a smiling man in an apron stands in front of an interior sign that says "Mint & Liberty"
Executive chef Michael Siegel at Mint & Liberty. (Alix Wall)

Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.


Last month, we reported on the pastrami, chopped liver and matzah ball soup offerings in Sonoma at the new Mint & Liberty Diner, where chef Michael Siegel had landed after closing Shorty Goldstein’s, the Financial District deli he ran for four years. After a very slow opening period, the owners have decided to close the diner, and Siegel will move on to the group’s Sonoma brunch spot, the Sunflower Caffé.

In a statement on the restaurant’s website, the owners said: “We wish we had more time to find our footing, have the word spread and make this a great new addition to the food scene in town. Unfortunately, that takes time, and we opened our doors at the beginning of a tough winter season. We simply do not have the funds to keep the doors open at this point.”

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Alix Wall is a contributing editor to J. She is also the founder of the Illuminoshi: The Not-So-Secret Society of Bay Area Jewish Food Professionals and is writer/producer of a documentary-in-progress called "The Lonely Child."