|
Food and Wine
Auberge du soliel 180 Rutherford Hill, Rutherford 707-963-1211 Cuisine: French *** ONE OF THE FIRST great Wine Country establishments, the Restaurant at Auberge du Soleil pays tribute to its legacy with an award-winning menu and wine list. Our culinary staff's inspired cuisine reflects the natural diversity and rich ingredients of Napa Valley and draws from regional produce, accented with Mediterranean flavors. Sommelier Kris Margerum's wine list, the largest and most extensive in the valley, showcases the very best from neighboring vineyards. Bistro Don Giovanni 4110 Howard Lane, Napa, CA 94558 707-224-3300 Cuisine: French **** From the traditional wood burning fireplace to the romantic outdoor terraces. Our menu invites you to take in all the splendors of the Napa Valley with an Italian and Country French flavor, and an ambience to remember. Bistro Ralph 109 Plaza St., Healdsburg 707-443-1380 Cuisine: French *** Californian French style cuisine offering great food and a fabulous martini bar. Game available seasonally. Café Citi 9049 Sonoma Hwy, Kenwood 707-833-2690 Cuisine: Italian *** Opera tunes in the background and a friendly staff (as well as a roaring fire when the weather's cold) keep this no-frills roadside café from feeling too spartan. Order dishes such as roast chicken, pasta, and slabs of tiramisu from the counter and they're delivered to your table. An ample array of prepared salads and sandwiches means they do a brisk business in takeout for picnic packers. Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar 1325 Broadway (@ The Lodge at Sonoma), Sonoma 707-931-2042 Cuisine: Californian, Mediterranean *** Freshness is the rule at this hotel restaurant deep in the heart of Sonoma wine country. A 480-square-foot garden on the side of the restaurant, grown and tended to by sous chef Mark Sandoval, is the first key that almost all vegetables and herbs featured on the menu will be brought straight from the earth to your plate. Wood-beamed ceilings and a spacious dining room create a relaxed environment where patrons can gaze upon the efforts of executive chef Michael Bilger at the wood-fired grill. Each meal showcases the finest local products, such as Petaluma eggs for breakfast, organic peach salad for lunch and Niman Ranch lamb with sunburst squash for dinner. The Carneros café menu is available at the hotel's spa and the peach salad with Serrano ham, toasted almonds and balsamic vinegar tastes even better after a grapeseed oil massage. Massage or not, the cuisine at this restaurant exhibits the great care that goes into its ingredients. We're sure most diners won't forget to try a local wine with their meal (sommelier Kim Fallon will assist with your choice), but keep dessert in mind also---Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée with fragrant herbs and lemon drop cookies are calling your name. Cyrus Les Mars Hotel 29 North St. (Healdsburg Ave.), Healdsburg 707-433-3311 Cuisine: French **** Healdsburg's Cyrus compels a culinary pilgrimage beyond Napa Valley. Settle under archways bathed in warm lamplight as a caviar and Champagne cart rolls up to underscore the night's theme: luxury of choice. Tuck into any of four lavish caviars, gold bullion counterbalancing the scale, as disarming maître d' Nick Peyton lays out the "no rules" three to five course prix-fixe scheme, empowering diners toward a feast of their whims drawn from nine categories. Or, allow chef Douglas Keane to fabricate a seven-course tasting adventure; you're in expert hands, regardless. Keane's cuisine exudes contemporary sensibility as he globe-trots for inspiration while respecting seasonality. Focus on foie gras, perhaps a salt-cured slab to smear with peanut butter and pomegranate-jeweled jelly. Delicately crisped rouget topped with abalone swims in coconut-curry foam with crab, while tender duck harmonizes tamarind eggplant and edamame. Unanticipated palate refreshers blur courses: perhaps a spoonful of Nantucket Bay scallop ceviche livened by seaweed and tomato water gelée, or white pear elderberry lollies, ghostlike on straws. Surrender to affable sommelier Jim Rollston for wine pairings from a grand collection. While choreographed attendants come with the territory, here nothing feels staged. All swap duties between tables and relay details with a gleam in their eyes---indicative of impeccable training and personal faith in the offerings. The staff's natural poise quashes pretense. Factor in the mixologist's cocktail dreams to start, and the heady cheese cart and teasing salty-sweet kettle corn sorbet and caramel soup as finales. This is a night to remember. Dry Creek Kitchen 317 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg 707-431-0330 Cuisine: California Fusion *** Dry Creek Kitchen focuses on great and simple foods highlighting Sonoma County's fresh ingredients with an ever-changing menu of homegrown, seasonal delights. Incredible products from local purveyors such as CK Lamb and Liberty Duck, plus numerous artisan cheeses from Redwood Hills and Cowgirl Creamery, among others, are key to the restaurant's success. Flavor Bistro 96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa 707-573-9600 Cuisine: California Fusion *** Located in downtown Santa Rosa, we bring the best of the world right to your plate. A friendly staff, and a feeling of home all await you at Flavor. French Laundry 6640 Washington St., Yountville 707-944-2380 Cuisine: French ***** CHEF/OWNER Thomas Keller GENERAL MANAGER Laura Cunningham SETTING Built in 1890's as a French steam laundry, the rustic two-story stone house is surrounded by lush country gardens. CUISINE Contemporary American with French influences CAPACITY 62 seats in the Dining Room DRESS CODE Jacket required. No jeans, T-shirts or tennis shoes, please. RESERVATIONS: No Walk-Ins, please. Reservation a must. The Girl and the Fig 110 W Spain St., Sonoma 707-938-3634 Cuisine: French California *** The girl & the fig features a wonderful antique bar with French aperitifs & traditional cocktails, an award-winning "Rhone Alone" winelist, a seasonal menu, cheese & charcuterie platters, and outdoor patio seating. Graffiti Restaurant 101 2nd Street, Petaluma 707-765-4567 Cuisine: California Fusion *** Graffiti Restaurant is the hottest new restaurant in the Bay Area! Graffiti is located on the Petaluma Riverfront in the new "Cinema/Theater District." I offer my highest recommendation for Graffiti's outstanding California Mediterranean cuisine! The menu is varied and interesting with scrumptious seasonal inspirations by Graffiti's highly talented, expert chef. The food is superb quality, and beautifully presented. The ambience is inviting ... warm and fun sophistication. Graffiti provides a full bar, with music offered on most weekends. A spacious outdoor patio is available where guests may delight in town gazing activities westward, while enjoying a river view and yachting activity eastward. I have found the professional, and knowledgeable staff more than willing to answer questions. A separate dining room is available for larger parties/business meetings/presentations. Our Sonoma Wine Country is fortunate to have this fabulous new fine dining establishment! Although reservations are not required (yet!), they are recommended. Jhanthong Banbua 2500 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa 707-528-8048 Cuisine: Thai *** Inside is a pastel and gold oasis where lovely women in long slim skirts bring platters of fragrant delights to your glass-topped table. The waiting area (the restaurant also does a booming to-go business) has comfy seating and a pile of books, including many for children, which is a nice touch. The place is filled with kitschy artifacts and an abundance of gilt, yet there are interesting odds and ends. A lighted display cabinet showcases Thai currency, carvings, and masks. Atop it is a small altar with electric lights on either end. Customers and staff alike are mesmerized by a large illuminated aquarium in one corner, which is home to several oversized goldfish. The ambiance is comfortable in a harmonious and therapeutic way. It's a good place to chill out on a Friday night, although the restaurant can get busy. John Ash & Co. 4330 Barnes Rd., Santa Rosa 707-527-7687 Cuisine: California Fusion **** Nestled in a picturesque vineyard setting, the restaurant reflects the rich heritage and lifestyle of the region. Enjoy fresh Wine Country cuisine emphasizing Sonoma County's seasonal bounty and an award-winning wine list featuring 450 selections. They also offer private banquet facilities for meetings and weddings; trellis and wisteria-shaded patio dining. ***For all Holiday parties larger than 4 people, please call directly at 800-421-2584. Kenwood Restaurant 9900 Highway 12, P.O. Box 730, Kenwood 707-833-6326 Cuisine: Italian **** Kenwood Restaurant has three separate dining rooms as well as a patio for the warm months. The Main room has views from the French Doors of the Sugarloaf Mountains & the Kunde Vineyards. The Bar Room also has views from the French Doors as well as a fireplace. The Private Room has French Doors with a view into the wine cellar & a Dutch Door connecting to the Bar. La Gare Restaurant 208 Wilson Street, Santa Rosa 707-528-4355 Cuisine: French ***** Located in the heart of Sonoma County, La Gare has been voted "Most Romantic" and "Best Restaurant" in Sonoma County. It really doesn't matter what you read about other restaurants in the Santa Rosa area, and/or which restaurant is rated #1 in Santa Rosa at any given time. La Gare is simply in a class by itself Café La Haye 140 E Napa St., Sonoma 707-935-5994 Cuisine: American California Fusion ***** Located just off the square in the town of Sonoma "Cafe La Haye is one of those rare restaurants in which you know the moment you walk in the door you're going to have a good time...Simple food prepared to perfection... excellent service". Langley's on the Green 610 McClelland Dr., Windsor 707-837-7984 Cuisine: American **** The food and wine celebrates local wine makers and farmers while maintaining a nod to international influences. Langley's on the Green is open for Lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 - 2:30 and offers a slightly smaller Midday Menu those same days from 2:30 to 4:30 P.M. Dinner is served seven nights a week from 5:30 - 9:00 and til 10:00 on Fridays and Saturday nights (spring & summer hours). Our menus change slightly throughout the month but are updated regularly on the website. Our menu is comprised mostly of house made food, from our own hand made pot stickers to our fabulous house made soups and desserts. Latitude Restaurant 5000 Roberts Lake Road, Rohnert Park 707-588-1800 Cuisine: American *** Latitude features New-American cuisine inspired by the agricultural bounty of the surrounding Sonoma County with an Island flair. The wine list also reflects the regional specialties and old world gems. Some of our other main features: • One of the Wine Country's most central and beautiful waterfront locations with views of the Sonoma hills. • Diverse lunch, dinner and café menus to satisfy everyone's palate • An ambiance reminiscent of the tropics with cascading waterfall bar and dramatic sunburst glass ceiling café • Exotic signature cocktails including Brazilian "Caipirnha" • Patio dining, outdoor fire pit seating and al fresco sky bar Banquette services for private dining, business meetings, weddings and outdoor receptions. Madrona Manor 1001 Westside Rd., Healdsburg 707-433-4231 Cuisine: California Fusion ***** The new Winemakers' Dinners are hosted at Madrona Manor each month. The schedule features many of the most famous Sonoma County wineries. Dine with the talented winemakers and vintners and savor their carefully selected wines as Chef Mallgren presents a sequence of specially crafted dishes created to compliment the flavors and fully reveal the individual nuances of each featured varietal. Manzanita 336 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg 707-433-8111 Cuisine: Italian, California Fusion **** This "low-key spot" in downtown Healdsburg "doesn't get much press, but it should" swear "locals" who maintain the "warm, professional service" is among the best in town; you can "eat in the wine cellar", "at the bar" (where there's "always a chance to spot a famous winemaker") or in the "comfortable", rustic main room that's filled with "lovely smells from the wood burning fireplace" where much of the "diverse and inventive" Mediterranean fare ("from fish" to "delicious pizza") is prepared. Martini House 1245 Spring Street @ Oak, St. Helena 707-963-2233 Cuisine: California Fusion **** Martini House, located in the heart of St. Helena, offers a sophisticated yet relaxed wine country dining experience with a great deal of charm. The cuisine is described as "Napa Valley Fresh" and showcases the best of seasonally available local foods. The extensive drink list features more than 500 wines, many specialty cocktails, and a large beer selection. Guests can dine in the two upstairs dining rooms or the downstairs bar. The décor at this 1923 Craftsman-style house is that of an upscale country lodge, with burgundy leather booths and high-backed arm chairs at the crisp, double white linen set tables. American Indian antique accents can be found throughout. An open kitchen is at the rear of the dining room, and there are three fireplaces, including the massive stone fireplace that dominates the barroom. Mirepoix 275 Windsor River Rd., Windsor 707-838-0162 Cuisine: French ***** Windsor's charming Mirepoix focuses squarely on French bistro-style dining with daily specials including steak frites, boeuf bourguignon, duck, coq au vin and cassoulet, as well as lamb and quiche. Though chef Matthew Bousquet previously focused his menu on more California-French wine country cuisine, the fare is now reassuring and practical. The short wine list centers on local wineries, but holds some special bottles from France. An accommodating staff understands high-end dining, knowing how to attentively pace a meal without becoming intrusive. Montis Rotisserie and Bar 714 Village Court, Santa Rosa 707-568-4404 Cuisine: American Mediterranean **** Located in the Montgomery Village Shopping Center, Monti's welcomes you with its rustic Mediterranean ambiance. In addition to different nightly specials from the large wood-fired rotisserie, including CK Leg of Lamb and Liberty Farms Lavender Roasted Duck, Monti's menu offers both small and big plates that feature fresh local meats and seasonal produce. Also available are pizzas, pastas, salads and a selection of items from the raw bar. The well stocked wine cellar offers an extensive selection of wines, all available by the glass and there is a full bar. It's no surprise that this warm and inviting restaurant has become a neighborhood favorite since it opened in the summer of 2004. Patio dining is available. Osake Sushi Bar & Grill 2446 Patio Ct., Santa Rosa Cuisine: Japanese Sushi **** Japanese. Gourmet sushi, exotic seasoned seaweed salad, robata grill specialties and premium sakes. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Fri; karaoke lounge until 1:30am, Fri-Sat Pignoli 3688 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental 707-874-9012 Cuisine: California Fusion **** The town of Occidental features a new restaurant, Pignoli Bistro and Beer Bar. The setting is a Victorian home that now serves some great comfort food and focuses on local produce and meats. The menu is seasonal and offers a veriety of entrees as well sandwiches and salads. Pignoli offers great too, as the owner is a professional pastry chef. Their wine list includes several bottles featuring grapes that were grown organically and with ten miles of the restaurant. Ravenous 420 Center St., Healdsburg 707-431-1302 Cuisine: California Fusion *** Modern American food in a casually elegant setting. Ravenous offers an eclectic menu based on the season's available ingredients. Desserts and breads are made in house. The bar is open late offering beer on tap from local micro breweries, a nice selection of wines by the glass, cocktails and specialty liquors. Restaurant Charcuterie 335 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg 707-431-7213 Cuisine: California Fusion *** Great wine country fare with the focus on fresh and local foods is offered at this restaurant which is a favorite of local winemakers and the menu offers something for everyone. Enjoy the great wine list and marvel at the pig collection. Reservations are recommended for dinner. Santé at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma 707-938-9000 Cuisine: America California Fusion **** The Sante Restaurant is the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn's premier dining room and has earned a national reputation for its outstanding food. Conde Nast Traveler said 'it's worth a special trip just to eat here' and Gourmet Magazine calls the food 'the best of the new Wine Country style.' Only the freshest local produce, meats, poultry and seafood are used to create elegantly simple dishes that let the natural flavors of the food speak for themselves. A wine list, honored with Wine Spectator's 2002 'Award of Excellence' features over 300 Sonoma and Napa wines. Santi Restaurant 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville 707-857-1790 Cuisine: Italian ***** This splendid nuovo-comer hidden in the Geyserville hinterlands is quite possibly the best Italian north of the Golden Gate Bridge; chef/co-owners Thomas Oden and Franco Dunn can cook, and the strong wine list is well matched to the hearty and delicious food; add in the warm taverna decor, and you've got an attractive alternative to the snooty places in the wine country. Seafood Brasserie 170 Railroad St., Santa Rosa 707-636-7388 Cuisine: French *** The cuisine is inspired by classic country French influences that incorporate only the freshest and finest Sonoma regional products and the best of Northern California seafood. Seafood Brasserie creates an atmosphere of enjoyment and simplicity that celebrates the dining experience. An excellent location for our hotel guests and a growing reputation for fine dining is quickly making the Seafood Brasserie a must dining experience in the Wine Country. A well thought out selection of excellent Napa/Sonoma wines is available to compliment your meal. French Brasseries are known for their lively social atmosphere with great food and libations, and our award winning restaurant is enjoyable proof. Syrah 205 Fifth Street, Santa Rosa 707-568-4002 Cuisine: French ***** Syrah is a modern California French bistro with menus that change monthly. It is a white tablecloth restaurant with an industrial chic atmosphere located in the heart of Sonoma's wine country historic railroad square. Terra Restaurant 1345 Railroad Ave., St Helena 707-963-8931 Cuisine: California Fusion ***** "Hiro is our hero" and he "makes beautiful music" in his St. Helena "hideaway", "blending disparate cuisines" from Northern Italian to Southern French into an "incredible" New American menu offset by "excellent wines" chorus fans of chef Sone; the "complete experience" is orchestrated by a "formal but friendly" staff that "describes every ingredient" in every "revelatory" bite, and it's served in a "gorgeous restored farmhouse" - talk about "romantic"! The General's Daughter 400 West Spain St., Sonoma 707-938-4004 Cuisine: California Fusion ***** Our goal at the General's Daughter is to create a dining experience that is as elegant and lasting as the 1900's Victorian home that is its setting. In this endeavor our Chef Preston Dishman uses ingredients that make sense: organic vegetables that are in season, natural meats and fish that are sustainably harvested. His French technical training and Southern roots shine in the simply presented, well executed, creative cuisine served at the General's Daughter. Tra Vigne 1050 Charter Oak, St. Helena 707-963-4444 Cuisine: Italian **** Tra Vigne is a ristorante set apart among the vines, creating the illusion of an enchanted Italian village. Behind the ivy covered walls are four distinct environments: The grand dining room with 30 foot ceilings and a hand-carved bar, the courtyard with alfresco service, the Cantinetta Wine Bar, and the Magnum Library for special events. Chef's creations from antipasti to pastas, entrees and desserts pay passionate homage to traditional Italian cookery. The restaurant's extensive wine cellar features Napa Valley vintners and Italian varietals Traverso's Gourmet Foods, Wines & Liquors Inc. 106 B Street, Santa Rosa 707-542-2530 Cuisine: Italian Deli *** Traverso's Gourmet Foods has been a Santa Rosa fixture for over seventy-five years. We have pride in our four-generation business that has survived the Great Depression, World War II, and urban renewal. Traverso's maintains the highest quality, selection, and variety of domestic and imported food, wine, and liquors. Since 1922, we strive to continue the vision of our founder, Charles Traverso, which is to offer the finest selections of gourmet foods and wines in an "Old World" atmosphere. If there is a product that you do not see online, please contact us for further information. We pride ourselves with having a full array of gourmet specialties and fine wines. Ume Japanese Bistro 8710 Old Redwood Hwy, Windsor 707-838-6700 Cuisine: Japanese ***** The food is meant to go with sake. Ume Bistro gives you a grand helping hand in selecting a favorite from among its nine premium sakes by offering two flights of three sakes each. Each sampler contains a vial of junmai, ginjo and daiginjo sake. The junmai is made from rice that still has some bran, while the ginjo is from rice that's been polished until only 50 percent or so of its original grain is left, and the daiginjo is from rice polished to only 30 percent of its original size. With increased polishing comes ever-higher quality. Besides sake, there's a delightfully sophisticated wine list, with 22 superb selections nicely priced, and suggestions for food to pair with each wine. The descriptions of the wines show that someone at Ume Bistro is a connoisseur Willi's Wine Bar 4404 Old Redwood Hwy, Santa Rosa 707-526-3096 Cuisine: California Fusion **** Willi's Wine Bar has a classic roadhouse appeal that captures the casual, laid-back nature of the Sonoma County Wine Country. The ambiance of Willi's begs one to kick back and relax, tourists and locals feel equally at home enjoying a quick bite or lingering over a glass of wine. The menu at Willi's features 32 international small plates, some wildly inventive and others comfortingly familiar. When coupled with the variety of wines offered, an unbelievable pairing experience focused on the relationship between great food and local wines is inevitable. All wines are available in a two-ounce taste as well as by the glass or bottle. It's easy to see why Willi's Wine Bar has become so popular since it opened in the fall of 2002. Patio dining is covered and heated. Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar 403 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, CA 95448 707-433-9191 Cuisine: California Seafood ***** Located just North of the town square in downtown Healdsburg, Old Havana meets the Wine Country at Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar. The warm and vibrant decor invite you in while the extensive list of small plates and the fun, eclectic drink menu make you feel right at home. The small plates menu is designed for sharing and features items ranging from New England Style "Rolls," tuna tartare and ceviches to Latin inspired skewers. The bar is known for its specialty cocktail list featuring Mojitos, Raspberry Lemon Drops and Pomatinis. Willi's has earned a reputation as a great wine country destination, open since the fall of 2003. Patio dining is available. ZAZU 3535 Guerneville Rd., Santa Rosa 707-523-4814 Cuisine: Italian ***** Dynamic duo spouse-chefs, Duskie Estes and John Stewart, elevate this country roadhouse, a reformed biker bar, into a showplace for Sonoma County's finery. What the farmers and purveyors who frequent their screen door don't provide, the couple contribute: they cultivate their own garden and orchards, and cure meats with obsession. The menu embodies simplicity, playfulness and dedication to local terroir (listings detail source and ingredients). Small plates might include house-made fennel sausage and marmalade, Zazu-cured duck prosciutto with melon and torn basil, or ravioli with mint and homemade (of course) mascarpone. Big plates run the gamut from wild salmon with corn griddle cakes and watermelon, to zucchini "three ways" (gratin, fried blossom and foam). Happily, certain dishes like balsamic pork shoulder and a Bellwether Farms Carmody cheese sandwich with spicy tomato soup bridge the seasons. Dipping signature nutter-butters into dark chocolate fondue makes for a happy ending. Heighten the "keeping it real" feel by watching the kitchen action while dining at the copper-topped bar. Zin Restaurant and Wine Bar 344 Center St., Healdsburg 707-473-0946 Cuisine: America California Fusion **** Zin serves deviled eggs without apology.Potato and fried onion casserole without flinching.A Blue Plate Pot Roast every Tuesday to a packed house. Here, comfort food rules and no one walks away from the table hungry. Zin also throws some solid Wine Country curves on his seasonal lunch and dinner menus--like the Mexican beer-battered green beans with mango salsa; the Dungeness crab salad with avocado, mango and chili-lime salsa; or the unmistakably Left Coast-y roasted beet & orange salad with frisee, toasted walnuts, fresh goat cheese and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. What ties them all together are fearless flavors and Zin's nearly fanatical interest in using hand-picked ingredients from his own farm, Zin Garden. Chances are those tomatoes in your spaghetti came from one of his thousands of plants. The jelly in your Zinfandel doughnuts? Yep, they crushed the grapes them self. You get the idea. |
