posted by Susan Sueiro
Last week while out peddling Gundlach Bundschu wines with the wonderful Robert G. from our local wholesaler, he introduced me to Lucas, the chef and L-half of K & L Bistro in Sebastopol. I've not yet had a bite of food from their kitchen, but it is my new favorite restaurant.
I love funky little Sebastopol, but given my daily route across three counties, I rarely make it out 'west' and was unfamiliar with the charms of K & L. Lucas and his wife Karen own and operate this cozy brick bistro that from the minute you walk in, you can feel is a stellar local place.
Robert, Lucas and I tasted and talked wine, of course, but mostly we talked about food. What I absolutely love about showing wines to chefs is that they usually aren't interested in discussing oak regimens or soil types. Instead, they taste wines and talk about what they would eat with them. We discussed the lamb Lucas and some friends were planning to roast in his yard, the best place in Spain for cochinillo, and the vanilla beans one of their regular customers brought them back from a trip to Asia (Karen was making extract in the kitchen).
We at the winery often describe our favorite restaurants as 'culinary equivalents,' meaning owner-operated, local-favorite kind of places, where passionate people make original and delicious things. Like us. We get each other, and appreciate what the other is doing, and usually our food and wine complement one another best too. I am delighted that K & L Bistro now offers their guests our gewurztraminer and pinot noir (thanks Lucas!) and I cannot wait for the night I can make it out there for dinner.
Support your local owner-operated restaurants! And show some love to your favorites - comment here with their name/link to help spread the word.
