Steve Jaxon radio broadcaster for KSRO interviewed Petaluma’s Laura Sunday and Houston Porter. Sunday tells how the Great Petaluma Chili Cookoff started and Porter, a Positively Petaluma contributor, will be supervising the event from oversees. During the interview they tasted some chili from a few contestants – you will have to watch to video to find out. Also they announce the “Golden Ticket” that will go to the Grand Champion this year.
Tag: Houston Porter
Petaluma Eats! at Secret Kitchen
As the first one to post a Yelp reviewer for Secret Kitchen (back in May 2014), I knew Chef Brenda Anderson’s new restaurant would be popular, even though a bit hard to find. Close to a year later and it comes as no surprise that her incredibly diverse and delicious menu chalked full of healthy, locally sourced ingredients didn’t stayed a secret for long. At a recent fundraiser a “Chef’s Dinner for 6” at the Secret Kitchen blew all the other auction items out of the water even though the high bidder hadn’t tasted the food before. This proves that around Petaluma people fall into one of two camps. Either they have been to Secret Kitchen and loved it OR they have heard about Chef Brenda’s food and are dying to try it for themselves.
… the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. – Roald Dahl
The quick five minute drive west of downtown Petaluma will take you past the very farms and fields where Chef Brenda sources the fresh ingredients for Secret Kitchen’s menu. Primarily Asian-Latin fusion, her cuisine gives all those fancy San Francisco food trucks a run for their money, especially considering Secret Kitchen is a much shorter drive …and doesn’t require a Twitter account to find out where they will be parked that day. Splashed with colors nearly as loud and bold as her flavorful menu, Secret Kitchen is hard to miss, even though it’s tucked in behind Aguis Market (at the corner of Bodega Avenue and Eucalyptus Road/Skillman Lane.) And like so much about Petaluma, your smartphone will only get you so far, so don’t be afraid to ask a local for directions. …that’s kind of the way we like it.
Petaluma Eats! at Sugo Trattoria
Although Petaluma has a lot of great restaurants, I always find myself returning to Sugo. Whether visiting for a business lunch, dinner before the movies, or just for some after-dinner sweets and a glass of wine, you will love Sugo.
Having moved back to Petaluma in the mid-2000’s, I have tasted everything on Sugo’s menu, with the most memorable items being…well…everything. In fact, I always arrive at Sugo knowing exactly what I want, only to find myself seduced by menu items I had forgotten about, or new specials. It isn’t unusual for me to tell my partner to pick two things as I’m sure I’ll be happy with half of both. Sugo’s food is simply that good.
Some personal favorites…
Bruschetta Trio
You can’t go wrong starting out with the Bruschetta Trio…your choice of three different (and delicious) bruschetta combinations all for the very reasonable price of $7. This price has never changed, and I hope it never will. When I haven’t been in a while, or we are entertaining others, I order three different toppings. Otherwise I simply order the phenomenal prosciutto/fig/brie for the entire Trio.
Gnocchi
I get Gnocchi at every restaurant I can, and have had Sugo’s on many occasions. The gnocchi pillows are light yet firm, made with ricotta instead of the American standard of making them from potatoes. Sugo’s feel as if they are on the brink of melting in my mouth, holding their shape just long enough to be bitten into. And the pesto crème sauce is so good that I asked for more bread so I could polish it off. Although not on the menu, if you’re lucky, they will sprinkle crispy Pancetta over the top for you. That’s call the “Sugo a la Houston” in our house and is punching up my taste buds just sitting here thinking about it.
Positively Petaluma Introduces Petaluma Eats! and Welcomes Houston Porter
Positively Petaluma is one of the fastest growing websites and social media outlets in Petaluma. Since starting in June last year our stories have been sourced by local radio and covered on bay area TV news (not to mention thousands just like you sharing and retweeting). Last week we were listed in Patch.com‘s National Best of Patch Featured Local Voices and feature our stories in their National Daily Voices.
With this growth we have notice a trend. Petaluma loves food! In August 2014 KRON 4 news and North Bay Yelp called our city a “culinary destination.” From your great response to both our food industry and restaurants we are happy to introduce a new column called Petaluma Eats! In the coming months you will start seeing contributions from local “foodies.” This leads us also to welcome Houston Porter to our team of contributors.
Porter is a self-proclaimed Petalumaholic. If there is an event in our city you can bet he will be there especially when food is involved. He is a restaurant reviewer for Petaluma Argus Courier and an Elite Yelper. He calls Petaluma a nourishing place to live. His first featured post will be Petaluma Eats! at Sugo Trattoria.
Your feedback is important to us so if you have any comments or suggestions on things you would like to see on Positively Petaluma please send them to [email protected].