Most Throwback Dessert: Although its exact origins are lost to time, chefs generally agree that the ice cream and meringue treat known as Baked Alaska was created as a tribute to the acquisition of the Alaska Territory in 1867. Here, chef Jennifer McMurry creates a petite version with peanut butter ice cream and tops of browned meringue. Bloom Carneros, 22910 Broadway, Sonoma, bloomcarneros.com. (Heather Irwin)
Best dessert maybe ever: Panna cotta rarely gets a look from me, but this visual stunner features sweet, seasonal strawberry granita and chewy nougat. An early summer must-try. Bloom Carneros, 22910 Broadway, Sonoma, bloomcarneros.com. (Heather Irwin)
Best pork belly: Pork can be too much of a good thing in large portions. This dish features smoked and glazed pork nuggets with “hen of the woods” mushrooms, pistachio pesto, burrata, radicchio salsa verde. Bloom Carneros, 22910 Broadway, Sonoma, bloomcarneros.com. (Heather Irwin)
Best riff on a classic: Wedge salads — usually a chunk of iceberg lettuce floating in a sea of blue cheese dressing — get a modern makeover. An adorable sweet baby iceberg lettuce wedge is garnished with sweet pickled golden beets, crispy bacon bits, Point Reyes blue cheese and a light drizzle of vinaigrette. Bloom Carneros, 22910 Broadway, Sonoma, bloomcarneros.com. (Heather Irwin)
Best beets: Not everyone likes beets, and I understand that. But when they’re done right, they’re right. This version at the newly opened Guldfinke has roasted beetroot with caramelised yoghurt (think caramelised yoghurt), pistachios and pickled onions. 119 S. Main St., Sebastopol, goldfinchsebastopol.com. (Heather Irwin)
Happy Hour nutrition: The happy hour menu at Kettle’s Vietnamese features a full-sized banh mi that is a perfect accompaniment to their happy hour cocktails. 1202 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa, kettlesbistro.com. (Heather Irwin)
There’s also a huge jicama salad on the Kettle’s happy hour menu that will fill you up. (Heather Irwin)
The best flavor of the moment: Chef Mark Malicki’s creamy corn soup with fried softshell crab captures the moment in time when spring turns to summer and sweet corn ripens. Dishes change weekly at his Tuesday pop-up at The Tea Room (316 Western Ave, Petaluma). More details malle.mal on Instagram. (Heather Irwin)
