On a winding road of seemingly endless vineyards, a barnlike building emerges from the trees. Wooden barrels and Adirondack chairs sit out front, and a wine-red arrow on the roof pointed at the entrance reads, “Good Food.” This is the 132-year-old Jimtown Store, an indispensable provisions and sundries shop in the Alexander Valley. Now under new ownership, the one-time post office is offering up fare that has never been on the menu before: dim sum.

At the humble pit stop for cyclists, winery hoppers and nearby residents, proprietor Michelle Wood has rebranded to Jimtown and Then Sum to showcase the store’s exciting new culinary lineup. The former laboratory director started catering on the side in 2014 and attracted attention in Sonoma County for her dim sum. Think open-faced steamed bao with braised pork belly, pickled onions, cilantro and crushed peanuts or Hawaiian garlic shrimp shumai.

Though the store has been open for a little over three weeks, the grand opening party is scheduled to take place over two days, beginning on July 5 with a barbecue menu. On July 6, Wood plans to debut her highly anticipated dim sum offerings. Both days will be ticketed events. From there on out, the roadside market will likely include dim sum along with some sandwiches, salads and whatever else Wood decides to put on the menu.

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An exterior view of the new Jimtown and Then Sum near Healdsburg, Calif.

“I come from a very traditional Cantonese household, and dim sum was always a huge part of our traditions. It’s hugely important to me — it’s my comfort food,” Wood told SFGATE in a phone interview. “But I love all cuisines, so the menu is going to rotate and reflect that.”

The original area of Jimtown, a valley at the edge of the Mayacamas Mountains, was founded by James “Jim” Patrick. In 1856, at the age of 2, his parents traveled from Iowa with him and his brother via oxen-drawn wagon and settled in Santa Rosa. In 1893, he built the Patrick Store, which slowly became known as Jimtown Store when the local residents named Patrick the unofficial mayor, according to........

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