure, as he trained himself to notice the chirping of birds, the sound of lapping waves, and of course his palate. He was the astounding blind food and travel writer, The Baron, Roy Andreis de Groot.
My Mom would cook her best meals for him and he’d compliment her, all the while drinking the best gems from my Dad’s cellar and asking about the top new wineries for research on his book about California wine circa 1973 or so.
The ingredients are fresh & local or from their point-of-origin in France. The care of the proprietors shows in every presentation. Bistro 29 reminded me of one of De Groot’s most famous lines, about Lyon, France. “Lyon is full of temperamental gourmets, eternally engaged in a never-ending search for that imaginary, perfect, unknown little back-street
The old man regaled us with stories and thrilled us with the strength of his persona. The Baron had our attention because he had written not one, but two seminal books about cuisine that would forever change the world.
Quenelle of Halibut in Lobster Sauce
I’ve been thinking about de Groot lately,
and his epic tale recounting life in the high French alps and seasonal, fresh, local cuisine. I recently picked up a copy of Auberge of the Flowering Hearth and started on the inward journey that lead to this column today.
bistro, where one can dine in the style of Louis XIV for the price of a pack of peanuts.” Santa Rosa isn’t Lyon, France though. Here in Sonoma County, we know the value of great cuisine, and Bistro 29 has been delivering that value for over a decade. Anyone can clearly see
The vision that de Groot wrote down some 60 years ago for all to see, imagine, and experience is still crystal clear and reverberating through our cuisine culture today. The blind writer wrote in his low growl and passionate voice “I firmly believe that nothing of deep and abiding value is ever seen with the eyes alone. It must also be seen with the heart. I am concerned, in this book, with experiences deeply felt. I am concerned with food as an expression of the vitality of the natural and simple life of the valley.”
the flavors at Bistro 29 are from the true heart of the proprietors.
The quality of our food, the depth of flavors that anyone can taste, is actually an expression of the natural world that we let in and support all around us.
“A Moveable Feast” by Hemmingway recounts the stories of ex-pats in Paris is the 1920’s - their tales and adventures There isn’t a more apt title for our own local movable feast, also known as Barrel Tasting Weekend.
As the story goes, a young Alice Waters read both de Groot books (the other called A Feast for All Seasons) and inspiration struck. Chez Panise and other avant-garde restaurants at the time suddenly started featuring fresh local ingredients along with seasonal cooking and “California Cuisine” was borne.
The first two weekends of March, isn’t about tasting wood, though. It is the time when most of the local wineries open their doors two ways. One door is to the cellar from which the best barrels from the past harvest are brought into the tasting rooms. The other door is the front door open wide for you.
Tasting young wine from the barrel (Barrel Tasting) affords you a chance to observe a living food, our renowned local wine, in one of its earliest stages. As the wineries typically also show the bottled version of the same wine from a previous vintage, one can get a profound sense of how a wine develops.
So, what of our own proverbial “big mountain valley,” our “City On A Hill,” our Sonoma County? Where do we stand?
In honor of de Groot, I bought a bottle of green chartreuse for the winter reading, then smiling, headed back to Bistro 29 to check-in. Yes, it is still on the back block and thriving. Here’s what you’ll find, too...
If you really like a particular wine, you can purchase “futures” of the barreled wine, typically sold by 1/2 case or full case amounts, all at a steeply discounted price. When the wine is bottled and ready, there is a second rolling party for picking up your finished wine, known around town as the “pick up” day.
The little sidewalk sandwich board lets you know you’ve found the place. It’s small. There couldn’t be 15 tables in the restaurant, and a half-dozen stools at the tiny bar. The atmosphere is anticipatory.
Barrel Tasting, the first step, is a rare treat indeed. Part of the fun of it all is the rolling picnic, come rain or shine. Our local specialty stores, cheesemongers, bakers, deli counters, and salad stands shine on Barrel Tasting weekend, ready to supply your picnic weekend needs. So pull out the old picnic basket and blanket and head down to your local winery for the best deals of the year.
Bistro 29 is an homage to Brittany (Bretagne), France. The natural cuisine- landscape is highlighted by seafood and shellfish, apples and pears, buckwheat, galettes, and crepes, etc.
Bistro 29 doesn’t disappoint. Ordering a pommeau is a special rare thrill that isn’t easily found anywhere else in Northern California. Perfect bread and butter appear without hesitation.
Please be aware of your surroundings and activities and get a designated driver for the weekend as well. The best fun is the safest
Starters like the Quenelles of Halibut, resting in a lobster cream sauce will grab the eye. Mussels are a must and can be ordered in a number of different ways. A traditional onion soup, called a Jonnies, is simmered with apple
fun on Barrel Tasting weekend so be safe and enjoy the fun.
Pan Seared Scallops
Our local cuisine scene is in fine shape!
Don’t Miss Barrel Tasting First Two Weekends in March
Tickets can be found at www.wineroad.com.
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