Guerneville’s Biscuits at Big Bottom Market

Who could have guessed Sonoma County would become famous for its biscuits? But that’s exactly what happened back in 2011, when Guerneville entrepreneur Michael Volpatt partnered with local chef Crista Luedtke to open Big Bottom Market, specializing in flaky, dense, but light biscuits in all kinds of sweet and savory recipes.

The from-scratch, piping hot baked goods quickly proved so popular that Volpatt and Luedtke placed them on the menus at four New York restaurants, launched a packaged biscuit line to sell across the nation, and wrote a cookbook called, aptly, “The Big Bottom Biscuit.”

In November 2016, lifestyle guru Oprah Winfrey selected the product for her annual Favorite Things List holiday shopping guide, which also gained the biscuits coverage from USA Today, “Entertainment Weekly,” and “Extra.”

Now, the BBB team has rolled out Big Bottom Biscuit Bullet, a classic, shiny aluminum Airstream trailer transformed into a mobile deli and biscuit bar. It’s a partnership with Bowman Cellars boutique family winery, which is supplying its wine for “biscuit pairings.” For now, the trailer is parked at the winery and is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Try this menu and see if you don’t agree that the biscuits are beautiful, and even more interesting matched with fine wine:

• Biscuit BLT with aioli and homemade jalapeno jam—Suggested pairing: Bowman Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
• Biscuit with Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw—Suggested pairing: Bowman Cellars Pinot Noir
• Biscuit with Butter and Jam—Suggested pairing: Bowman Cellars Rosé Biscuit with Berries and Cream—Suggested pairing: Bowman Cellars Chardonnay
• The Sea Biscuit—Suggested pairing: Bowman Cellars Chardonnay (the Sea Biscuit is a mouthwatering specialty of a Cheddar-thyme biscuit stuffed with smoked trout, pickled onions, crème fraiche, chives and a slice of lemon.

Other rotating treats include biscuits smothered in creamy gravy with optional bacon and/or egg; slathered in local wildflower honey and mascarpone; or topped in smoked salmon, crème fraiche and capers. You also might see goodness like Black Forest ham draped in melted cheddar; or a sausage version with hardboiled egg and Cheddar.

For a side nosh at the Bullet, you can also enjoy a mezze plate with hummus, lentil pate, olives, feta cheese and mixed greens—Suggested Pairing: Bowman Cellars Pinot Noir.

“Biscuits and I go way back,” Winfrey wrote in her notes on the Big Bottom gift box she created, containing the mix and locally sourced, organic orange-blossom honey. “These bake up moist yet crumbly, taste homemade though they’re from a mix, and are heavenly served with this honey.”

As for the unusual Big Bottom name, that refers to the alluvial flood plain that Guerneville rests upon, and the nickname Guerneville earned in the 1860’s before it was retitled Stumptown for its redwood logging.

Details: 9010 Graton Road, Graton, 707-604-7295, bigbottommarket.com.