In Sonoma, the unexpected arrives through the back door, front door and on the street

Art Culinaire, Fall, 2004 by Carol M. Newman

Nothing about a man walking alone down a suburban main street would strike an onlooker as unusual. This man is clean-shaven, deeply tanned, dressed in a crisp linen shirt and tan trousers. Maybe he's affluent. Maybe he has an appointment. But this particular man, on this particular day, in the charming Healdsburg Square, is a little different. Look closely and notice Pierre Freund is carrying one rather large egg in his hands worth more than gold in weighty conversation.

At the odd sight, our photographer inquires, "Hello sir, and what kind of egg might that be, if you'll pardon the question?"

"It's a goose egg. Would you like it?" He extends the egg in goodwill.

"No, no! Just looking. We wonder where you are taking it?"

"Just making a delivery." He mysteriously gestures toward the back door of Dry Creek Kitchen before continuing on to his final destination.

MR. FREUND, WE FIND OUT THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF BUSINESS cards, is a distributor for Western Foie Gras. He deals with restaurants all over Sonoma County--two of whom we are here to feature.

Sonoma County, which offers a lucid connection between bounty and restaurant--is more agreeably, rather than arguably, the closest thing a chef has in America to Europe. The proximity to producers and wineries give a restaurant an unparalleled foundation to produce high-quality, seasonal menus without ever leaving the county. The county's topography is enviable; there's wonderment in those old-growth redwoods and fog-kissed valleys extending to the Pacific. And the dichotomy between coastal chaparral and sun-drenched plains is dynamic for a variety of agriculture and winemaking.

The county's regions break up like this: there's the lush Chalk Hill, Green Valley, and Dry Creek Valley with over 10,000 acres of Zinfandel, Cabernet and Merlot plantings. The fog-filled Russian River Valley is made up of 11,000 acres devoted heavily to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. And there's the Alexander Valley, 16,000 vineyard acres focused primarily on Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay.

The misconception--that Sonoma County is second best to Napa--does exist and is largely understood by those outside the county. But Sonoma is misunderstood, quite possibly because of logistics and land use. The county is trickier to navigate, unlike its neighbor Napa just over the Mayacamas mountain range. There, many of the high-profile wineries and restaurants are strategically positioned on or just off two direct roads--the 29 and the Silverado Trail. They provide perfect marketing vehicles, allowing quick and easy access to tasting rooms within a few family vines of each other.

Sonoma County's focus is equally distributed between small-and large world class wineries, and well-known and lesser-known artisan farms. Perhaps the latter might not readily attract a tourist clientele--but chefs are trying to change all that--offering a more conspicuous connection from farm to table--or vineyard to glass.

Yes, Sonoma is different. As witnessed by Pierre Freund's single--but special delivery.

Foie gras, at the forefront of California politics provokes strong reactions from those we talk with. Senator John Burton's "active" but "non-urgent" Bill SB1520, Chapter 13.4 calls to outlaw all foie gras in the state of California. The Senator maintains this position: "We just shouldn't be cramming a tube down a duck's throat and forcing in food to make foie gras."

The consensus from chefs is "this is crazy," "I don't know how it's come to this!" and just an overall feeling that the issue is a non-issue. The legislation that passed by a 4-3 vote in Sacramento now moves to the Senate floor. The bill may be pending, but the issue pulses locally.

After delivering the goose egg to Chef Granados, Mr. Freund stops briefly to chat with us, confirming he is "concerned" about his business and that he might "have to find something else to do if this crazy bill passes."

Not afraid to speak her mind, Chef Duskie Estes of Zazu in Santa Rosa takes on the foie gras issue, "Did you know the fire department came here and told us we should take anything flammable away from the edges of the building? That foie gras should not be on our menu!" So now we don't have it on the menu, but we verbalize it at the table. It's just gotten that bad here. They (PETA) are out to get people that serve foie gras. It's totally, totally ridiculous."

Her husband, Chef John Stewart agrees and adds, "There are a lot of animals that need defending more than a goose! But who will defend it but the high-end restaurants and foodie? And since it's literally one farm (Sonoma Foie Gras) that's involved in this and not a huge company like Cocoa-Cola, their voice goes unheard. There are a lot greater things people could be concerned about."

Like Mr. Freund, we met owners/purveyors in Sonoma County--not by appointment, but by accident. Soon we realized, perhaps these were only our accidents and that this is how business and life was conducted in Sonoma County--with a great degree of familiarity, casualness and care. After this peculiar incident on the Healdsburg Square we wondered, "Who was to show up next?" This was answered at Popina restaurant when more than one special visitor popped through the back door.