MENDOCINO Co., 8/15/24 — Last weekend I went to McNab Ridge Winery’s tasting room in Hopland for a Johnny Young concert. Johnny is a talented country western musician who drew a nice crowd on a hot day to enjoy music, McNab’s tasty wines and smash burgers from the Smash Daddy’s. Not only was the music and wine excellent, but the burgers blew me away.
I grew up eating smash burgers at diners in Indiana – ground beef rolled up into a ball and smashed onto a griddle. The meat’s edges get crispy while the inside is moist, and then it’s topped with cheese and sandwiched between a bun. Sometimes the finished burger is stacked – two or three smashed patties on top of each other – plenty to fill a hungry belly. So, when I heard three of my favorite things (music, wine and smash burgers) were going to be in Hopland, I knew I could not miss out.
The Smash Daddy’s had a pop-up tent on the front porch of McNab and cooked single and double burgers to order with a side of fries for $15. All the beef is locally raised, and the lettuce and tomatoes served on the side were from the chef’s garden.
My single burger was delicious. It was perfectly cooked with crispy edges and gooey with American cheese, balanced with the garden-fresh tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Paired with crispy french fries and a glass of McNab’s 2022 grenache rosé, I was in burger heaven.
McNab Ridge Winery hosts live music monthly, and the Smash Daddy’s have been regular guests. Sign up for McNab’s mailing list for updates. As for Johnny Young, he played a great show and he’s going on tour this month, so check out his website for upcoming tour dates.
Maritime Cafe opens in Elk
Elk is quickly becoming a hotbed for dining in the county, and now another restaurant is hoping to contribute to the small community’s dining scene – Maritime Cafe. The restaurant opened in late July and is owned by Alexa Newman and Rodney Workman, original founders of the Wickson in Philo. The Maritime Cafe is located in the former Queenie’s.
Maritime Cafe offers seasonal cuisine and locally sourced ingredients. A recent dinner menu included starters of oysters ($24), a butter lettuce salad with romano beans ($15), tomato and lentil soup ($12), albacore confit ($15), cucumber salad ($15) and small bites like olives ($7), sourdough bread and butter ($8) and potato chips ($6). Entrees included lingcod with zucchini and tomato broth ($32), grilled chicken with cannellini beans ($26), grilled cauliflower with heirloom tomato, chickpeas and curried greens ($24) and pork sausage with potato salad, Romano bean chutney and mustard ($26).
The restaurant also serves brunch and lunch on the weekends. Last week’s brunch menu included a smoked black cod schmear ($15), a green rice bowl with kale, rice, avocado, broccoli, tomatoes and a jammy egg ($18), grilled cheese ($10), a BLT ($17), buttermilk pancakes ($15), a breakfast sandwich ($14) and a two egg breakfast with hash browns and a choice of protein ($18). Maritime Cafe is open Thursdays from 5-8 p.m., Fridays 3-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m.-3 p.m., 6061 Highway 1, Elk, (707) 918-4886, maritimecafeelk.com.
Jumbo’s Win Win opens in Philo
A new burger joint opened in Philo this week – Jumbo’s Win Win. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Jumbo’s is owned by Scott Baird, a James Beard-nominated bartender who moved to Anderson Valley when city dwellers were starting to flee their urban homes for rural areas during pandemic stay-at-home orders. Baird and his family recognized the lack of affordable, solid dining options in Anderson Valley and opened Jumbo’s Win Win, named after Baird’s son.
The menu includes burgers, hot dogs, rock cod sandwiches, fried chicken sandwiches, salads, a veggie melt and hand-cut french fries. The burger beef is locally sourced from Mailliard Ranch in Boonville. Jumbo’s Win Win also has apple hand pies and soft serve Strauss ice cream. Jumbo’s is open daily from 11 a.m.-8 p.m., 8651 Hwy 128, Philo, jumboswinwin.com.
Buster’s Burgers and Brews closing in Willits
The popular Willits burger spot, Buster’s, announced it would close its doors on September 2. Heather Hathaway, co-owner of Buster’s, shared on social media that the bar and restaurant would close. “We would like to thank the Willits community for supporting Busters for the last 17 years. Unfortunately, due to the economy, we no longer can operate in a successful manner,” she wrote. Hathaway owns the restaurant with her husband, Peter.
And while I could wax poetic on how many times I’ve sat at Buster’s and shared drinks with a friend on the patio, watched football at the bar, or pigged out on a juicy burger and crinkle-cut fries under historic rodeo photos, I’ll refrain for now – we still have a few weeks left to enjoy the space. Buster’s Burgers and Brews, 150 S. Main St., Willits, (707) 459-3233.
Hopland chef closes restaurant to feed firefighters during Grange Fire
Roxanne Hampl, chef-owner of Rock Seas in Hopland, closed her farm-to-table restaurant last Thursday to prepare breakfast for over 100 first responders fighting the Grange Fire in Anderson Valley. Hampl closed her restaurant for two days to prepare over 200 meals that were delivered to the Cal Fire staging site in Boonville by 4:30 a.m. each morning. Anyone who has dined at Hampl’s funky fusion restaurant knows it’s one of the best establishments in the region, meaning firefighters were well fed to fight the fire. Thank you, chef! Reservations recommended for dinner, Rock Seas, 13456 S. Highway 101, Hopland, 7) 670-6054, rockseas.com.
August register roundup at Ukiah co-op supports tribal-led land restoration
Shoppers at Ukiah Natural Foods can round up their purchases to support the Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance. The nonprofit’s mission is “to cultivate land stewardship, livelihood, and leadership skills that weave collaborative relationships between Tribal members and the community at large, for the benefit of all lands and beings.” Mon.-Sun., 7 a.m.-8 p.m., 721 S. State St., Ukiah, (707) 462-4778, ukiahcoop.com.
August register roundup in Willits supports senior center
In Willits, customers at Mariposa Market can round up their grocery purchases to support the Willits Harrah Senior Center. The nonprofit’s mission is “to assist Seniors within the greater Willits City area, to provide needed services to Willits Seniors including but not limited to nutrition, financial assistance, social inspiration and transportation and to promote the general welfare of Willits Seniors by providing a meeting place for social gatherings, education, and activities.” Mariposa Market, Mon-Sat, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 500 S. Main St., Willits, (707) 459-9630.
Join Mendocino County Foodies on Facebook!
My friend Serena Alexi and I started Mendocino County Foodies on Facebook to provide a place to share and learn about food and beverage culture in Mendocino County, including home cooking and recipes, wineries and breweries, favorite restaurants and farmers’ markets, and more. Join the conversation here.
Small but equally important updates
In Fort Bragg – Tall Guy Brewing has house-made root beer available on tap.
In Ukiah – Schat’s is now offering Mexican sandwich rolls called teleras. Teleras are perfect for tortas and burgers.
Sarah, do you know what’s going on with Jensens’s in Ukiah? Can’t tell you how much we miss their great diner food and friendly staff.
Thank you.
John and Anita Herrmann
Point Arena
Hi Anita and John – Thank you for reading. From what I know they are closed temporarily. I’ll check into it and find out just to be sure.