Mendocino Flavors: Restaurant openings & closings; new food trucks; foodie fundraisers for Maui and more tasty news • The Mendocino Voice

Oct 01, 2023

A worker on a crane begins the process of removing the Colombi name from the now Oak Market & Deli in Fort Bragg on August 30, 2023. (Frank Hartzell/The Mendocino Voice)

MENDOCINO Co., 8/31/23 — In last week’s column, I discussed how to-go cups from coffee shops are not recyclable or compostable and how chain and locally owned coffee shops are making the effort to combat waste by offering reusable cups or encouraging customers to bring their own clean cups. Those shops include the GoodLife Cafe in Mendocino and Schat’s and Black Oak Coffee in Ukiah.

I asked readers to email me any other local businesses offering the opportunity for customers to bring their own cups or containers, and readers responded with more options. In Fort Bragg, Headlands Coffee, A Frame Expresso and Zappa’s/Mendocino Cookie Co. all allow customers to bring their own cups. Zappa’s even offers a 25-cent discount to customers who bring cups. Bay View Coffee in Mendocino also allows customers to bring their own reusable cups. Thanks Cassandra, Karen and Samantha for the tips!

In Anderson Valley, Lauren’s at the Buckhorn offers something different. According to Mendocino Voice reader Jo, instead of offering customers plastic or wax-lined to-go boxes – which are also not compostable or recyclable – takeout customers at Lauren’s put a $5 deposit down on a reusable eco-friendly green box for their to-go food. Customers return the box on their next takeout pick-up, receiving a clean green box for their new takeout order, and the cycle continues.

On another note, Monday, September 4 is Labor Day. For many, Labor Day is not a day off. Many will be laboring while others enjoy an afternoon of barbecue or dining out with friends and family. If you choose to head out to the coast or patronize your favorite pub on Monday, be sure to give thanks to the workers serving your food and drinks and tip big. If you’re planning to barbecue, give a toast to the laborers who raised and butchered that cattle for your tri-tip, grew and harvested those veggies for your potato salad and pruned and picked the grapes for your wine. To all of you working on Labor Day and contributing to the growing food and beverage community of Mendocino County, thank you.

Colombi’s Market in Fort Bragg closes, reopens with new name, owners

The Colombi family sold their popular deli and market in downtown Fort Bragg. The deli and market opened in 1933 and was operated by three generations of Colombis according to a 2018 feature in Word of Mouth. The deli has reopened as Oak Market and Deli. According to the State of California’s Business Search, the market is owned by Bashir Hadib, who filed the license paperwork for Oak Market and Deli in May 2023. 647 E. Oak St., Fort Bragg, (707) 964-9274.

The Munchery opens in Willits

The long-awaited Munchery is now open at Brown’s Corner in Willits. The brainchild of Shauna Brown Martin, the new restaurant is something Willits deserves: a modern yet casual restaurant that sources locally and offers hearty American cuisine paired with craft cocktails (yes, you read that right – a full bar!). The Munchery is currently only open for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

The breakfast menu includes crepes, benedicts, french toast, biscuits & gravy, vegetarian hash, and a classic American breakfast of eggs, your choice of protein, toast and house potatoes. Breakfast entrees range from $10 to $28. For lunch, the Munchery offers salads and sandwiches, including burgers using Fonsen Cattle beef, with entrees ranging from $10-$18. Daily specials are offered, and the menu includes vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options. The Munchery is open Wednesday through Saturday 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sundays 8 a.m.-2 p.m., 1797 S. Main St., Willits, (707) 941-0028.

Ukiah’s U Top It Subs & Sweets to closeThe owners of U Top It, a sandwich, coffee and ice cream shop in Ukiah, announced on social media that their restaurant is closing on September 10. U Top It opened in 2011 and serves overstuffed sandwiches and wraps, fresh salads, coffee, froyo and is Ukiah’s primary vendor of Cowlick’s Ice Cream. “We are so very grateful for all the friends we’ve made along the way! We loved your smiling faces,” the owners shared. “Our lives are moving in a different direction and it’s time for us to go.” 113 S. State St., Ukiah, (707) 463-1647.

Denny’s Ukiah closes

Inland Mendocino County’s only Denny’s location has closed. According to employees, the vintage, hipped-roof Denny’s building needs significant maintenance, making it costly for the company to maintain. Additionally, the property owners declined to renew their lease with Denny’s corporate. Diners needing their Moon Over My Hammy fix will have to head to the Denny’s in Fort Bragg.

Winemaker and co-owner leaves Rivino Winery in Ukiah

Rivino Winery co-owner Jason McConnell is no longer involved in the business he co-founded in 2008 with his now former wife, Suzanne Jahnke-McConnell. McConnell announced his departure in an email announcement. The winery, which sits on 250 acres, produces a variety of estate wines, including chardonnay, viognier, sangiovese, cabernet franc and merlot.

New food trucks open in Ukiah and Fort Bragg

Two new food trucks are filling the hungry bellies of diners in the Ukiah area. The first is the Alley Grill’s new food truck, which is a mobile version of the Alley’s brick and mortar Ukiah restaurant. The menu includes the Alley’s popular burgers (including the Dumpster Burger and my favorite, the Alley Burger), chicken sandwiches, a Philly cheesesteak, hot dogs, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and desserts. Track the Alley Grill Food Truck’s whereabouts on Instagram.

If you’re a fan of Chinese and Mexican food, a new truck in Ukiah, Chinaloa, offers you the chance to enjoy your kung pao chicken with a side of tacos. The menu includes classic Chinese-American offerings (i.e., broccoli beef, orange chicken, kung pao chicken, fried rice) and Mexican food (tacos, ceviche, aguachile, quesadillas). Vegetarian options are available. Chinaloa is open Tuesday through Saturday, 5-10 p.m. at 1800 N. State St., Ukiah, (707) 671-4631. Follow them on Instagram here.

In Fort Bragg, the old Captain Flint’s parking lot in Noyo Harbor is full of life again with the opening of the Smoke on the Water food truck. The truck specializes in barbecue and offers brisket, tri-tip and portobello mushroom sandwiches, and ribs and barbecued chicken with sides of fries, onion rings, potato salad and coleslaw. The truck operates Friday through Sunday starting at 11 a.m. until sold out at 32250 N. Harbor Dr., Fort Bragg, (707) 964-9447. Follow them on Instagram.

HarborView Bistro & Bar introduces special menu items to benefit Maui fire recovery

Fort Bragg’s HarborView Bistro & Bar, located at the Noyo Harbor Inn, launched two special menu items benefiting nonprofits providing aid to Maui fire survivors: the North Shore Cocktail ($25) with Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, lime, orange and pineapple juice, Tiki Bitters, Demerara simple syrup and Amarena cherry juice and an pan-seared ahi tuna entree ($49) with sesame ginger marinade topped with a seaweed salad, basmati rice and seasonal vegetables. The special items are available daily.

The restaurant is also hosting a whiskey and food pairing dinner fundraiser on October 5 (see below for more information). In a press release, general manager Scott Schneider called Maui “a second community for many of us on the Mendocino Coast, and home to many who we’ve had the good fortune to know and to call our friends over the years, both in the tourism industry and elsewhere.” He says the specials and dinners are just a small part in helping recovery efforts — but every bit helps. 500 Casa Del Noyo, Fort Bragg, (707) 961-8000, noyoharborinn.com.

Harvest Market expands EBT fruit and vegetable program

In March, Harvest Market became one of the first grocers in California to allow California Advantage EBT cardholders to pay for locally grown produce on their EBT cards and receive an instant refund on the card, allowing cardholders to purchase an additional $60 in local fruit and vegetables. This week Harvest Market announced that the program has been expanded at both its Mendocino and Fort Bragg locations to include all fresh fruit and vegetables regardless of where it is grown, providing more options especially as we enter the fall and winter growing season, which limits the availability of produce options.

Lobster and steak dinner to support Seabiscuit Therapeutic Riding Center, September 2

Willits Rotary is hosting a feast of lobster and filet mignon to support the Seabiscuit Therapeutic Riding Center’s mission of teaching skilled horsemanship to children and adults with disabilities. Tickets include lobster, filet mignon, gelato and live music. There will be beer and wine for purchase and a live and silent auction. Saturday, September 2, $100 per person, 5:30 p.m., Ridgewood Ranch, 16200 US-101, Willits. Tickets on sale here.

Whiskey pairing dinner to support wildfire relief in Hawaii, October 5

Join master distiller Crispin Cain of Mendocino Spirits and Harborview Bistro & Bar executive chef Jason Johnson for a four-course dinner and whiskey pairing with net proceeds going toward humanitarian aid offered via the Maui Strong Community Foundation; the Maui United Way Relief Fund; and the Maui Food Bank.

The menu includes first course choices of crab and gruyere palmiers or mushroom and goat cheese bruschetta; second course choice of a pear salad or crab ravioli; main course choice of beef Wellington, pan-seared scallops or chicken marsala; and dessert of pumpkin cheesecake all paired with Mendocino Spirits whiskey and craft cocktails. Tickets are $125. Contact the Noyo Harbor Inn at (707) 961-8000 or [email protected] for tickets.

Paella dinner to raise funds for the Ukiah Valley Trail Group, October 6

The Ukiah Valley Trail Group and the Greater Ukiah Business & Tourism Alliance will take over School Street with a long table and a paella dinner to raise funds for the Trail Group, a nonprofit that seeks to create and maintain trail systems to enhance the community’s quality of life and health. Tickets include dinner prepared by chef Ellery Clark, including paella, locally sourced sides and dessert. There will also be a live auction. The fundraiser is Friday, October 6, $125 per person, 5:30 p.m. Tickets on sale here.

Small but equally important updates

April May’s Drive Thru (110 N. Main St., Willits) is now serving tamales daily. The tamales are made by Anny’s Street Tacos. On “Tamale Tuesday” guests can choose between two tamales of their choice with sour cream and salsa for $9. All other days, a single tamale with sour cream and salsa is $6. Vegetarian options are available.

Ukiah’s Left Coast Seafood (110 W. Standley St., Ukiah, (707) 380-8392, leftcoastseafood.com) launched a new kids menu this month. The menu includes mac and cheese ($10), linguine with choice of sauce ($9), fish & chips ($14), catch of the day with a side ($15) and apple fritters and ice cream ($6 each).

Note: Sarah Stierch covers food, beverage, culture, weather and breaking news for The Mendocino Voice. Contact Stierch at [email protected]. The Voice maintains editorial control.