Sip, Makayla & Cody
Sip, Makayla & Cody
Meet Makayla and Cody Raudio, both Fort Bragg born and bred. Mahkayla, as owner of La Tre at the corner of Franklin and Redwood Streets, has her finger tightly on the pulse of Downtown Fort Bragg. She saw a need for a different kind of drinking establishment, and filled it with SIP Wine Bar, at 142 E. Laurel Street. SIP offers mostly local vintages, with some from further afield, and also features local beers. She practices some mixology applied to craft cocktails with sake-infused spirits, and always has a monthly featured special.
SIP does the wine bar thing a little differently.
The wine is self-serve from sleek auto dispensers that unlock pours of particular sizes (from taste to half-glass to full-glass). It’s super simple: they hand you a card at the bar to use for the self service which keeps track of what you pour in your glass. You pay at the end by handing in your card. You can also opt to do things the old-fashioned way with your belly up to the wine bar.
Local Tip:
There is a refrigerator case filled with locally sourced cheeses and charcuterie, bread, bottles of wine and non-alcoholic bevs, perfect for picnicing or for taking the party back to your place.
The gorgeous bar is hewn from an old growth redwood found in the river on a family property in the region. Additionally, the space is appointed with a number of beautiful hand made wood fixtures that add warmth to the clean design lines of the interior.
Greg, Steve & The Roundmans
Greg, Steve & Roundman’s
Roundman’s Smokehouse and Butcher shop is co-owned by an ex-aerospace instructor from Silicon Valley and an ex-private chef with local food knowledge. This might actually be the magic combination of talent for a perfect balance between logistics, butchery skills, and culinary creativity. Steve Rasmussen has been running Roundman’s for years, having moved to Fort Bragg which he fell in love with when vacationing here. Greg Braden, who has past business ties to Covelo beef sources, is the new ingredient to the business and comes to Roundman’s with fresh ideas for new recipes and delicacies.
Bringing Home the Bacon
Don’t be fooled by the relatively modest storefront. As Mendocino County’s only USDA-approved and inspected meat processing company, Roundman’s is a substantial operation and a local institution. They offer a wide selection of fresh meats, all of which are hung for aging and butchered at the shop on Main Street across from the train depot. According to Steve, “We source meat out of Covelo Valley which is a few valleys over, and we do our own smoking of sausages, fish, poultry, cheese and hams. It’s very oldschool.” Roundman’s also offers a rotating selection of sausages made by an employee named JB who Steve calls a “sausage artist.” But then, ultimately, it’s going to come back to the bacon. “Our bacon is very basic,” says Steve. “Just salt and sugar, we use celery for curing, it doesn’t overpower, there aren’t a lot of chemicals so you can actually taste the pork.”
“I just love the area. The people and the businesses. It’s such a wonderful place. People say thank you, and they smile and they hold the door for you. There’s no better place in the world.”
– Steve Rasmussen
Local Tip:
Roundman’s offers custom cut and wrap processing for pork, lamb, goat, elk and deer (but not bear). Plus ask about Covelo beef liver treats and smoked or fresh bones for your dog.
Lia & The Walls
Lia &
The Walls
Lia Morsell started The Alleyway Art Project in Fort Bragg with the dual purposes of bringing public art to the fore and dressing up some of the overlooked corners of the Downtown area, namely the alleys which are a signature element in the Fort Bragg built landscape. As founder and director of the project, she connects local businesses and organizations with local artists to create murals inspired by local life, landscape, culture, and history. Currently numbering 12 murals, an Alleyway art walk is one of the best ways to spend a morning or afternoon in Fort Bragg.
Inspiration in the Alleys
Lia, with her husband and young son, moved to Fort Bragg from the Bay Area in 2016 and have not looked back, enjoying being closer to family, the small town life, and the inspiration that comes from being part of a thriving creative community. In 2018, Lia, with a partner, founded The Red House Co-Working Space, now an essential business support and networking hub for freelancers independent contractors, creatives and anyone passing through that needs a spot to get a little work done.
Local Tip:
An Alleyway Art Walk map is in the works. Check their website before you head up this summer.
"You walk on the headlands trail, you walk down Franklin Street, you do a little shopping, you get a cup of coffee. You know, you go visit the gardens, you go on the art walk, and by then you're exhausted and you go to dinner and crash out for the night."
- Lia Morsell
The Bookstore Scene
One For the Books
With so much inspiring natural beauty, it’s no wonder Fort Bragg is home to so many artists of all mediums. But somewhat less visible is Fort Bragg’s thriving author scene, from fiction and non-fiction to poetry. There is also a varied book shop scene, including lots of used/recycled options.
“There are possibly more poets per capita here than in any other county…” says Joe Smith, author of a number of poetry collections including Sappho’s Island.
Connect to local groups
Open Mic poetry readings happen the 1st Thursday of the month at the Fort Bragg Library.
The Mendocino Coast Writers Conference happens here every summer and draws authors from around the country.
Slack Tide Café holds author readings (and live music)
The Writers
THE WRITERS
"There are more good poets per capita in Mendocino County than in any other"
Joe Smith – Writer
Joe Smith
A former resident alien of Greece (where much of his body of work was composed), Joe Smith currently resides in Fort Bragg. His body of work features hundreds of stories, essays, articles, poems and translations. Chopsticks, a collection of the author’s stories, was recently published by Pygmy Forest Press.
Larry Felson
Larry Felson moved to Fort Bragg six years ago, having previously lived in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco, where he was a high school teacher and social justice activist. His most recent poetry collection is Dawn Out of Order, published in 2022.
Tia Ballantine
A writer and painter, born in Peru, Tia Ballantine has lived on the East Coast, in the desert at the Mexican border, and most recently here in Fort Bragg. Ballantine is a self-proclaimed atheist, pacifist, and feminist who believes in the power of art and the grace of tolerance, all of which is reflected in her poetry collections.
Malcolm Macdonald
Meet Malcolm Macdonald, Fort Bragg author and local historian. Malcolm lives on the same ranch settled by his Scottish immigrant family in the 1800’s. As a longtime local and historian, he has some tales to tell, some fact and some fiction. Mendocino History Exposed is a historical romp from the Pomo to 19th century UFO’s, through murders and the lawmen who solved them, on to the Tire Baby. His latest book is fiction and titled The Mendocino Outlaws. Look for it, along with his other works at The Bookstore and Windsong Books in downtown Fort Bragg.