Have you considered local sources of holiday gift purchases with supply chain disruptions and overcrowded shopping malls? In the next few weeks, as we enter the donation season, I will focus on some cooking-related suggestions provided by local manufacturers.
Four years ago, San Rafael resident Diane Cowdrey started making natural gluten-free Sweet Diane's granola from her kitchen, turning her focus on healthy eating and nutritious food into a small family food business.
Her recipe experiment led her to find a version that included whole wheat oats, almonds, dried blueberries, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, maple syrup, and spices. She said that fortunately, Andy Bache, a neighbor of the nearby Andy local market, became addicted to it and put it on the shelf of his store. In addition to his favorite blueberry almonds, granola also has original flavor and orange cranberry.
Since then, Cowdery has moved from her home to a more spacious production facility in Auckland. Sweet Diane's can now be found in markets throughout the Bay Area, and as of September, it can be found nationwide through her online store.
"It's a labor of love, and many people helped me along the way," Cowdrey shared an email mentioning her taste test neighbors, virtual focus group friends, and valuable consultants at the Marin Small Business Development Center. Her copywriter son is in charge of marketing, his boyfriend is in charge of taking pictures, and her husband is in charge of transportation.
In addition to the standard packaging, Sweet Diane's also has a holiday gift box containing a pound of granola in a reusable glass jar. The pinstripe box has a metal lid, a gift tag and a black and white grosgrain ribbon. (20 USD, plus shipping).
Cowdrey donated 1% of all sales during the holiday season to No Kid Hungry, a non-profit national campaign aimed at tackling hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. In the past, she has donated to local non-profit organizations, including Ceres Community Project, Spirited Marin, San Francisco Marin Food Bank, and Play Marin.
What's the next step? Compostable bulk bags are being developed in 2022, giving customers the option to purchase larger environmentally-friendly packaging.
Find Sweet Diane's at the Andy Local Market, Driver's Market, Farm Shop, Palace Market, Union Market, and Woodlands Market in Marin, or buy gift boxes, bags, or samplers in three flavors on sweetdianes.com.
The boutique bar Squalo Vino is now open in Tiburon for wine tasting, collecting and socializing. The wine tasting lounge in the city centre offers a limited selection of 90 bottled wines, a rotating wine list of 15 wines, and a small selection of pairings.
"It is both rigorous and enjoyable to formulate our wine list," said Kelly Barrett, general manager and senior wine industry veteran, through a spokesperson. "We want to provide wines that can inspire a range of tastes and wine knowledge, with special attention to origin and rarity. We produce extraordinary wines in our backyards in Napa and Sonoma, as well as a large number of Bordeaux and other imported wines."
Locally brewed beer is also on the menu.
Sip your wine with Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam Triple Cream, Cypress Grove and Humboldt Fog, Shelburne Farms cheddar cheese and biscuits, hot nuts and olives from Rustic Bakery with cheese and a deli board. Or try the Squalo version of "Fish and Chips"-caviar and homemade potato chips from neighbouring Caviar Co.
Designed by Quezada Architecture in San Francisco, the atmosphere is described as "a relaxed modern mix of fashion and warm elements. The rich taste of black, gray, gold and rust is softened by a large number of wooden elements." Guests can choose counter seats, velvet clubs Chairs, upholstered banquet tables by the window or sidewalk tavern tables, which can accommodate up to 20 guests in total.
Squalo Vino is the work of its three owners, long-term restaurant and real estate partners SG Ellison, Peter Wohlfeiler, and Tiburon native John Hoffman, also known as Tiburon Tasting Trio (T3). They share a passion for wine and participate in Tiburon's. Urban revitalization project.
The Squalo Vino Wine Bar is open every Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 7 pm, and from Friday to Sunday from 8 noon, at 34 Main St. Buy gift cards and learn about wine clubs, wine tastings, vintner series and private events held at squalovino.com.
Crown & Crumpet Café is a whimsical tea room in downtown Ross. It hosts an annual holiday tea party at the Marin Art and Garden Center. Refreshment reservation dates run through December.
Settle down for a premium experience, including specialty teas and British delicacies-creamy fruit scones, mixed tea sandwiches, warm appetizers, seasonal sweets, Christmas biscuits from the UK, a glass of sparkling wine or cider and a candy to bring back Family.
On the weekends of December 19 and December 20 to 23, seating will be 11 am to 1 pm, 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, and 4 to 6 pm.
On December 10th and 17th, at 3:30 pm, there will also be festive tea for children aged 2 to 11, including age-appropriate holiday crafts, special visitors and a glass of champagne to accompany adults.
Reservations for tables for 2 to 12 people (US$95 for adults and US$55 for children) are made at maringarden.org/events/holiday-tea-with-crown-crumpet. A percentage of ticket sales supports the Marin Art and Garden Center at 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Held a festive tea party in Ross.
Prefer to go to Ross Café from time to time for tea, coffee or dinner? Open at 22 Ross Common every Tuesday to Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm. For more information, please visit Crownandcrumpet.com or call 415-771-4252 to ask questions.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Send an email to ij.lbattelle@gmail.com for news and suggestions, and follow @therealdealmarin on Instagram to learn more about the latest news about local cuisine and The Real Deal Marin restaurant guide.
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