Months ago, when we first saw the cool, cannery-style buildings of The Barlow, the Sebastopol shopping area where Kosta Browne Winery has set up shop and is going to make our grapes into wine, we immediately wanted to write a blog about this new, diverse shopping area. We loved the concept -- the developer wanted to create a culinary and arts center where customers could connect directly with the artisans.The problem was that while there was a lot of construction hustle and bustle on the 12.5-acre site that had once been an apple processing plant, there hadn't been many stores open.
We're happy to report that all that's changed. We've just come back from a nice Tuesday afternoon of dining, shopping and sipping, and we can't wait to tell you about some of our favorite spots.
1. Our first stop was lunch at the much-lauded Woodfour Brewing Company. Our friends Ted and Kathy Klopp had raved about it (their son-in-law is the restaurant's sous chef, Matthew Williams), and after taking a sip of the bacon-and-cream-laden cauliflower soup, we knew it wasn't just family pride talking. The soup, salad and Italian cold cut sandwich with creamy fresh burrata we'd ordered for lunch were hearty, fresh and flavorful, the perfect food to stand up to our lunch-sized 8 oz. Session Amber Lager. The space is bright and industrial, and we can't wait to try out the outdoor deck when the weather warms.
2. After a hearty lunch, generally the last thing we want to do is go clothes shopping. But the sunlit space and sleek yet comfortable aesthetic of the Tamarind contemporary clothing store lured us in. Owned by North Bay native Andrea Kenner, the store reflects Andrea's desire to use her ten years in the design industry and her knowledge gained living in New York City to dress Northern Californians. The clothes were stylish yet easy-to-wear with a hint of a global influence -- labels included Pendleton Woolen Mills, Lemlem, Raquel Allegra, Base Range, as well as local jewelry designers.
3. It would be easy to float away on all of the beverages created and available for tasting at The Barlow: beer from Woodfour Brewing Company, wines from La Follette, Marimar Estate and Wind Gap Winery, coffee from Taylor Maid Farms and spirits -- yes, The Barlow has a distillery -- from Spirit Works Distillery. We were totally bummed to discover that this distillery that creates gin, sloe gin, vodka, wheat whiskey and rye whiskey was closed on the day we wanted to visit (they're open Thursday-Monday), but it won't deter us from returning. How many times have you gotten to take a break at the local distillery while you were out Christmas shopping?
4. One place that is always open -- and hopping -- is Taylor Maid Farms Organic Coffee, a beautiful coffee house that has great indoor and outdoor seating, an upstairs perfect for working, and fabulous coffee. We always get our beans at this place described as "the ultimate gathering spot for the coffee obsessed." Even their milk is special -- we learned while chatting with the always-friendly baristas that they use Straus Family Creamery's Organic Barista Milk, a lightly-homogenized organic milk you can't even buy in the stores that's prized for creating small, tight bubbles in coffee foam.
5. Our last stop of the day was the softly opened, Community Market, which won't have it's grand opening until January, but already had fresh produce in the bins, good meats behind glass and friendly cashiers at the ready. The worker-run nature food store seemed a perfect fit for the Sebastopol area.
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