Recently, I visited a beautiful home in Sonoma at which the host shared a wonderful, freshly baked holiday bread from local Italian deli “Ovello,” offering a taste of Italy in Sonoma. I think you’ll appreciate knowing about this amazing shop with its many fresh Italian offerings.
Also, a place to sit at a simple table or a spot of soft grass for a picnic. Here are a few places that are lovely most any time of the year.
Salumeria Ovello makes this wonderful, seasonal bread fresh every few days during this time of the year. Traditionally served in springtime, the bread is called Colomba di Pasqua, or Dove of Easter. Lovingly wrapped to be offered as a gift, it is presented in the shape of a bird in flight, the symbol of peace.
Small bags of biscotti and meringue puffs–Brutti e Buoni–cheerfully greet you as you enter the shop. These are traditional Italian everyday cookies that are often enjoyed for dessert or as a wonderful accompaniment to afternoon coffee.
As seen from Napa Street in Sonoma, just a short walk from the Historic Plaza (and my office at 34 West Spain Street).
An assorted selection of specialty cheeses and meats for a picnic or lunch nearby on Sonoma Plaza. As locals, we often pick up these treats for a picnic or a quick dinner in the garden at our home.
Lunch salads and handmade pasta with fresh bolognese sauce. The perfect simple dinner or afternoon culinary offering.
Truly Italian fresh pasta made every few days
The cold case contains so many interesting offerings for a picnic. I stop by and pick up something to fondly remind me of a past trip to Europe or elsewhere abroad.
I hope that you may find a moment to visit Ovello and bring something wonderful to meadow, home, lake shore or picnic table, where you can experience the Art of Leisure, Sonoma style.
A few picnic spots or roadside treasures to consider:
- Sonoma Plaza: the duck pond can be fun
- Bartholomew Park for a table that you can reserve in advance
- General Vallejo’s Home
- Field of Dreams, by the bike path just off the Sonoma Plaza
- Cline Cellars has tables as you enter the City of Sonoma from San Francisco, check to confirm when open. They also offer a Mission Museum which is adored by all.
On our many country roads, you can stop by a large field and enjoy the view.
A simple side road with a lovely view. Wishing you a wonderful time and a taste of Italy in Sonoma. Contact me for a few more picnic ideas.