Wurst Sausage Grill & Beer Garden in Healdsburg: If you couldn’t tell how good it is by the lines, the smell alone will drive you inside. Sweet, smoky grilled sausages (8 kinds!), $5 brewskies and cream puffs topped with warm chocolate sauce make this casual wurstery one of the season’s best openings. Owner Charles Bell knows his sausage, offering up “real deal” sausages with caramelized onions, hot peppers, sweet peppers and sauerkraut. Grab a traditional “Wurst” made with pork, fennel, parsley and smoked paprika, savory Sheboygan Brats, Detroit Polish (a mix of beef, pork, beers and onions) and the Harissa Hottie with pork beef, apricot, harissa, habaero and coriander. All are $7.25, with some fancier concoctions running $8.75. The lineup also includes two chicken sausages, a Nathan’s Famous hot dog for kids and a one-third-pound, locally-sourced beef hamburger called the Smash burger ($8.75) served on a pretzel bun. 22 Matheson St., 395-0214.
LINGERIEEla Lingerie, where customers like the selection and attention to personal service, was voted best lingerie store in the 2011 Readers’ Choice balloting. The store offers European designs, several of which are only sold by Ela in the U.S., according to co-owner Marcia de Lima, who says she aims to provide “the highest quality and most beautiful lingerie, sleepwear and hosiery, coupled with a great customer experience and professional fitting.” Customers praise the saleswomen, who are “exceptional in their attention to the customer, and their ability to size you,” she says. 1139 Chestnut St., Menlo Park; 650-325-2965
Shed: The owners of Home Farm in Dry Creek Valley are about to break ground on SHED, a 9,700-square-foot multi-use market, cafe and event center in downtown Healdsburg. Replacing the former appliance store on North Street along Foss Creek, owners Cindy Daniel and Doug Lipton hope to curate a space for local produce, kitchen and garden tools and sustainable living. Owners hope to have the space ready for occupancy this fall.
Then our wonderful boxes have been reconfigured to hold dipping sauces because just having a ton of melted cheese and tomato sauce baked into our pies is not enough. This is America and we will continue to make pizzas to be proud of.
BICYCLE SHOPMenlo Velo Bicycles will add a 2011 plaque to its wall to join some 13 others there, said owner Rainer Zaechelein. “When the customer chooses you as their favorite, that’s the nicest gratification you can get,” Mr. Zaechelein said. Asked about new trends, he noted the increase interest in commuting by bike and shopping around town, “which is good to see,” he added. 433 El Camino Real, Menlo Park; 327-5137.
BREAKFAST
If you see a long line at Santa Cruz Avenue and El Camino Real in Menlo Park, don’t assume it’s folks queuing up for a concert. More likely it’s customers waiting for their names to be called for a table at Stacks restaurant, where regulars love the omelets and Stacks famous homemade pancakes, as well as a variety of lunch fare. Owner Geoffrey Swenson describes the staff as “dedicated, committed, industrious, and fun.” Their sense of camaraderie is strong, he says, and it often bubbles over, creating a family atmosphere in the restaurant. 600 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park; 650-838-0066