After three years in development, Hapa’s on the Mainland is expected to open by the end of 2026, according to co-owners Ann and Dennis Tussey of Sweet T’s in Windsor. The couple hosted a preview party for investors on Sunday at their restaurant, serving flaming tiki cocktails alongside Hawaiian-style dishes such as poke, lomi salmon, shoyu chicken and fried kampachi. Several of those items are likely to appear on the final menu.

The concept has long been a goal of George Ah Chin, a longtime pitmaster and Sweet T’s business partner who grew up on Hawaii’s Big Island. Hapa’s will occupy the former Cricklewood space in Santa Rosa. The original building, at 4618 Old Redwood Highway, was destroyed in the 2017 wildfires; although it was later rebuilt, it has remained vacant. Ann Tussey said the new restaurant will feature an indoor tiki lounge, a dining room and two outdoor bars, with capacity for more than 200 guests.

“We hope to have everyone with tiki mugs in hand by the end of the year,” she said.

High-profile chef opening a smash burger spot

Ari Weiswasser, the chef behind Stella and Glen Ellen Star, plans to open a fast-casual burger and fried chicken restaurant on Sonoma Plaza in May. The restaurant, called SMASH, will occupy the historic Taub Outpost building on First Street West.

The menu is expected to include smashburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, fries, milkshakes, craft cocktails and boozy shakes. The restaurant will offer both dine-in service and takeout, with an eye toward al fresco dining in the nearby plaza. SMASH will also supply food for the existing upstairs bar, the Beacon at Taub Outpost.

“After years of cooking seasonal, ingredient-driven menus, we loved the idea of creating something more playful and casual,” Weiswasser said. His business partner, Spencer Waite, is also part of the venture.

The restaurant will be located at 497 First St. W. in Sonoma.

At a cheesesteak showdown, tradition prevails

Who’s got Sonoma County’s best cheesesteak?

Mamadios, a three-year-old sandwich pop-up, took top honors at Parliament Brewing Company’s annual Cheesesteak Festival on March 21 in Rohnert Park, earning both the judges’ award and the people’s choice prize.

Run by Chris Amadio and Sasha Zukanoff, the operation unseated last year’s judges’ winner, Streetside Asian Grill, in a field that included Golden Steak Warriors, Lila’s Streetside Eats, The Spot and Canevari’s of Santa Rosa.

Mamadios’ secret to success is sticking to tradition: finely chopped steak griddled and topped with melted white American cheese, served on Amoroso rolls imported from Philadelphia.

The other secret ingredient, according to Zukanoff — who stepped away from lengthy lines of eager eaters for only a moment to answer a reporter’s questions — is pure love.

For judges, authenticity outweighed experimentation. A kimchi-topped variation drew little enthusiasm, while sourdough bread and oversized cuts of onion and red pepper divided opinion. Big swings don’t always hit home runs.

But the real fun of contests like this is the mock intensity chefs toss around like kosher salt, secretly rooting for their rivals while smack-talking anyone within earshot. Food turns into a serious sport when bragging rights and an oversized trophy are on the line.

Upcoming competitions include the Battle of the Brews on April 11, the Bros vs. Pros cocktail competition at Hanson of Sonoma Distillery on April 12, the Windsor Chili Cook-Off on Sept. 6 and the Sonoma County Harvest Fair on Oct. 11.

Shokakko, Bazaar Sonoma to close, for now

Shokakko, a roving food operation known for its eclectic menu — including Spam fries, chicken sandwiches, Japanese-style bowls and milk-bread fruit sandwiches — is shutting down after two years.

“It’s the things we liked eating on our days off — the stuff we couldn’t find in Sonoma County,” said chef Elijah Trujillo, who co-founded the business with his partner, Kayla Hendrix, and friend Kazuya “Kaz” Makishima in 2024. The group expanded to a brick-and-mortar café and commissary kitchen in 2025.

The team announced the decision in an Instagram post.

“It’s taken a lot of courage to get to this point,” they wrote. “We are closing Shokakko.” They added that future projects remain a possibility: “You haven’t seen the last of us yet.”

Also closing, at least temporarily, is Bazaar Sonoma. In a social media post, the owners, Sean Quan and Jenny Phan, said they would vacate their temporary annex space in Forestville, which had served as a stopgap after a fire damaged their restaurant in September 2025.

“Thank you so much for welcoming this little restaurant called BaSo into your town and for being with us every step of the way,” the post read.

Several local restaurants have offered temporary kitchen space, suggesting that Bazaar Sonoma may return in some form.