Geyserville Grapevine by deTraci Regula - December 2017
After the conflagrations of last month, the rains have brought welcome relief to Sonoma County. In most places they were gentle enough to start to teach the baked earth how to receive moisture again instead of turning slopes into mudslides. And now fresh green grass is covering over blackened and browned earth. While new grass can’t hide charred trees and destroyed homes, it does give a glimmer of hope that as the seasons turn and turn again, there will be positive change.
The big news from downtown Geyserville is the transformation taking place at Bosworth’s General Store as it shifts away from being a hardware and soft goods store to concentrate more on the “soft goods” aspect – clothing and other items. This means that a huge liquidation sale is underway and this may be the last chance to stock up on that bit of brass trim or pack of nails. We sure will miss the convenience of being able to pop over to have a key cut or pick up a needed maintenance item for the Oasis as the “gentrification” of downtown Geyserville continues.
Geyserville Mud is also transforming, though it will still be a coffee house. BurtoNZ bakery from Windsor is expanding to Geyserville and while the name here will stay close to the same – Geyserville Coffee Company – what this means is that some very tasty changes are coming to town. I first discovered a heated case of BurtoNZ New Zealand/British style meat pies at the Valero gas station in Healdsburg. They looked good to me as a snack as I gassed up for a journey, reminding me of similar items I used to get at the old Renaissance Faire in Novato a number of years ago. There, a sausage roll wrapped in pastry was called a“Toad in a Hole” but tasted much, much better than its name. I bit into the BurtoNZ version and was amazed – something this delectable was in a heated case in a gas station? Having them this close may be bad for my waistline – what’s left of it!
The Geyserville Oddfellows Hall is hosting a free Thanksgiving Dinner for those impacted by the fires on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23. The dinner is served from 12:30pm-4pm and diners must RSVP. There will be separate 90-minute seatings and a limit of 6 people per family. Diners may bring their own beverages to enjoy. RSVP to sonomacommunity@presidiosocialclub.com.
Foodie Moment of the Month – and One Coming Up
It’s hard to choose anything else – my favorite foodie moment of the month in Geyserville itself has to be the annual pancake breakfast at the Geyserville Firehouse, part of the festivities for Fall Colors in our downtown. Community members also had the chance to sign a huge vinyl banner thanking those who worked so hard to save Geyserville and surrounding areas. The proceeds from the breakfast and banner donations went for fire victims in general and especially for those many first responders who lost their own homes while fighting to save those of others. This year the line for pancakes stretched at least all the way back to Catelli’s.
Missed this one? You’ll have another chance to discover Firehouse Cuisine at the annual Illuminated Tractor Parade and Christmas Tree Lighting coming up on November 25th. The festivities run from 5pm to 8pm. Once again, traffic will be diverted around the parade so expect delays during the actual parade period. The long line of decorated vehicles will go through town only once so be sure to see it as it goes by!
