MENDOCINO Co., 10/14/22 – It’s been a busy week in Mendocino County’s growing food and beverage scene. Here’s the newest!
Local creamery wins the Oscar of goat milk
Boonville’s Pennyroyal Farm won the equivalent of an Oscar for goat cheese. Its Pepper Moldunes won Reserve Best in Show within the 2022 American Dairy Goat Association Goat Milk Products Competition. A smooth goat cheese rolled in Piment d’Ville (advantageous ground espelette pepper grown in Boonville), Pepper Moldunes also won first place within the Formed/Shaped Soft Cheese, Savory Flavored category. Pennyroyal Farm’s cult favorite, Bollie’s Mollies, also won first place within the Surface Ripened Cheese, All Other category.
Erika McKenzie-Chapter, head cheesemaker and herd manager at Pennyroyal Farm, shared that she was surprised when she heard Pepper Moldunes was named Reserve Best in Show. “It was an unexpected win,” she said. Pepper Moldunes is a really small batch cheese on the market exclusively within the farm’s tasting room. “Our cheeses have been scored high and placed well in multiple national competitions this 12 months, and it has made everyone involved within the every day cheesemaking proud to learn the way well our cheeses stand out.”
Family meals to-go are back at two establishments
Two restaurants are offering to-go family meals just in time for cozy nights at home. Slam Dunk Pizza in Ukiah reintroduced its Thursday Weekly Family Meal. They’re offering four-course two-person meals for $35 and four-person meals for $60. Meals include an entree, salad, side and dessert. Vegetarian options can be found. This week’s meal was lasagna, Caesar salad, garlic bread and chocolate chip cookies. Orders should be placed by Wednesday for Thursday pick-up. They post their menus weekly on social media.
Point Arena’s Franny’s Cup & Saucer is offering gourmet “farmhouse dinners” every Sunday. Place your order on Friday for a three-course meal at $35 an individual and pick it up on Sunday. October twenty third’s supper features a blood orange and burrata salad, cider-braised chicken with wild mushrooms and pumpkin with polenta, and flourless dark chocolate cake. Vegetarian options can be found. Call 707-882-2500 to position your order.
Halloween Blissful Meals return to McDonald’s
After a six-year absence, the beloved Halloween Blissful Meal pails are back at McDonald’s. The enduring pails — McBoo, McPunk’n and McGoblin — were first launched in 1986. Halloween Blissful Meals might be available at McDonald’s October 18 until they sell out.
Mendocino Coast inn named certainly one of the highest vegan resorts on the earth
VegNews, a vegan lifestyle magazine, named Mendocino’s Stanford Inn by the Sea certainly one of the twelve best vegan-friendly resorts on the earth. It opened in 1980 as the primary “plant-based resort” in the US. The inn’s Ravens Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner sourced from the property’s organic gardens. The inn was named to the list not just for its restaurant, but for being pet-friendly, its vegan cooking classes, and for the various outdoor recreation offerings.
Meals for tribal elders
The Hopland Band of Pomo Indians has launched a recent program to make sure all tribal elders have access to delicious and nutritious meals. Enrolled tribal elders can enjoy fresh prepared meals Monday through Friday, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., on the Elders Community Center. Contact Loretta Harjo at (951) 581-7499 or Hilda Mata at (707) 750-9191 for more information.
Small — but necessary — news bites
Mendocino’s Fog Eater Cafe might be closed for fall break October 18-25. April May’s Drive Thru Espresso in Willits has recent weekend hours for the season: 5:30 a.m. to five p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Yorkville winery named certainly one of the “best wineries within the US”
The Day by day Meal, a food and beverage website founded by former Forbes CEO Jim Spanfeller, named Yorkville’s Theopolis Vineyards certainly one of the “13 best wineries within the US for 2022.” Theopolis was the one Mendocino County winery to make the list. Theopolis was chosen due to viticulturist and owner-founder Theodora R. Lee’s high scoring wines, including her estate petite sirah, and the $10,000 scholarship she provides to African American women pursuing viticulture or a related field on the University of California, Davis.
Tickets on sale for TASTE Mendocino
Over 35 wineries, distillers, and restaurants will showcase their Mendocino County-made products at this 12 months’s TASTE Mendocino. It’s hosted at Barra of Mendocino in Redwood Valley and is a terrific probability to eat and drink your way through the county multi function spot. Learn more here.
Nonprofit applications now accepted for Round-Up on the Register 2023
Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op is accepting applications from nonprofits for the co-op’s annual Round-Up on the Register program. This system allows shoppers to donate to different local nonprofits every month. This 12 months the shop has up to now donated over $11,000 to organizations. Find the applying here.
Pumpkin spice and all the pieces nice
If last week’s cider mimosas didn’t satisfy your craving for pumpkin spice, then perhaps you need to consider starting your break day with a Giant Pumpkin Smoothie at Mama’s Cafe in Ukiah. If that doesn’t hit the spot, satisfy your sweet tooth with a Pumpkin Pie Milkshake at Jenny’s Giant Burger in Fort Bragg.
Don’t be a sour puss, drink up!
When the Latest York Times declared pickles certainly one of the food trends of 2022, pickle fans rejoiced and the remainder of us cringed. Now, certainly one of Mendocino County’s hottest food trucks, Turtle Island Tacos, is serving pickle lemonade. Yes, you read that right: pickle lemonade. The tart and sour sipper is topped with pickle and lemon slices. To get your personal pickle lemonade, follow Turtle Island on Facebook or Instagram, as they post their food truck pop-ups on social media. 🥒
Have food or drink news you’d like me to think about for inclusion in my weekly news round-ups? Email me at [email protected].
Sarah Stierch covers wildfires, breaking news, and more for The Mendocino Voice. You possibly can follow Stierch on Twitter and learn more about her work and donate to her directly at here. Contact Stierch at [email protected]. The Voice maintains editorial control and independence.