Sondra Bernstein and John Toulze recently signed a lease for the longtime Maya restaurant space at First Street East and East Napa Street in Sonoma after being officially notified that the lease was available.
Last week an ABC “suspension” notice appeared in the front window of Maya. According the ABC, offenses and penalties can range from minor to major. The suspension notice applies to “alcoholic beverage licenses for these premises,” under the current management. Maya always boasted its 100 tequilas and has lots of fans of its margaritas.
Already the very successful owners of the girl and the fig on the opposite corner of Sonoma Plaza, as well as their super-popular Poppy restaurant in Glen Ellen, Bernstein and Toulze are sure to offer a stellar new concept at this new-to-them location. They will take over the lease in November with a goal of opening in March, 2026.
Craig and PJ Clark opened Maya in 1999 and eventually sold it to Denny Lane and Manuel Arjona. Later Lane left and split his half between Francisco and Lorena Santana, and Beronica Perez and Carlos Rubio. Manny also worked with PJ and Craig when they opened Piatti for Claude Rouas and his group where El Dorado Kitchen is now, and at several other restaurants. Rubio and Perez now have the popular Verano Café at Verano and Hwy. 12.
I remember the “Peterson Building” from at least 40 years ago when it housed Pet’s Electric, a great local lighting and lamp shop, owned by – you guessed it – the Petersons. I knew because I had my first publishing office upstairs where there was no heat at all. I used to fill a mug with water and dip one of those French heater things in the water to heat it, and then warm my hands with the steam. That was in my typewriter days. Yes, typewriter. Some of us remember those.
After the Petersons and their successors retired, the building turned into a succession of restaurants including the Capri by Joanne and Keith Filipello with “Inge and Max,” Bijou, Della Santina’s with their meats rotisserie in the window, Pasta Pomodoro chain, and Maya.
Bernstein and Toulze are happy to have some time to allow Maya to continue until they are ready to move out at their own speed, while the partners dip into their creative juices and offer Sonoma and our visitors yet another fun dining experience – this time with lots of art as well.
News from Farmhouse Sonoma
Pemba Sherpa has changed the name slightly of his Farmhouse Sonoma to Sonoma Valley Farmhouse in order to not conflict with other “farmhouse(s)” in Sonoma County.
He has also added a tempting Happy Hour from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday with well-priced and tasty food offerings, such as truffle Parmesan or sweet potato fries, chicken wings, calamari with saffron aioli, fish & chips, pakora, and a smash burger (all under $15). Full bar and specialty cocktails available as well.
And the Brunch menu runs from early morning to mid-afternoon, so there should be something for everyone. 18999 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma. (Formerly Palms Grill.)
Corner 103 reopens
Ever resilient, Lloyd Davis is back in the charming elegance of his Corner 103 wine tasting room at, yes, 103 West Napa Street.
The place was partially burned with smoke damage one night due to what might be called a PG&E underground malfunction similar to the one underground at the corner by the girl & the fig a few years ago.
The tasting room is part of what was once called The Feed Store, where we actually used to buy baby chicks and their feed decades ago. Wind and a little rain used to blow through the Feed Store, which property then included what became Davis’ tasting room and what is now The Red Grape restaurant. The complex also includes La Prenda Vineyards’’ tasting room and the colorful Hola Vida Collective shop.
Davis spent 30 years in banking and finance in New York, and owned Viansa Winery for a while. Corner 103 has been nationally praised and it will be nice to check out his lovely new digs and celebrate his phoenix rising. Open daily by appointment. Corner103.com.
Fond Memories of Chef John Ash
Berkeley and California have Alice Waters. Sonoma County and all wine country had John Ash.
I think I first met John Ash at M.F.K. Fisher’s “Last House” on what is now Audubon Canyon Ranch, maybe in the 1980s. It was instant friendship, which he enjoyed with almost everyone.
Ash gave many cooking classes at Ramekins when the culinary school was run by Chef Lisa Lavagetto, and when Ramekins was still Ramekins before Ken Mattson bought it. He also taught hundreds of other classes elsewhere, and he never kept a culinary secret that I know of.
Once upon a time I did P.R. for an internationally famous chef with several restaurants and published books. I helped him with his last book but when I tried the recipes I could never get one quite right. Eventually I discovered he had purposely left something out so no one could replicate his food.
Not so with John Ash. He loved sharing his knowledge and helping everyone cook as well as they wanted to. And he included lots of history and origins of the food.
He was dubbed “Father of Wine Country Cuisine” because he taught us what we have here, how to grow and appreciate it, and how to prepare it so others would like it. He spoke and wrote in simple and plain English so everyone would understand. No mystery here.
He was a true gentleman.
While he won every chef and cookbook award and title in the country, he still remembered me from M.F.K. Fisher’s house and asked to have me with them when he interviewed her on the stage in the Sonoma Community Center’s Andrews Hall in the late 1980s. What a memorable experience!
And we both appeared on each other’s radio shows and had lovely and tender conversations each time.
While several people have written the details of John Ash’s career, one of my strongest memories of him is the last time I saw him – at the press opening of Enclos restaurant on East Napa Street in Sonoma.
He, his radio show partner Steve Garner, and I all headed toward a comfy bench in the restaurant and sat together for the entire evening. John said he was “quite weak,” which was evident in his walk, but certainly not in his conversation and recollection of people and the foods we were offered.
Bon appetit in culinary heaven, John Ash! I am sure you have been welcomed with open arms.
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