Exec Chef Jamil Peden of Woodfour Brewing Co.

Chef Jamil Peden, who’s done stints at Campo Fina (Healdsburg) and at the former Petite Syrah (Santa Rosa) will head up the kitchen of the soon-to-open brewery located in Sebastopol’s Barlow complex.

Say owners Seth Wood and Olav Vier, “At Woodfour Brewing Co. we feel that food in our kitchen deserves as much respect and attention as the beer in the brewery. With that in mind, it gives us great pleasure to introduce the newest member of our team, Executive Chef Jamil Peden. The guy has some serious talent and style to boot.”

Watch for a (fingers crossed) July opening.

Free pour overs at the opening of Taylor Maid at the Barlow on Monday, June 17, 2013

Taylor Maid Farms Organic Tea and Coffee will be opening the doors on their new Barlow coffee bar on Monday, June 17. Visitors can watch roasting and packaging from the bar’s mezzanine level, drink espresso and hand-brewed coffees and check out tasty treats from Santa Rosa’s Criminal Baking Co. and Howard’s Station Cafe in Occidental.

The Coffee Bar is located at 6790 McKinley Avenue, Suite 170 and will be open Monday through Thursday from 6am-7pm, Friday and Saturday from 6am-9pm, and Sunday from 7am-7pm.

Bicyclist will escort the Boudin Bakery SF Mother Dough to the new Montgomery Village bakery on 6/18/2013

If you’ve driven down Farmer’s Lane in Santa Rosa lately, you can’t help but notice the whirlwind of construction wrapping up at the new Boudin SF Bakery.

Reps have confirmed that the bakery and attached coffeehouse, ACRE Coffee, are slated to open July 11.  Two opening events worth, ahem, rising for? On Tuesday, June 18 the bakery’s 164-year-old “Mother Dough” will be escorted by cyclists to the new location. The ride starts at 9:30a.m. at Rincon Valley Library in Santa Rosa and ends at Montgomery Village. The first 100 cyclists to join will receive a $20 Boudin gift certificate.

On opening day (July 11, remember?), the first 100 people in line at Boudin will get free bread for a year (yep, one loaf per day!) The first spot in line, however, will be reserved for the Redwood Empire Food Bank.

Chef Rob from Parish Cafe in Healdsburg

Sunday, June 9: It’s NOLA at the Windsor Farmer’s Market as Parish Cafe’s Rob Lipponcott hosts New Orleans Day at the Market. The Louisiana-transplant brings his family’s French Creole recipes to life with a free chef demonstration at 11a.m., beignets, live music with Catfish Jack, free cake and Mardi Gras beads for all.  701 McClelland Dr., Windsor, from 10a.m. to 1p.m.

Rian Rinn (photo from Rinn’s Facebook page)

Pop-up dinner kings Mullen & Smith team up with local butcher Rian Rinn (who plans to open Sonoma County Meat Co, a custom cut and wrap butcher shop in Santa Rosa this year) for Hog It Up at SHED in Healdsburg.

On Saturday, June 8, the trio will have a live hog butchery demonstration followed by a three-course meal using the aforementioned piggy. Rinn, Ian Mullen and Jason Smith met at SF’s Fifth Floor nearly a decade ago and have collaborated on this season-inspired menu. Tickets are $110 per person and includes a glass of wine and dinner. Details online at http://healdsburgshed.com/gather/grange-events/.

Can’t make that event? Aspiring fermenters (and those who love them) can check out Jennifer Harris’ Kombucha, Kvass and Kefir class from 1-3p.m. on June 16 at Shed, $25.

Criminal Baking Co.

On June 6, craft, kvetch and nosh away the evening at Criminal Baking Co. (463 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa). BiteClub’s a huge fan of Dawn Zaft’s homey cakes and pies, pour over coffees and scones at this cozy South of A St. store front.

She’ll include tea and quiche, a comfy creative space and plenty of community dishing with the requested $10 donation. Bring your project this Thursday or any first Thursday of the month.

Green Grocer will be at DragonflyFarms on Sunday, June 2

June 2, 2013: Dragonfly Farm in Healdsburg hosts an open house from 10a.m. to 3p.m. with tasty bites from Ariel Ross (gluten-free Florentines), sweets from Flour Girl, Heather’s Homemade hand pies, farm market phenom Green Grocer as well as spots for picnicking, family yoga, industrial art, crafts and life coaching at the flower farm (425 Westside Road, Healdsburg).

Chefs have looked to liquid nitrogen as a culinary party trick for years. Its ability to freeze food almost instantly, not to mention the swirls of white gas, make for gasps of awe in the dining room. But this laboratory staple has found staying power with ice cream makers who use it for nifty a la minute desserts.

In Santa Rosa, two former social workers are opening a pop-up ice cream shop at Dave’s Market and Deli (320 W. Third St., Santa Rosa) each weekend (Friday through Sunday from 3-9pm), stirring up “happy scoops of delicious and delectably darn good delights.” Watch for their ice cream trailer to debut in June.

Crab cakes from Syrah

A friend and I were recently lamenting how much we missed some of the old menu items at Syrah.

The crab cakes for one. And the duck breast with cherry sauce.

Be careful what you wish for, because Chef Josh Silvers of Three Squares Cafe is bringing back some of his Syrah classics with a new summer menu. Re-energized after three months of shoulder surgery recovery, the longtime Railroad Square toque has put a hearty pan-roasted chicken with fava beans and goat cheese on the new menu along with sautéed King salmon and mashed Yukons and his signature crab cakes.

Also on the dinner menu, grilled lamb sirloin with fried artichokes, rib eye steak, pork chops and portobello fries with truffle aioli. No word yet on the duck.

205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, (707) 545-4300.

Mr. Biteclub at Grillin and Chilin, the former Sizzler in Santa Rosa

A surprising number of folks have been asking about the fate of the Sizzler (1440 Townview Ln., Santa Rosa). After a month-long closure, it quietly reopened as Grillin’ and Chillin’ over Mother’s Day weekend.

The good news: The steak, fried shrimp and cheese-and-ham-draped chicken will be very familiar to Sizzler fans. The bad news: No canned peaches, as one regular loudly complained on his way back from the salad bar. And no hot bar with chicken wings.

Folks mostly seem confused as they walk in, but friendly staff are hoping to welcome new diners to the location.