Sonoma Spice Queen Readies To Give Sonoma County More Flavor With 2nd Store

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Sonoma County is about to get another destination for cooks who know there can be a world of difference between a dusty jar of supermarket seasoning and a freshly ground Tellicherry pepper and berbere.

Wind McAlister, owner of Petaluma's Sonoma Spice Queen, is opening her second shop this month.

"I'm excited to announce our grand opening!" McAlister wrote on Facebook. "I hope everyone can stop by and say hi!"

The new location will be next to Crooks Coffee and will carry Sonoma Spice Queen's certified organic spices along with locally made food products.

From A Home Kitchen To Two Shops

McAlister has been grinding whole spices and herbs by hand for more than 13 years and was among the first people in Sonoma County to secure a Cottage Food Operator Permit in 2013, which allowed her to produce nonperishable foods in a home kitchen, according to Sonoma Magazine. She has since moved production into a commercial kitchen.

Today, the Spice Queen offers more than 50 spices and dozens of housemade blends and rubs, as well as teas. Each is ground, mixed, packaged and labeled by hand, Wind said in October.

McAlister first announced the Santa Rosa expansion in April, when she told followers that their response to her Petaluma business had given her the confidence to open another store.

"I have something very special to share with you! Sonoma Spice Queen #2 is coming to Santa Rosa," McAlister wrote at the time. "We did it foodies! Your great response has given me the confidence to move forward with this project."

She said the shop would bring handcrafted, certified organic spices and locally made food products to Santa Rosa.

McAlister initially hoped for a mid-June or early-July opening but cautioned that the building needed remodeling and permitting could take time. Now the spices are finally arriving Aug. 29.

The expansion may be particularly welcome for Santa Rosa customers who have been ordering from Sonoma Spice Queen or traveling to Petaluma.

The reaction from local food professionals suggests McAlister already has customers waiting.

"I am really looking forward to being able to run downstairs and a block and a half if I have any spice related emergencies," the head baker at Alchemy Muffin wrote in a local Facebook foodie group. "Or casual shopping."

Sonoma County's Spice Scene

Sonoma Spice Queen isn't entirely alone in Sonoma County's increasingly sophisticated spice market.

Santa Rosa previously had Savory Spice Shop at 317 D St., just a few blocks from the new Sonoma Spice Queen location. The specialty store is now listed as permanently closed.

Petaluma is also home to Whole Spice Inc., a spice company with facilities on North McDowell Boulevard. But shoppers have to go to Napa's Oxbow Public Market to buy directly. Sonoma is home to Whole Herb Company, a wholesaler of herbs and spices.

Other local food businesses have developed their own seasonings. Santa Rosa-based Southpaw Seasonings, for example, was started by Bryan and Meg Carr and sells spice blends aimed at home cooks, including at local farmers markets.

But the Spice Queen is one of the few shops of its kind.

Why Everyone Suddenly Cares About Spices

The specialty-spice boom is part of a larger change in how American cooks think about what's hiding in their cupboards.

One Bay Area business that got an early start on the trend is Oakland'sOaktown Spice Shop, founded by John Beaver and Erica Perez in 2011.

Oaktown built its business around sourcing high-quality spices and grinding them in small batches. There's a reason freshness matters: Once a whole spice is ground, it begins releasing its oils and losing flavor.

The pandemic gave the industry another boost, as Americans cooking more meals at home drove up demand for spices.

The movement makes particular sense in the Bay Area, where farm-to-table culture has for decades encouraged diners to think about where their ingredients come from and led to ever more culinary specificity. Now they are asking the same questions about their cumin.

Sonoma Spice Queen's Santa Rosa opening is 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at 404 Mendocino Ave.