Point Reyes Farmers Market Opens June 28

Joanne Weir making gazpacho photo credit: Mary Olsen

The popular Point Reyes Farmers Market opens June 28, 2014 with the opening bell and a toast at 9 a.m.

Caterer Missy Will brings on the appetizers for summer with her quick and easy recipes, among the items will be a strawberry treat wtih Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese and Molly Meyerson's Little Wing Farm strawberry.  She'll also make a BBQ shrimp dish paired with Wild Blue Farm's fresh basil.

Jack Corwin, farmer of Wild Blue Farm, sells organic produc photo credit: Mary Olsen

In the heart of the village, Toby's Feed barn will feature bluegrass tunes played by The Fog Belters.  In the KIDZONE Mrs. Grossman's stickers and new books will be distributed, with bilingual storytelling by Elivira de Santiago all morning with organic popcorn snacks.

Joining Golden Brown and Delicious (grilled cheese sandwiches) will be Donna's Tamales, a new hot food vendor.

Point Reyes Farmers Market is open every Saturday throurgh October from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Toby's Feed Barn, Hwy One in Point Reyes Station.

Bio is Coming to Sausalito

I spied a notice on the former El Patio location on Bridgeway in Sausalito.  The former Crêpe o Chocolat in San Francisco transformed into Bio, a French cafe in 2012.  Now Bio is opening a new outpost in Sausalito, and according to its website the new location will be open July 1, 2014.  Bio offers a gluten free menu with organic vegan and vegetarian options.  Lunch items include baguette sandwiches, soup and salads ranging from $5 to $8 at its San Francisco cafe.  Ooh la la!

Bio Sausalito

2633 Bridgeway

Sausalito, CA 94965

www.biologiquesf.com

LittleCo To Go

Sausalito's Friday night Jazz & Blues by the Bay is back and we have all summer to enjoy it.  Getting to Friday is an achievement, and getting out to a Friday night activity is some more effort. Sausalito's Copita Tequileria y Comida is making the effort way less stressful with its "LittleCo To Go" offerings that are just perfect for enjoying while kicking back and listening to the band.

For this summer, Copita has added some small plates and Mocktails for two to its already popular taco take out choices. From $5-10, the small plates include things such as salads, ceviches, and antojitos. The Cherry Margarita cocktail looks refreshing, and the El Diablo with cassis, ginger beer, fresh lime juice and ice look like an eye-opener.

Copita Tequileria y Comida

739 Bridgeway

Sausalito, CA 94965

(415) 331-7400

www.copitarestaurant.com

Schroeder's expands hours

Photo courtesy of Schroeder's

Larkspur resident Andrew Chun and Jan Wing of Kentfield recently re-opened Schroeder's near the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco.  The managing partners remodeled the interior, keeping historical highlights and keeping the comfortable feeling that has prevailed in its last 120 years.  Schroeder's reopened with dinner service in May, and is now open for lunch as well. It's updated hours are:

Monday ­ Friday: 11:30am ­ 10:00pm (Saturday/Sunday closed)

·      Lunch: 11:30am ­- 2:00pm
·      Dinner: 5:00pm ­- 10:00pm

The Lunch menu is here. And the Duck Pastrami Salad (cabbage, rye croutons, mustard vinaigrette, avocado) $15, and Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich (liver, cabbage, pickles, mustard) $14 are having me want to hop in the car and have a taste.

Schroeder's
240 Front St.
San Francisco, CA
(415) 421-4778
www.schroederssf.com

Ramen Comes to Marin

The Renaissance Center in San Rafael is the temporary home of Uchiwa Ramen, which is expected to open in its own space on B Street in San Rafael in August 2014.  The co-owners, San Rafael’s Kevin Fong and Corte Madera’s Benson “Ben” Yang have been honing their recipes for authentic Japanese ramen at the center and gaining loyal followers for several months.  Currently open on Mondays and Tuesdays for lunch (11 a.m. - 2 p.m.) and dinner (5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.) at the Renaissance Center at 1115 3rd St. in San Rafael.

Above Ben Yang takes an order from customers (photo credit: Anna Haight)

Kevin and Ben love noodles, and also aim to provide a welcoming atmosphere much like you were visiting their home kitchen for a friendly meal.  Currently Uchiwa Ramen offers Tonkatsu Ramen ($8.88), Shoyu Ramen ($8.88), Miso Ramen ($9.88), Shio Ramen ($8.88) and Vegetarian Ramen ($8.88) with  an option for extras such as Roasted Black Garlic Seasoning ($.88) or Spicy Roasted Chili Seasoning (mild, spicy or extra spicy ($.88).  A surprise was how many customers enjoy a bit of spice in their ramen.  In addition, there is a changing menu of ramen-friendly sides such as Spam musubi, chicken lollipops, and gyoza.  The broths are made from scratch and toppings are mostly locally sourced.

I had difficulty choosing my first taste of Uchiwa ramen.  Having lived in Japan, I'm particularly fond of ramen, and have brought home a number of books on ramen (in Japanese with LOTS of photos) over the years.  I finally settled on a classic, Shoyu Ramen which consisted of a savory soy sauce broth, chashu (pork slice), soft boiled egg, fish cake and some veggies like moyashi (mung bean sprouts), mushroom, bok choy, sliced bamboo shoots, and green onion.  

The broth was rich without being oily, and wasn't over salty. I was also impressed with the perfection of the soft boiled eggs, a traditional addition for Japanese ramen.  Will I go back?  Yes, this is a repeat-worthy experience, and I plan to sample the entire menu.  I already have some lunch dates booked to introduce friends to the first ramen shop in Marin.

Uchiwa Ramen

821 B Street

San Rafael, CA 94901

(415) 891-8528

www.uchiwaramen.com

www.facebook.com/uchiwaramen

Get directions and explore on Anna's Map.

Summer cooking camp with The Culinary Dudes

Graphic Courtesy of Scott Davis

Chef Scott Davis started his cooking career early, at age seven to earn a merit badge while in Cub Scouts. From there he continued cooking while earning a degree in Early Childhood Education AND a degree from Le Cordon Bleu Program at the California Culinary Academy.

Sounds like the perfect background for creating and running summer cooking camps for kids.

This summer The Culinary Dudes are offering the following camps:

Summer Cooking Camp-June 16-19-All Ages-Gross Foods You Can Eat
Summer Cooking Camp-June 23-26-All Ages-International Cuisine
Summer Cooking Camp-July 7-10-TEENS-International Cuisine
Summer Cooking Camp-July 14-17-All Ages-Healthy Meals and Snacks
Summer Cooking Camp-July 21-24-TEENS-Healthy Meals and Snacks
Summer Cooking Camp-July 28-31-All Ages-The Americas
Summer Cooking Camp-August 4-7-TEENS-The Americas
Summer Cooking Camp-August 11-14-All Ages-Seasonal Cooking 2

Not only that, but there is a Single Parent Family scholarship rate of $200, that's $100 off the regular rate of $300.  There is also the possibility of a scholarship as the "Dudes" are offering two free scholarships for each of the sessions that are running.  See the website for more detail.

The Culinary Dudes offer classes in San Rafael, Napa and Sacramento.

The Culinary Dudes
www.culinarydudeontour.com

info@theculinarydude.com or 971-30-DUDES(38337) for specifics