In a time of change and uncertainty, extolling the virtues of a perfect ball of burrata or a 10-course tasting menu may seem out of touch. But when you look at the bigger picture, it’s food that brings us all to the table. This year, we’ve chosen 25 Sonoma County restaurants that each bring a strong reason to be in our community and in our lives, whether a stunning plate of pasta, a sublime slice of lemon cream pie, or a singular point of view on the restaurant industry, it’s all important. Food is connection, food is love — and Sonoma County’s singular connection to land and sea creates a common ground we can all appreciate.

Enclos

Because it’s time for a Michelin star in the town of Sonoma.

Not every restaurant has that singular ambition of worldwide recognition woven into its DNA. But Enclos is a rising star destination that’s about to change all that. In March, Michelin inspectors dangled a tasty carrot by including it as one of 15 “recommended” California restaurants that could be on the shortlist for 2025 stars. It happened just three months after the opening, a rare feat for a fledgling.

Chef Brian Limoges, who was on the opening teams of San Francisco’s Quince and Birdsong, has the experience, drive and financial backing to reach for those stars. In January, he hit the ground running with an 11-course tasting menu that pays homage to the flora and fauna of Sonoma Valley, his new home. Instagram collectively swooned at tiny bites of venison and tree lichen perched on a found deer antler and Lilliputian ice cream sandwiches atop a honeycomb frame. Dining at this level is as much about over-the-top artful presentation as it is about pristine sourcing and complicated technique.

With a $325 price tag and just 30 seats spread over two elegantly appointed rooms, this is a bespoke luxury experience for a niche audience. But Limoges is raising the fine dining bar to a new level in Sonoma County, giving us a renewed pride of place and another chance at stardom. 139 E Napa St., Sonoma. 707-387-1724, enclos-sonoma.com

Acorn Cafe

Because French toast should always come piled this high.

There’s something gleeful about a breakfast standard gussied up with brioche and tall whipped mascarpone, cacao nibs, and a hearty scoop of coffee ice cream. No doubt this is an adult version of French toast, but it’s one that speaks to the kid in all of us.

Acorn is the breakfast and brunch spot that Healdsburg needs, with sunny lemon ricotta pancakes with lemon curd, whipped ricotta, and lavender ice cream and a riff on Dr. Seuss’s green eggs and ham, made with herby yogurt, poached eggs, and grilled ham seasoned with dukkah spices.

Everything about the place radiates joy, with orange pops of color throughout the interior, a bright and open floor plan that floods the space with light, and owner Beryl Adler’s obvious enthusiasm for adding a little wonder to your brunch. 124 Matheson St., Healdsburg. 707-955-7001, acornhealdsburg.com

Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria

Because deep roots matter.

When Chefs Franco Dunn and Thom as Oden opened Santi restaurant in 2000, Geyserville was a tiny community. Their Italian restaurant honored what Press Democrat food writer Diane Peterson described as cucina povera, the soulful and frugal genius of Italian peasants with dishes like trippa alla Fiorentina and spaghettini Calabrese. Dunn and Oden’s passion ignited a generation of Sonoma County chefs eager to learn Old World ways of making pasta, salumi and bread from scratch.

Among the young recruits were three important chefs who later opened their own restaurants — Ari Rosen of Scopa and Campo Fina, Liza Hinman of Spinster Sisters, and Dino Bugica, who founded Diavola in Geyserville in 2008.

There’s a clear line that carries through from Dunn and Oden’s ideals to Bugica’s Geyserville restaurant today. Ingredients are local, the pizzas and pasta pay homage to Italian home cooking, and the delicious charcuterie is made in-house. The brick oven inside the restaurant glows — and trippa alla Fiorentina is still on the menu. 21021 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville. 707-814-0111, diavolapizzeria.com

The Goose & Fern

Because mate is just another word for friend.

If a British pub could be transported lock, stock and barrel to Santa Rosa, this would be it. Darts, pints and football — the kind with a soccer ball — are on tap, along with stellar pub food, including top-notch fish and chips, Guinness pie, and the world’s best sticky toffee pudding.

Clyde Hartwell, who speaks with a brogue as thick as his salt-and-pepper beard, runs the come-as-you-are establishment with his wife, Brittany, a trained pastry chef. He’s the guy behind the bar who’ll shout for you to grab yourself a table and refers to just about everyone as “mate,” because in his pub, you are. 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa. 707-843-4235, thegooseandfern.com

Buck’s Place

Because these walls hold 119 years of stories.

A couple miles off Sonoma’s downtown Plaza, Buck’s Place has served as watering hole, polka hall, music venue and family-style restaurant since 1906. These days, its roadhouse charm shines brighter than ever thanks to owners Erika and Chad Harris, founders of Sonoma Valley’s popular Lou’s Luncheonette and Jack’s Filling Station, spots that, like Buck’s, feel heavy with the trappings of another era.

At Buck’s Place, the couple take a turn towards Italy, offering up red-tablecloth classics like chicken Parmesan, hoagies with all the gabagool, and crunchy-gooey mozzarella sticks. Pizza is the main event — Chicago deep-dish sometimes, or grandma-style Sicilian, crunch-edged Detroit, and the basic New York 16-inch round.

While the patio is dog- and family-friendly, we also like to head for the bar, a grown-up spot where you can grab a beer or one of their excellent daiquiris and chat with the locals. 401 Grove St., Sonoma. 707-231-1245, bucks-place.com

Marla Bakery & Cafe

Because summer suppers make us happy.

Marla is, of course, a bakery at heart, a year-round sanctuary of carbohydrates and sugar. Piles of impossibly large croissants, housemade bagels and breads, dark chocolate brownies, and slices of French apple pie peek from their glass case, along with the cult-favorite, croissant-muffin chimera, called the Crebble.

But Marla has a summer secret. From June to October, owners Amy Brown and Joe Wolf host a series of monthly dinners with similarly sustainability-minded local farmers, cheesemakers and winemakers. Tickets are announced by email and social media, so you need to be a follower to grab a seat.

Once you’ve experienced Amy Brown’s talents outside the pastry realm, it’s easy to see why the intimate dinners frequently sell out. Yes, she knows her way around a boule, but the former Nopa chef also knows how to tease the of-the-moment flavors from heirloom tomatoes, fresh goat cheese and sweet corn. This summer, the team is planning monthly pair-ups with Mt. Eitan Cheese, Lani Chan and Nathan Bender of Occidental’s Big Spoon Sauce Co., and a whole hog roast with Eric Sussman of Eye Cyder and County Line Vineyards. 208 Davis St., Santa Rosa. 707-852-4091, marlabakery.com

Quiote

Because blue tortillas just taste better.

Maybe it’s all in our mind, but the heirloom blue corn masa that this Petaluma restaurant uses for its tortillas just tastes, well, corn-ier. Or maybe it’s just because they use the buzzy Masienda masa that chefs line up for, sourced from small, traditional farmers across Mexico. (Food writers tend to get excited about that kind of thing.)

After hitting the comal, the tortillas turn nearly black, framing the brilliant colors of pink pickled onions, green avocado and citrusy cochinita pibil. This isn’t your usual taqueria fare, but family history following a line from Jalisco, Mexico to Sonoma County. The chile-marinated barbacoa (short rib), al pastor with ayocate beans, and fish tacos always make our best-of lists. Don’t miss the enchiladas smothered with mole and stuffed with chicken and braised Rancho Gordo pinto beans in broth. 121 Kentucky St., Petaluma. 707-774-6130, quiotemx.com

Bazaar Sonoma

Because compromise isn’t a word in their vocabulary.

Sean Quan and Jenny Phan of Bazaar Sonoma take a rigorous approach to classic regional Chinese dishes and refuse to Americanize their food to appeal to a broader audience. There’s no General Tso chicken, sweet and sour pork, or fortune cookies — instead, the seasonal menu leans into comforting, family-style dishes like whole sizzling fish, Hainan chicken, clay pot rice, and Hong Kong-style noodle soup.

Bazaar Sonoma is like going to a friend’s house, if that friend cooked like a Chinese mother who had also happened to work at a three-Michelin-starred restaurant (which Quan did). But the young couple are also hoping you’ll find a sense of community in their shared dishes and linger over a cup of tea.

BaSo is a natural extension of the couple’s outsider pop-ups — Second Staff’s spicy fried chicken, the high-low FNCY + PNTS, and the late night Matriarch that targeted off-duty hospitality workers and curious foodies. Quan and Phan are certainly ones to watch as they continue to evolve, one dumpling at a time — and on their own terms. 6566 Front St., Forestville. 707-614-8056, bazaar-sonoma.com

Augie’s French

Because we could live on warm baguettes.

“Are the baguettes still warm?” is a silly question to ask at Augie’s because, of course, they are still warm. These long batons of crackly crust and airy crumb are a signature of Mark and Terri Stark’s downtown Santa Rosa ode to French bistro culture, along with boeuf bourguignon and escargots floating in Pernod and garlic butter — two things that happen to go nicely with baguettes.

The French 75, a cocktail made with Cognac, gin and sparkling wine, also pairs nicely with baguettes, especially while relaxing on the streetside patio. Any further questions? 535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 707-531-4400, augiesfrench.com

Psychic Pie

Because pizza comes in all shapes and sizes.

At Psychic Pie, it’s hip to be square. Or sometimes round. Either way, it’s definitely Roman. Cut by the square or by the slice, owners Nicholi Ludlow and Leith Leiser-Miller are enthusiastic proponents of pizza al taglio or “by the cut,” as it’s done in Rome. Portions are measured by one, two or three fingers, as big or small as you’d like, and topped with rotating seasonal ingredients such as mushroom and chèvre, roasted leek cream and veggies, or pork ‘nduja sauce with pepperoncini, roasted peppers and aged Estero Gold cheese.

Occasionally, this pint-size pizzeria surprises with 16-inch tonda pizzas, the thin and crispy circular cousin of the al taglio , and they’ve even been known to serve up a hoagie or two. Ludlow and Leiser are natural collaborators, floating all boats with their rising tide of popularity, introducing us to pizza-friendly local products like Big Spoon Sauce Company’s chili crisp, Mad Marvlus’ fizzy natural wines and chef Preeti Mistry’s limited edition Hawt Sauce. 980 Gravenstein Hwy. S., Sebastopol. 707-827-6032, psychicpie.com

Cyrus

Because Douglas Keane has a lot to say.

Beneath the caviar carts, rare wine collections and shaved truffles, fine dining restaurants are in trouble. Inequity is widespread, with cooks often earning less than half of what a server makes. Health insurance is a rare benefit, vacations often nonexistent, flexible schedules unworkable and burnout rampant.

Chef Douglas Keane has a solution, and he’s just written a book about it. “Culinary Leverage: A Journey Through the Heat” recounts his years-long journey from clueless line cook to executive chef of a Michelin-starred restaurant. It’s got plenty of dirty secrets, juicy tidbits, and names named, but most importantly, it gets to the heart of how the restaurant industry can fix itself. The answer: Less staff, more training, and higher salaries.

It took a 10-year hiatus, a pandemic, a divorce, and some serious soul-searching to get there, but Keane’s “everyone does everything” mindset at Cyrus is living proof that the idea works.

His luxurious multi-course menu has guests sipping Champagne and wandering through the restaurant’s manicured vineyard — but his egalitarian ethos strikes a chord for restaurant workers struggling to pay rent and the restaurateurs struggling to stay afloat. 275 Highway 128, Geyserville. 707-723-5999, cyrusrestaurant.com

A&M BBQ

Because Texas brisket is what’s up.

Fellow Californians keep trying to convince me that tri-tip makes for great barbecue. It does not. The lean cut can make for a lovely fajita, but it is fundamentally unsuited for low and slow cooking — the very definition of barbecue.

Brisket, of course, is the king of ’que, and veteran pitmaster Kris Austin knows his way around this well-marbled piece of meat. A well-cooked brisket is the most primal of foods, smoky and charred, with soft bits of melted fat and yielding meat. With slaw and beans and thick slices of bread to sop up the juices, it’s a meal worth an amen any day.

Mississippi-born Austin has barbecue in his soul. He learned the craft from his mother, aunts and uncles, finally taking the tongs after years of apprenticeship. And like so many things in life, barbecue is a skill that’s never truly mastered. You just keep working at it. 495 S. Main St., Sebastopol. 707-8881315, ambbqllc.com

The Beet

Because Friday nights are for turning up the beat.

Cloverdale is usually a pretty sleepy town after dark, but on Friday nights from 9 p.m. to midnight, everyone’s dancing to the beat (beet?). Though this spot remains a mild-mannered restaurant and wine lounge by day, the owners realized there was a serious lack of hip-swaying and busting sweet moves in the north Sonoma County ’burg. As night falls, the weekly jump and jive comes to life. Just remember your dancing shoes. 116 E. First St., Cloverdale. 707669-5080, cloverdalebeet.com

Lightwave Coffee & Kitchen

Because where else does a skate park come with such delicious treats?

The Russian River town of Monte Rio is known for three things: its proximity to the secretive gatherings at Bohemian Grove, the Pink Elephant Bar, and Lightwave Coffee & Kitchen. Only one of those places right now is open to the public — and it has cake.

Follow the signs for the Monte Rio skatepark to Lightwave, a curious indoor-outdoor cafe bedazzled by a garage-sale decor, rooted in vibey California skateboard culture, and entirely west county wonderful. A short distance from the river, you’ll join both locals and in-the-know beachgoers at this secret garden of delights. The scraping sound of skateboards (and the occasional wipeout) are the soundtrack to your meal, along with spicy Monte Rio gossip and the occasional whimper of a dog begging its owner for a snack.

The menu ranges from simple bagels and smoothies to North African shakshuka with red peppers and eggs, Middle Eastern flatbread with eggplant and tahini, and fat slices of lox and beets on challah bread on the weekends.

But before all of that, order dessert. Co-owner Gal Ginzberg’s Instagram is a billion-calorie ode to adventurous cheesecakes and pies flavored with halva, lemon cream, pistachio, and strawberry. They can sell out quickly, so be sure to get there early. 9725 Main St., Monte Rio. 707-865-5169, lightwavecafe.square.site

The Redwood

Because you don’t have to love pet-nat to join the party.

The vibe at The Redwood, a wine bar, bottle shop, and cafe from chef/wine geeks Geneva Melby and Ryan Miller is decidedly New School, with a staff that’s obsessively well versed in anything skin-contacted, unfiltered or wild-yeasted.

You’ll find eager advocates of low-intervention wines on both sides of the bar here. But even if you’re not entirely convinced, it’s worth spending time with the wine list for two reasons: One, this is the next generation of wine, a sector of the industry that continues to be on the upswing. And two, tasting notes like “spring air” and “garrigue” (the forest floor of scrubland) are wonderfully weird and entertaining.

Yes, there is a whole section of the menu devoted to tinned fish, because every cool wine bar has tinned fish for some reason. But move past the sardines to Melby’s more intriguing bites, including Liberty Duck mousse with grilled bread, yellowtail crudo with pickled rose petals, and the trip-worthy Route 1 pita-and-dip array with homemade hummus, smoky baba ghanoush and labneh with dates.

Melby has a knack for Mediterranean and North African cuisine, with savory braised lamb shank with couscous, sole tagine, or roasted squash with Calabrian chile on the dinner menu. On Sunday, don’t miss the outstanding Turkish-style breakfast with jammy eggs, feta, tahina, pickled vegetables and grilled bread. 234 S. Main St., Sebastopol. 707-861-9730, theredwoodwine.com

Casino Bar & Grill

Because Saint Evelyn’s spirit lives on.

Evelyn Casini was the heart and soul of the Casino. Even at 97, she was the ever- present, no-nonsense matriarch who could stare down a man twice her size and then grab a beer with him. When she passed away last year, Bodega locals mourned and wondered what would become of the 100-year-old bar, with its creaky wood floors, herd of stuffed deer heads and ancient jukebox — a place that has served as a gathering space and watering hole for generations.

Fortunately, Evelyn’s granddaughter-in-law, Brandi Mack, has recently taken over, ushering the Casino into a new era. Recent renovations to the bar have expanded the kitchen and fancied-up the cozy dining room, though there’s still plenty of character — and characters — to be found inside.

Mack is also carrying on Evelyn’s support of up-and-coming guest chefs, who take over the tiny kitchen at the end of the bar a few nights a week and spread their wings. This spring, chef Amelia Telc of Half Hitch, whose resume includes buzzy restaurants you’ve definitely heard of in New York and San Francisco, pops up for dinner Friday through Sunday, with globally inspired dishes like pot au feu and Cantonese fish with ginger. Her weekly lineup is driven by trips to farmers markets and what’s just come in at the dock, meaning you never quite know what you’ll get. And that’s the fun of it.

On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, Alyssum Revallo of Alyssum’s Kitchen makes her mark with comforting soups, salads, and flatbread along with smokey kalua pork and flourless chocolate cake. For updates on guest chef pop-ups, check Instagram @casinobarandgrill. 17000 Bodega Hwy., Bodega. 707-876-3185

Valette

Because Dustin isn’t the only Valette who is a Healdsburg icon.

When chef Dustin Valette opened his namesake plaza restaurant 10 years ago, his dad took up residency in the dining room — and we are all better for it. Bob Valette, now 84 years old, spent 45 years with Cal Fire flying specialized tanker planes on critical operations that ranged from the Mexican border up to Oregon. Only a handful of pilots can fly these converted military planes, known for dropping thousands of gallons of all-too-familiar reddish-pink fire retardant. Bob Valette’s dangerous job often meant leaving Dustin and his siblings in the care of family members at a moment’s notice, with little idea of when (or if) he’d return.

For most of that time, the family’s hometown was a quiet, dusty, Alexander Valley hamlet with only a handful of restaurants frequented by winemakers and ranchers. Now, Healdsburg has blossomed into an international dining destination with a growing constellation of stars and nods and regular celebrity sightings.

“Pops,” as the senior Valette is best known, spends his evenings at his son’s fine dining restaurants as unofficial greeter and full-time storyteller. He’s easily picked out amidst a sea of well-heeled visitors and Healdsburg regulars, in his jeans and black T-shirt with the Valette logo. With a glass of wine in hand, he constantly circulates, proudly letting everyone know he’s Dustin’s dad. 344 Center St., Healdsburg. 707-473-0946, valettehealdsburg.com

Valley

Because food connects neighbors.

In January, Valley chefs Emma Lipp and Stephanie Reagor hosted a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico for a deep dive into culinary history. They brought back not just recipes, but an ongoing connection to farmers and producers, resulting in a special Oaxacan menu at the restaurant. It’s just another way the Valley team, which also includes Lauren Feldman and Tanner Walle, has always made a point to marry food and culture in a way that feels intentional.

Over the past year, that’s included a series of dinners dedicated to the legacy of Chinese culture in Sonoma, a dinner celebrating the Jewish and Hungarian cuisine of Jeremy Salamon of Agi’s Counter in New York City, and an event to honor local critic Elaine Chukan Brown’s groundbreaking new book on the history of California wine, which recognizes the oft-ignored contributions of Indigenous peoples and Mexican immigrants within the industry. At Valley, you’ll always find good food — and food for thought. 487 First St. W., Sonoma. 707-934-8403, valleybarandbottle.com

Rocker Oysterfeller’s at the Wharf

Because of heaping mounds of fried seafood.

Dining at the coast is a coin toss. Sometimes the fish is fresh and local, but other times, you’re probably eating frozen Alaskan cod and soggy French fries. Sonoma’s seafood fans demand better, which is why the Captain’s Platter at Brandon Guenther and Shona Campbell’s new restaurant is the catch we’ve been waiting for.

This is classic wharf-side dining with some Southern twists — not surprising, since the original Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford highlights shrimp and grits and fried chicken. Here, however, the focus is on the “surf,” with blackened rockfish, clam chowder and Dungeness crab. The best bet, however, is the Captain’s Platter, the holy grail for those on a pilgrimage for fried seafood.

It’s a ridiculous amount of saltine-fried shrimp, beer-battered rock cod, salt and pepper calamari, a Dungeness crab cake and Kennebec fries, served with tartar, rémoulade and cocktail sauce for your dipping pleasure. I’ve looked for something as impressive as this on the coast for decades and never before found it. A tip of the captain’s hat to the kitchen. 595 Highway 1, Bodega Bay. 707-772-5670, rockeroysterfellers.com

Table Culture Provisions

Because everyone loves an underdog.

If you had to bet on the success of two guys who opened a fried chicken takeout restaurant during the pandemic, the odds would be long. But betting those same two guys would be in the running for a 2025 Michelin star? We’re talking multi-million-dollar lottery-level odds.

The long odds weren’t for lack of talent or tenacity — it’s just that chefs Stéphane Saint Louis and Steven Vargas didn’t have loads of wealthy backers or long culinary pedigrees before opening Table Culture Provisions. They had $1,000 and a vision of putting Petaluma back on the Michelin map.

In March, their passion and commitment led to TCP being tapped as a “recommended” restaurant (along with Enclos in the town of Sonoma) by Michelin inspectors. If the restaurant receives a star, Saint Louis will be the first black chef in California to be recognized. And that’s something all of Sonoma County is rooting for. 312 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. 707-559-5739, tcprovision.com

Underwood Bar & Bistro

Because a secret Thai menu at a French restaurant screams Sonoma County.

French onion soup, steak frites, cauliflower gratin, and pad grapao moo. Though one of these things is not like the others, at Underwood it all makes sense.

Chef Mark Miller’s Graton menu has always been focused on comforting bistro classics like croque madame, frisée salads with lardons, and duck leg confit with green French lentils. His real passion, though, is Thai food. After years of traveling to southeast Asia, he fell in love with the vibrant sweet, sour, salty, spicy flavors of Thailand and learned how to make curries, sauces, and complex dishes from a Thai cooking mentor. “Working in a Thai kitchen — it was amazing. It just changed me,” says Miller.

During the pandemic, Underwood shifted to an all-Thai menu to simplify takeout. Cheeseburgers just don’t travel as well as pad Thai does. And locals loved it. While the Underwood menu has mostly returned to fan favorites, Miller keeps a handful of his favorite dishes — hat yai fried chicken, Thai lettuce cups and spicy pork pad grapao moo — in the mix. Pad Thai, however, remains the top seller. “I’m not sure why, but we serve hundreds of them each week,” he says.

This year, Miller hopes to do a Thai pop-up featuring some of his favorite recipes, happy to have an excuse to fire up the wok and cook what he loves. 9113 Graton Road, Graton. 707-823-7023, underwoodgraton.com

Shokakko

Because Spam fries are what chefs really want on their days off.

Tired of fine dining foams and tweezers, a merry band of three fine-dining chefs drew inspiration from late-night Japanese yatai food stalls selling ramen, fish cakes and skewers of grilled chicken. The trio have used their highbrow culinary skills to create skyscraper-sized fried chicken sandwiches, Spam fries, husky crab and cheese-filled croquettes, and cult-favorite cream-filled fruit sandwiches.

“It’s the things we liked eating on our days off. The stuff we couldn’t find in Sonoma County,” says chef Elijah Trujillo of the food trailer he co-founded with his partner Kayla Hendrix and friend Kazuya “Kaz” Makishima in August 2024. You’ll find their kitchen trailer at various breweries and events around Sonoma County, and the weekly lineup of their stops is posted on Instagram @eat_shokakko.

Stella

Because pasta is the new kale.

I can’t quite remember when pasta became a bad word, but it’s time to welcome back a good plate of tagliatelle and step away from the lacinato and spaghetti squash. Like forever.

Stella takes a deep dive into the bottomless well of time-tested pasta – Roman tonnarelli (spaghetti’s chunkier cousin), lumache (snail-shaped) and creste di gallo (rooster’s crest) made daily. The dried stuff in your pantry has nothing on these silky ribbons and toothy tubes meant to grip every last drop of sauce. You will be ruined for anything else after eating a plate of Stella’s housemade rigatoncini with Bolognese.

The Kenwood restaurant is a much-anticipated new venture from Glen Ellen Star founder Ari Weiswasser, his wife Erin, and managing partners Spencer and Ashley Waite. Glen Ellen Star’s chef de cuisine, Bryant Minuche, leads the kitchen.

The wood-fired oven plays a leading role at Stella, but it isn’t used for pizzas. Here the oven is for roasting vegetables, meats, and even cheese, all to bring a kiss of smoke. You’ll also want to peruse the seasonal mozzarella selections — aka the mozzarella bar — including burrata with brown butter walnuts and 12-year aged balsamic vinegar and buffalo mozzarella with anchovy and a farm-fresh egg yolk. Save room for the Baked Gelaska, a riff on Baked Alaska with sponge cake, raspberry sorbet, and vanilla gelato topped with a swirl of torched marshmallow fluff. You can always go back to kale tomorrow. 9049 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. 707-801-8043, stellakenwood.com

Wild Poppy

Because the patio is everything, and so is the queso.

Warm days call for lazy mornings with mimosas and “cosmic queso” nachos on the rambling outdoor patio of this perfectly imperfect restaurant. It’s always been a magical place, full of nooks, crannies, and hidden spaces for adults and kids to explore. The remote location a few miles outside Sebastopol has been both blessing and curse, but the historic roadhouse finally seems to have hit its stride with an inclusive plant-forward menu that doesn’t exclude meat eaters.

This is west county, after all, and cosmic nachos with plant-based cheese sauce and cashew crema are not only normal, they’re expected. What’s unexpected is that the creamy cashew queso dip with a swirl of pepita chimichurri and a side of slaw is delightful, even if plant-based cheese isn’t your jam.

Sit by the babbling stream hidden by steep slopes covered in ivy and shaded by eucalyptus trees. The world slows for a moment or two while you enjoy heirloom beans and greens with polenta, fish tacos, or a fat grilled mushroom sandwich on focaccia. 9890 Bodega Hwy., Sebastopol. 707-503-6332, thewildpoppycafe.com

Troubadour

Because it’s been shouted from the rooftops.

Fine dining chefs-turned-entrepreneurs Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey are media darlings for a reason. Recognized by The New York Times, the James Beard Foundation and the Michelin Guide, the couple have created quite the following around their quirky food businesses around Healdsburg, which launched with beloved bakery Quail & Condor.

And when you have bread, you have sandwiches — the foundation of Troubadour, the second act in the ambitious couple’s culinary story. By day, Troubadour pairs freshly baked bread with a revolving lineup of fillings, including ham and brie with honey, fresh ricotta and roasted carrots, and creamy egg salad. Sounds simple, but these sandwiches are anything but.

Come nightfall, McGaughey and his small team shift gears for Le Diner, with seasonal French dishes like escargot, bouillabaisse, and duck breast stuffed with mushrooms and dates, either à la carte or as part of a seven-course tasting menu, and served on mix-and-match Limoges china. Troubadour’s kitchen lacks a proper hood or stove (it used to be a cupcake decorating room), so much of the cooking is done in simmer baths and low-temperature ovens, an even more incredulous feat. 381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 707-756-3972, troubadourhbg.com

The post 25 Best Restaurants in Sonoma County in 2025 appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Each year, there are a handful of local restaurant openings worth celebrating. It’s not one specific thing that catches my attention. Instead, it’s a little bit of everything — decor, the general vibe, the staff, the story of how the restaurateur got to this point, and most importantly, the food. If one thing is off, everything is off.

This year, I’m incredibly excited about my top two openings, Bazaar Sonoma and A & M BBQ, because they embody everything that’s right with Sonoma County’s restaurant scene. Both are minority-owned, have compelling backstories and noteworthy cuisine, but what keeps them top of mind is the kind of hospitality and passion for the craft that feels so rare.

All of this year’s Best Openings are impressive, and I’m grateful for the addition of these terrific new Sonoma County restaurants.

Best opening of 2024: Bazaar Sonoma (BaSo), Forestville

Sonoma County restaurateurs usually don’t have the luxury of taking risks — the rent is too high, diners are often fickle and the cost of doing business can’t support menus that aren’t crowd-pleasers. And even then, nothing is guaranteed.

Bazaar Sonoma’s Sean Quan and Jenny Phan are breaking that mold, creating striking Szechuan-inspired, homey and approachable dishes.

Quan, a former SingleThread cook and fine dining alum, has centered BaSo around family. His dishes are inspired by his Chinese-American upbringing and the family meals he created for his restaurant coworkers before each shift. You’ll also see plenty of nods to the pop-up dinners the couple hosted over the last three years, ranging from spicy fried chicken to home-style Chinese cuisine.

At Bazaar Sonoma, dishes like toothpick beef, featuring small toothpick-skewered bites of beef encrusted with cumin, fennel, sesame seeds, dried Chinese chiles and roasted brown sugar, are sweet and spicy with a kapow on the tongue.

Homey mapo tofu, wonton noodle soup and hot and sour fried potatoes invite you to sit down, grab some smoked plum tea and enjoy the moment.

Handmade zhong dumplings, however, are my favorite dish. They’re served with a gravy-like sauce made with three kinds of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, a collection of Chinese spices (Quan calls the mix his “mystery spice”) and Bazaar Sonoma’s chili crunch. Poured over the soft, slippery dumplings, it is an intoxicatingly sweet, spicy, savory mess that surprises you with every bite.

Sometimes, taking a big risk is the right thing to do, and BaSo gets my vote for its unapologetic, sometimes perfectly imperfect but always lovingly made dishes.

A note: the restaurant is small with limited staff, and dishes tend to run out, especially the dumplings. Go with a sense of adventure and patience, if there’s a line.

6566 Front St., Forestville, 707-614-8056, bazaar-sonoma.com

Runner-up: A & M BBQ Café

There’s a good reason you’ll often find a line out the door of Kris Austin and Marvin McKinzy’s Southern barbecue restaurant — because it’s that good, and they frequently run out of their perfectly smoked brisket, tri-tip and pork ribs.

Both pitmasters in their own right, Austin (of Austin’s BBQ) and McKinzy (of Marvin’s BBQ) joined forces to create A & M this spring (which is not named for the Texas university but for their first initials). But you’d be forgiven for the mistake because their wood-smoked barbecued meats are Lone Star-inspired, with a seasoned dry rub instead of slathered with sauce.

With so little good barbecue in these parts, A & M has become a much-needed destination for ‘que lovers.

495 S. Main St., Sebastopol, 707-799-2892, instagram.com/ambbqllc

Brigitte Bistro

Chef/owner Nick Ronan serves the kind of food he loves best: hearty bistro-style dishes like beef bourguignon and duck confit, along with tableside beef tartare and the requisite steak frites. But instead of pandering to us, he brings the flavors of his French homeland directly to the table. Ronan’s motto, “Love. Food. Wine. Passion. Life. People” comes through in his “maman”-style cuisine. 841 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 707-981-8381, brigittebistropetaluma.com

Tisza Bistro

After closing their Windsor restaurant in 2020, owners Krisztian Karkus and Alena Rebik took their schnitzel show to weekly farmers markets and pop-ups to keep their fans happy. The couple spent two years remodeling the old Singletree Café in Healdsburg, creating a permanent home (and outdoor beer garden) to showcase hard-to-find Bavarian dishes, including chicken Cordon Bleu, duck leg confit, Wiener schnitzel, or hunter’s schnitzel, made with wild mushroom sauce. Don’t miss the strudel, spaetzle and wonderfully messy currywurst. 165 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-291-5193, tiszabistro.com

Acorn Cafe

Healdsburg is known for many things, but breakfast isn’t one of them. Despite a wealth of fine dining options for lunch and dinner, there are precious few spots to tuck into a hearty pancake breakfast, eggs Benedict or morning mimosa. Acorn Café is staking a syrup-soaked claim on that void with its over-the-top takes on breakfast, brunch and lunch. The lineup includes tiramisu French toast, a brown butter hollandaise Benedict and quite possibly the world’s most-inspired fried chicken sandwich.

The former Oakville Grocery has been reborn as a joyful, light-filled downtown gathering spot decorated in sun-kissed oranges and blues with modern wood accents. There’s plentiful seating inside, and a built-in fireplace warms the patio. Chef/owner Beryl Adler is a longtime fine-dining chef who worked in far-off locales like Bali, Australia and the Caribbean but saw an opening for a sit-down café in Healdsburg dedicated to morning and early afternoon eats. Mission accomplished. 124 Matheson St., Healdsburg, acornhealdsburg.com

Wild Poppy

The journey to Wild Poppy is a trek, which has always been a blessing and a curse for this west county location. Located well west of Sebastopol, you won’t stumble upon it unless you’re headed to or from the coast. But it’s well worth the detour, like Wild Flour Bakery in Freestone, Altamont General Store in Occidental, Estero Café or Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford.

Wild Poppy opened in late April with chef Martin Maigaard, formerly of the Gypsy Cafe (now closed), helming the kitchen with plenty of family on hand to help. On sunny days, the rambling outdoor patio of this quirky Sebastopol hideaway is a magical place, full of nooks, crannies and secret spaces to explore. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, including my favorite Cosmic Queso, with freshly made corn chips, creamy cashew queso dip, a swirl of pepita chimichurri and a side of slaw. 9890 Bodega Highway, Sebastopol, 707-503-6332, thewildpoppycafe.com

Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf

The owners of the longtime Valley Ford roadhouse and Southern cooking destination Rocker Oysterfeller’s reopened the former Lucas Wharf restaurant as a second seafood-focused location in mid-August. Locally sourced seafood, rock star chef Jamilah Nixon (of Jam’s Joy Bungalow) and a full bar have made the restaurant a new destination dining spot for visitors and locals seeking the kind of experience coastal restaurants often promise but rarely deliver.

Classic wharf-side dining includes butterball potato and Manilla clam chowder, Crab Louis salad, pan-roasted local fish of the day, and the Captain’s Platter with a ridiculous amount of saltine-fried shrimp, beer-battered rock cod, salt and pepper calamari, a Dungeness crab cake and Kennebec fries served with tartar, rémoulade and cocktail sauce for your dipping pleasure. Full bar and great views for the win. 595 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-772-5670, rockeroysterfellers.com

Also worth noting

Songbird Parlour

This cozy Victorian-style lounge/restaurant opened in mid-November and has barely had a chance to settle in, but my first visit was auspicious. Owner and caterer Lauren Kershner has used the space for private events and pop-ups for several years but expanded its offerings to a five-day-a-week restaurant at the Jack London Village in Glen Ellen. The 42-seat restaurant has a soaring ceiling and open kitchen where executive chef Eric Moulton creates a seasonal, hyperlocal menu using ingredients from nearby farms. I loved the head-on prawns with coconut curry and fried farm potatoes with leeks. 14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 3, Glen Ellen, 707-343-1308, songbirdparlour.com

Sarmentine in Petaluma

If there was a doorbuster opening in 2024, it was this much-anticipated outpost of the Santa Rosa French patisserie. Lines snaked around the bakery in anticipation on its first day in late July. Though it’s first and foremost a bakery, the expanded offerings include brunch and some yet-to-be-announced additions to the menu. A drool-worthy collection of bakery cases populates the spacious new location, piled with cream-filled desserts like Paris Brest (pate a choux filled with praline cream) and Mille-Feuille, chocolate croissants, brioche buns, fruit tarts (the passion fruit is a favorite) and Madeleines. Tiny caneles have a sticky, crunchy crust and custardy center that buckle my knees with happiness. This is the third location for the bakery. 840 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 707-623-9595, sarmentine.com

Enclos

Though it technically opened in mid-December, this ambitious Sonoma restaurant is just too new to officially include on this year’s list — notably since I haven’t had the chance to dine there yet, but it’s noteworthy enough to deserve a mention. Chef Brian Limoges has created a multicourse, terroir-driven menu for the 12-table restaurant, which is housed in a renovated 1880s Victorian home in downtown Sonoma.

Showstopping dishes like “Antlers” (smoked oat flour tarts filled with venison and topped with fried lichen served on a deer antler) and “Honeycomb” (tiny ice cream sandwiches made by pastry chef Sophie Hau, perched atop a honeycomb frame) are already making waves with their over-the-top presentation. There’s now talk of Michelin ambitions for the sleepy town of Sonoma, which currently has no stars, unlike tonier Healdsburg or nearby Napa Valley. Limoges acknowledges his aspirations — he’s helmed several starred restaurants — but wants the driving force to be people rather than prizes. The 11-course meal is $225 per person, and reservations are being accepted for February. 139 East Napa St., Sonoma, enclos-sonoma.com

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

The post Sonoma County’s Best New Restaurants of 2024 appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

We asked the chefs and restaurateurs behind some of the best new restaurants in Sonoma County to share their favorite places to dine out. Here’s what they said. Click through the above gallery for some favorite dishes.

Nick Peyton

Owner Cyrus, Geyserville 

DATE NIGHT PICK

The Shuckery in Petaluma. It’s the complete package of ambience, food, and attitude, all cleverly created with a modest budget.

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

Diavola in Geyserville. It’s got such great food, even beyond the signature pizzas. I love the ambience created from nearly nothing— the charming clothes hanging on lines across the alley leading to their back patio.

THAT’S SO SONOMA

We are not a monoculture. It is the reason I love living here. There’s such range, from the regional Mexican food at Mitote Food Park, to Spud Point Crab Company in Bodega Bay, to Canevari’s Delicatessen in Santa Rosa.

FOOD TRUCK PICK

I lived in Philadelphia for a while, so sometimes I jones for a cheesesteak, and nobody does them like Streetside Asian Grill. It’s a half-pound of grilled steak, lots of onions and peppers, and melty white American cheese on an Amoroso soft Italian roll.

Jennifer McMurry

Chef Bloom Carneros, Sonoma

FOR A BIRTHDAY

The upscale Table Culture Provisions in Petaluma. I’m super excited about what chefowner Stéphane Saint Louis is doing to change the culinary scene in Sonoma County.

DATE NIGHT

Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol is always delicious, and their vegan ramen with shiitake miso is one of my absolute favorites.

THAT’S SO SONOMA

Try grilled oysters at Handline in Sebastopol. It’s a great space, with a fun indoor-outdoor open flow.

CHEAP EATS

I love Kathmandu Cafe & Grill, in the old train station in downtown Sebastopol. They serve authentic, traditional Indian food.

Maud Jean-Baptiste

Chef-owner Maison Porcella, Windsor

WITH FAMILY

Marla Bakery. They keep this French girl well-fed with delicious croissants. We love and sell their bread, and our son Henri is always so happy with a chocolate brownie!

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

In Bodega Bay, Spud Point and Fisherman’s Cove are right next to each other. We love the chowder and fresh whole crabs. After, we get Rocky Road ice cream at Captain Davey’s coffee shop and head to the trails to look for whales.

FOR BREAKFAST

I have serious breakfast needs—no plain bagel with cream cheese for me. I get a jalapeño bagel with egg, bacon, and cheese, with Drew’s spicy mayo. Ta-da!

ON A BIRTHDAY

Willi’s Wine Bar! The staff are always smiling and remember my order. I love the duck confit and creamy polenta. Be sure to treat yourself to the delicious butterscotch crème brûlée.

Michael Richardson

Owner Kapu, Petaluma

FOOD TRUCK PICK

There is a really good taco truck that parks at the end of Dry Creek during harvest called Los Plebes. You can’t beat it.

DATE NIGHT

Glen Ellen Star has a really decent wine list. You’re sitting outside, and it’s wonderful.

TAKE THE KIDS

There’s a little fish and chips spot in Bodega called The Birds Cafe. The kids love it out there. They get corn dogs and chicken fingers.

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

Diavola in Geyserville. It’s just good honest food. The flavor combos are great, and it’s right by the Geyserville Gun Club, a locals bar.

Domenico and Taylor De Angelis

Chefs-owners L’Oro di Napoli, Santa Rosa

BEST BREAKFAST

Mac’s Deli, across from the restaurant has quickly become a go-to and has the best pancakes around, Taylor says. “They are the sweetest people, and the service is always amazing.”

FOOD TRUCK FAVE

Delicias Elenita on Sebastopol Road. The elote (street corn), quesadillas, and champurrado are favorites.

DATE NIGHT

Riviera Ristorante in Santa Rosa for pasta and the charcuterie platter. The bike-themed décor is a bonus.

Jenny Phan

Chef-owner Second Staff, Various Locations 

ON HER BIRTHDAY

I’m a big fan of Tomi Thai in Windsor. They have a really intimate kitchen, like 200 square feet. And they just don’t hold back on the flavors. I always get everything Thai spicy.

LATE-NIGHT PICK 

I love going to this little Chinese place called Fantasy Restaurant in Petaluma. The owners, Vincent and Joanne Wu, are very friendly—like, my parents kind of friendly. You’ll get there at 9, and before you know it, you’re staying until midnight, chatting and talking.

AT THE FARMERS MARKET

I always detour to the mushrooms. I just like picking things up and smelling them, seeing if they’re earthier or meatier. And if it’s something I haven’t tried before, I’ll always buy it. Duncan’s Mushrooms, which sells at Windsor and Sebastopol markets in the spring and summer, is my favorite.

Octavio Díaz

Owner Mitote Food Park, Santa Rosa 

FOR A BIRTHDAY 

Sazón, the Peruvian restaurant in Santa Rosa. I really like the ceviche– there are a half-dozen choices. And the owner, José Navarro, is so interesting. He’s always running around like crazy, like he’s wearing three different hats at the same time. It reminds me of me.

DATE NIGHT 

My wife and I like Union Hotel in Santa Rosa. It’s got a great ambiance and it serves a really nice rotisserie- roasted Mary’s chicken, with lots of Italian spices, lemon, and fresh garlic.

THE DISH I ORDER AGAIN AND AGAIN

Mole de Oaxaca. It’s a celebration of the spices in life, so when I eat it, it reminds me of celebrating my own life and bringing my family together. The mole Oaxaqueño from El Gallo Negro in Windsor is made with more than 20 ingredients.

DINING WITH KIDS 

My sons are 15 and 16, and they’re pretty involved in our family restaurant businesses, but they also like to play soccer. After a game, we often go to Caffe Giostra in Petaluma for Italian food.

Jake Rand

Chef-owner Oyster, Sebastopol

TAKE THE KIDS

We like to go to Rosso Pizzeria for pizza and spaghetti, plus they get to make their own breadsticks!

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

It depends on how much they want to spend, but I think SingleThread is a terrific choice for visitors, with fantastic hospitality. It’s a really special experience.

FOOD TRUCK PICK

Delicias Elenita taco truck. I always get their tacos and they’re consistently juicy and delicious.

CHEAP EATS

East West Cafe on Summerfield Road in Santa Rosa is convenient and inexpensive, and their turkey burger is great.

Jeff Berlin

Owner Piala, Sebastopol

WITH OUT OF TOWN GUESTS

The Marshall Store in Marshall. We like to kayak to Point Reyes and back, sit outside by the water, eat everything on the menu (Tomales Bay Oyster Company oysters!) and put a serious dent in their beer inventory.

THE DISH I ORDER AGAIN AND AGAIN

The mofongo relleno de camarones from Sol Food in Petaluma. So much fl avor, perfectly balanced with mashed green plantain and avocado. I load it up with their spicy vinegar sauce and have a Mason jar full of housemade fruit punch, and then I take a nice fat nap with a huge smile on my face.

FOOD TRUCK PICK

Anything from Mitote Food Park. Order something from every truck, and mezcal cocktails from the bar. I really like cochinita pibil tacos with pickled habaneros from Yuca Mami.

DINE WITH KIDS

Fisherman’s Cove in Bodega Bay. My boys love seeing the anglers unload their catch and bring it right across the street to the cafes. It’s the best place for the freshest seafood possible.

Leith Leiser-Miller

Chef-owner Psychic Pie, Sebastopol 

FOR A BIRTHDAY 

The gift we always give each other is a fancy dinner out. This year, we went to Troubadour in Healdsburg and had their prix fixe. It was incredible, and it was also interesting to see how they transform their service from a bakery to a brasserie.

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

Jam’s Joy Bungalow in Sebastopol. I love the flavors that Jamilah Nixon-Mathis makes—she really pushes the boundaries.

FOOD TRUCK PICK

Galvan’s Eatery. They make awesome tacos. I love the crispy shrimp. I even get them for breakfast. I don’t bother with a breakfast burrito—I just go straight for the tacos.

AT THE FARMERS MARKET

We go to the Sebastopol market for cheeses, produce, and pantry goods. I always love Radical Family Farms— they grow a breadth of things that are harder to fi nd, like traditional Asian greens.

Geneva Melby

Chef-owner The Redwood, Sebastopol

FOOD TRUCK

After hours, I like to grab a torta or tacos from El Roy’s. Lengua is usually my meat of choice.

DATE NIGHT

We love sitting at the bar for Wednesday burger night at Spinster Sisters in Santa Rosa.

THE PLACES I GO TO AGAIN AND AGAIN

Too much good food! On our days off, not a ton is open, but I love dim sum so we’ll go to Hang Ah in Santa Rosa. And then when I’m craving larb or pad kee mao, I hit up Khom Loi in Sebastopol. And also PizzaLeah in Windsor for the square pie with hot honey and peppers. Breakfast at Willow Wood in Graton for a scramble and a cappucino. Or El Molino Central in Boyes Hot Springs, especially when they have lamb tacos.

Ephrain Balmes

Chef-owner Sonoma Eats, Sonoma

LATE NIGHT

I go to Palooza in Kenwood. I like their hamburgers; they’re the best. You don’t need to dress up, and they have a really good selection of beers that they make right there.

DATE NIGHT

Salt & Stone in Kenwood, because I like the menu. They change it up a lot, so it’s not the same boring things over and over. I also really like the cocktails. It’s a great ambiance to relax in.

FOOD TRUCK

El Roy’s in Petaluma. I can just go on my way and grab a quick lunch, and I can eat it in my car. Plus they have a good selection of tacos that are different than mine.

BREAKFAST FAVORITE

I go to Sunflower Caffe every week. They have a really good breakfast. I get avocado toast, a latte, and a mimosa and always eat outside on summer mornings.

James Byus

Chef-owner Vine Burger, Santa Rosa

DATE NIGHT

We like Guiso Latin Fusion (in Healdsburg). We pretty much always get the paella and house salad. My wife loves the passion fruit vinaigrette because she’s from Colombia. His paella is unique and different. I could bathe in the (paella) broth it’s so good.

THAT’S SO SONOMA

I’m originally from the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, so I lean towards places on the water. In Bodega Bay, I really like Fishetarian’s fish tacos and clam chowder.

CHEAP EATS

Zoftig in Santa Rosa is my go-to for a burrito or falafel wrap. It’s delicious, quick, and high quality.

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

Ca’Bianca is our favorite. It’s in a beautiful Victorian home in Santa Rosa. They have a great wine list with Italian wines, and everything is housemade and traditional. They hit on all cylinders every time we go in.

Melissa Yanc

Chef-owner Troubadour, Healdsburg

TAKE THE KIDS

Psychic Pie is our favorite, the food is like bakers made it, like a person who understands the physical science made it. The locally sourced ingredients and interesting desserts seal the deal for our family.

FOOD TRUCK

Delicias Elenita. The food is so solid and for the price point, a lot of seating is available on site, and it feels like you’re somewhere else.

GOODIES AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

Herbs! They’re so potent, no matter the vendor. It’s the purest of pure flavor.

WITH OUT-OF-TOWN GUESTS

Lo & Behold in Healdsburg is a great one, especially in warmer seasons when you can sit on the patio. It’s also kid friendly and good for groups.

The post Where Chefs Eat in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

On chilly, rainy days, when all you want to do is snuggle up by a crackling fireplace, head to these cozy restaurants, bars and tasting rooms in Sonoma County for a comforting meal and drinks. Click through the above gallery or see the list below for details, and share your favorites in the comments.

Stark’s Steak & Seafood, Santa Rosa: This classic steakhouse does cozy in retro style. You’ll get the Bogie-and-Bacall vibe right away. Manhattans, aged whiskies and absinthe are served by white-coated bar staff. The seats are leather and a baby grand sits in the corner waiting to tinkle out a tune or two. 521 Adams St., Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com

Monti’s, Santa Rosa: This Montgomery Village restaurant is a hot summer spot for wine and Mediterranean cuisine on the patio. During the colder months, a wood-burning rotisserie keep things hot, and gregarious bartenders keep guests in good spirits no matter the temperature. 714 Village Court, Santa Rosa, 707-568-4404, montismv.com

John Ash Front Room, Santa Rosa: The dark, clubby vibe of this hotel lounge is perfect for rainy-day drinks with friends. Cozy leather seats are prime real estate, but bar tables for two are a bit more intimate. 4330 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, 707-527-7687, vintnersresort.com

El Dorado Kitchen, Sonoma: Escape the hustle and bustle of the busy dining room, and grab a seat in the farm-chic lounge. You’ll be warmed by the fireplace and cutely named cocktails such as the Coda Pendant of rye, apple schnapps, sugar, lemon and Angostura bitters. 405 First St. West, Sonoma, 996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com

The Restaurant at Dawn Ranch, Guerneville: Dawn Ranch’s new restaurant offers a true farm-to-table dining experience, with many of its ingredients grown directly on the property. Warm up by the fire after taking a stroll through the resort’s meadow. 16467 California 116, Guerneville, 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com

Farmhouse Inn, Forestville: Farmhouse Inn houses an upscale, but surprisingly low-key Michelin-starred restaurant. The ambiance is sophisticated yet cozy, the Cal-French cuisine delicious yet unpretentious, the decor chic and the service snappy. And there’s a fireplace. 7871 River Road, Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com/restaurant. 

Drake’s Fireside Lounge, Bodega Bay: Adjacent to the Drakes Sonoma Coast Kitchen at The Lodge at Bodega Bay, this pretty retreat woos with a large stone fireplace framed by gorgeous views of Bodega Head, Doran Beach and the Pacific Ocean. Life is nice when you’re bundled in your favorite sweater, supping on a juicy cheeseburger and sipping on a cocktail. 103 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-3525, lodgeatbodegabay.com/the-fireside-lounge

The Matheson, Healdsburg: Enjoy a woodfired pizza fireside at The Matheson’s Roof 106. This buzzy rooftop bar in Chef Dustin Valette’s new restaurant complex has fire pits and a warm ambiance. 106 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707-723-1106, thematheson.com/roof-106

Ram’s Gate Winery, Sonoma: Feel as though you’re in a mountain lodge while taking in the Carneros views. There are multiple tasting experiences and spaces to enjoy by appointment ($40-$160; some are seasonal and many offer food pairings), and each space is warmed by a roaring fireplace. 28700 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 707-721-8700, ramsgatewinery.com

Lambert Bridge, Healdsburg: Specializing in Bordeaux varieties, Lambert Bridge also boasts a tasting room featuring a large fireplace, vaulted ceilings and a bar made of a single felled redwood tree. Glass walls provide a view into the barrel room. The Barrel Room Tasting Experience is $75 and includes four hand-selected wines. 4085 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-9600, lambertbridge.com

Zina Lounge, Sonoma: It’s an unusual set-up, but all the more fun for being so different. Technically, Zina could be called a wine and food pairing, since you sit with an intimate group at a communal table in what is the Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery tasting room in the lobby of the Ledson Hotel on the Sonoma Plaza. The setting is fine-dining posh, trimmed in gleaming wood with a flickering fireplace flanked by leather couches. 480 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-996-9779, zinawinery.com

Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens Tasting Room, Santa Rosa: Visit this winery estate for a tasting of their sustainably-produced wines and a stroll through the gardens. On cold days, cozy up by the fireplace in the tasting room. The Estate Tasting is $35; reservations required. 5007 Fulton Road, Santa Rosa, 800-769-3649, kj.com

Lonnie Hayes, Heather Irwin, Maci Martell, Julie Fadda Powers and Carey Sweet contributed to this article. 

The post Cozy Sonoma Restaurants and Bars for Chilly Days appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Whenever I visit a new place, I’m eager to find restaurants that serve up the true flavors of the region. That’s not always an easy feat when Google-optimized lists, pumped-up Yelp reviews and sales-driven picks top the online search results.

As a longtime dining editor in Sonoma County, I want to be your guide to the essential, “most Sonoma” restaurants that locals and visitors should know. My selection of best restaurants is entirely based on the impressions of someone who has dined for a living in this area for nearly 20 years. No one paid to be on this list. I don’t accept free meals or any other compensation in return for positive reviews.

If you’re a visitor to Sonoma County, you’re in for an incredible gastronomic experience. Here, chefs take pride in using ingredients grown just miles away and that are often still warm from the sun when they reach the kitchen. This is what makes this area so special and these 30 restaurants stand out.

The selection criteria 

In order to make this list, restaurants need to feature local ingredients on their menu, which should change with the seasons and reflect the land and waters around us. This list also highlights chefs whose skills and attitudes I respect.

Those are not the only qualifiers. Sonoma County also is home to a large Latino population who’ve brought the recipes and flavors of Latin America to this region. Latino chefs and restaurants are not only part of the local food scene, but continue to shape it in a significant way and therefore are also included on this list.

Not every eligible restaurant has made this list. I’ve had to make difficult choices for the sake of brevity. I hope you’ll look through sonomamag.com to find some of the great spots I’ve left out.

Please note that prices and menus change frequently — the dishes I’ve mentioned here may no longer be available by the time you read this. Click through the above gallery for favorite dishes and a peek inside each restaurant. 

Best Sonoma restaurants $$$$

Cyrus

Chef Douglas Keane and business partner Nick Peyton have created a mix of opulent, painstakingly-created European and Japanese small bites arranged with culinary tweezers and served on bespoke ceramic dinnerware. It doesn’t get much more pinkies up than their $295 prix fixe, 17-course meal. The minimalist restaurant interior with wrap-around windows highlights the lush vineyard setting. Tickets for the Dining Journey are released two months in advance at exploretock.com/cyrus.

Tasting menu: $295 per person (excluding wine pairings). 275 CA Highway 128, Geyserville, 707-723-5999, cyrusrestaurant.com

Single Thread Farms Restaurant

A 15-plus-course tasting menu at this three-Michelin-starred restaurant is not just a night out, it’s an event. Chef Kyle Connaughton’s micro-seasonal dishes are inspired by his time in Hokkaido, Japan, and the bounty of the restaurant’s farm. Reservations are required for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The wine list is one of the best in the area, and that’s saying something.

Tasting menu: $425 per person (excluding wine pairings). 131 North St., Healdsburg, 707-723-4646, singlethreadfarms.com

Best Sonoma restaurants $$$

Animo

(Temporarily closed — check out casual sister restaurant Golden Bear Station in the meantime)

Whole Spanish turbot is a signature here, along with Iberico pork and duck. The tiny restaurant is centered around an open kitchen with a fiery hearth that’s part of the entertainment. The menu is Basque-meets-Korean-meets-Californian and owners Josh Smookler and Heidy Mu keep things interesting by constantly updating their dishes.

Entrees: $65 to $85. 18976 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, @animo_restaurant

Studio Barndiva

Kick back in this expansive art and dining space for a craft cocktail, The Gallery Burger (a hamburger stuffed with cheese in a Bordelaise sauce) and thoughtful conversation. Watch for upcoming events that highlight environmental visionaries.

237 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-431-7404, barndiva.com

Bloom Carneros

There’s so much to love about this Sonoma hideaway, from its welcoming dog- and kid-friendly patio to the audacious (but delicious) wines from Kivelstadt Cellars. Chef Jennifer McMurry has elevated the menu with outstanding farm-to-table dishes that reflect both season and sense of place. It’s an unpretentious way to really dive into the best of what Sonoma County has to offer, all in one spot.

Lunch entrees: $17 to $24. Dinner entrees: $24 to $41. 22900 Broadway, Sonoma, 707-938-7001, bloomcarneros.com

Central Market

Dressed in his chef’s coat, Tony Najiola looms large over the dining room — watching every dish go out, visiting every table to ensure his patrons are happy — but he never imposes. The open kitchen, dining room and bar feel airy, with views of the wood-fired oven and the line. But it’s the food, frequently sourced from Najiiola’s Muleheart Farm, that really does the talking here. Instead of foams, potions and powders, the food is just food.

Entrees: $34 to $41. 42 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-778-9900, centralmarketpetaluma.com

Glen Ellen Star

This unassuming little cafe in Glen Ellen is a constant critics’ darling. Chef Ari Weiswasser’s deceptively simple wood-fired dishes showcase the best ingredients in the county, with much of his produce coming from a farm just behind the restaurant. It’s easy to shrug at simple menu items like tomato pie with esplette pepper, but it’s divine, along with seasonal wood-roasted vegetables, brick chicken or whole fish with fava leaves and new potatoes.

Entrees: $26 to $68. 13648 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen, 707-343-1384, glenellenstar.com

The Madrona

The Madrona, formerly Madrona Manor, has become a design-forward hotel with a mix of contemporary and historic furnishings and an entirely new take on their food program. Chef Patrick Tafoya has created a food program that’s both elegant and approachable — much like the colorful dining room and outdoor patio decor. The restaurant is open to the public for brunch, lunch and dinner, offering up daytime dishes like Chicken Paillard, burgers, steak frites and pizzas and more elevated dinner menu featuring seasonal plates like black cod with caviar cream or a New York strip steak. Dinner entrees: $25 to $56. 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-395-6700, themadronahotel.com

Table Culture Provisions

Table Culture Provisions (TCP) has become one of the hottest dining tickets in Sonoma County as owners Stephane Saint Louis and Steven Vargas have rolled out their Michelin-worthy seven-course tasting menu. During the Social Hour, from 4 to 5 p.m., TCP also offers an a la carte menu of snacks and larger dishes. Reservations highly recommended.

Seven-course tasting menu: $125 per person. 312 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma, 707-559-5739, tcprovision.com

The Redwood

If you’re a fan of natural wines, this is one of the best places to find locally-sourced, small-batch bottles and wines by the glass. The food, however, is no afterthought at this wine bar. The menu is loosely defined as “international small plates,” so you’ll find a mix of dishes. The hummus plate is outstanding, with locally made pita. Still, the changing lineup of crudos, seasonal vegetables and larger entrees, like braised lamb shank or semolina crepes with honey butter, is outstanding.

Dinner entrees: $19 to $42. 234 S. Main St., Sebastopol, 707-861-9730, theredwoodwine.com

The Shuckery

Raw oysters are a Sonoma County staple and I love the small, unassuming Kumamotos at The Shuckery. Dedicated to the humble oyster, this cozy cafe is a shucker’s dream. Try the Bingos, grilled oysters with Cognac, mayonnaise, Parmesan and garlic. Larger entrees, like the whole fish for two, are worth the trouble. There’s a full bar and outdoor seating.

Entrees: $20 to $43. 100 Washington St., Petaluma, 707-981-7891, theshuckeryca.com

Street Social

With just six tables and 300 feet of dining space, Street Social, is unavoidably intimate, even at its busiest. Chef Jevon Martin is a chef’s chef. You’ll likely find other culinary giants nibbling away on dishes like Kurobuta pork riblets with fish sauce caramel and chicharrones, or Meyer lemon curd with brown butter crumble.

Dinner entrees: $37 to $45. 29F Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-774-6185, streetsocial.social

Troubadour (Le Diner)

Chefs Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey, the owners of popular Quail & Condor bakery, have expanded their repertoire to include this sandwich shop by day and French bistro by night. For “Le Diner,” McGaughey plays with French classics like escargot with parsley veloute, herb salad with black sesame and coq au vin with pommes Lyonnaise. Reservations only.

Le Diner prix fixe menu: $125 per person. 381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, troubadourhbg.com

Valette

Chef Dustin Valette’s eponymous restaurant somehow manages to be luxurious and casual at the same time. A locals’ favorite, it features carefully curated ingredients and imaginative food experiences. Go for the “Trust Me” tasting menu that gives the best insight into Valette’s talents.

Trust Me tasting menu: $ 20 per course; minimum five courses. Entrees: $29 to $51. 344 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-473-0946, valettehealdsburg.com

Willi’s Wine Bar

Mark and Terri Stark own seven restaurants in Sonoma County, each worth checking out, but Willi’s Wine Bar best reflects their culinary vision. While the original Willi’s burned in the 2017 Northern California wildfires, the new location serves many of the same small plate dishes, an excellent wine list and cocktails. Favorites include the goat cheese fritters, Tunisian roasted carrots and Liberty Farms duck with smoked cheddar polenta.

Shareable small plates: $8 to $21 each. 1415 Town and Country Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-526-3096, starkrestaurants.com

Best Sonoma restaurants $$

Americana

The Farm Trails sign hanging over Ryan and Samantha Ramey’s cozy Railroad Square restaurant is the first hint that they take farm-freshness seriously. It’s a perfect breakfast and lunch spot, offering elevated takes on diner favorites. We’re ridiculously fond of their fried chicken sandwich, bone broth French onion soup and burgers with onion rings. The couple also owns Estero Cafe in Valley Ford if you’re headed for the coast.

Dinner entrees: $18 to $39. Breakfast and lunch dishes: $15 to $25. 205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-755-1548, americanasr.com

The Barlow

This 12-acre outdoor market is chock-full of excellent restaurants. You can’t go wrong with any of the 10 eateries here; fortunately, you don’t have to pick just one. Graze the day away, nibbling on anything from fried chicken, grilled cheese, tacos and pizza to oysters and sushi. And while all of that might sound a little pedestrian, you’ll be ridiculously impressed with the foodie-cheffy vibes here.

6770 McKinley St., Sebastopol, thebarlow.net

Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria

Chef Dino Bugica’s wood-fired pizzas are just one aspect of the Italian-inspired menu at his northern Sonoma County restaurant. Pasta and brick chicken are on the dinner menu, too, as is excellent house-made salumi. Don’t miss the more casual Geyserville Gun Club next door.

Entrees: $24 to $33. 21021 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-814-0111, diavolapizzeria.com

El Milagro

This Cloverdale restaurant serves regional Mexican cuisine that makes the drive north worth it, running the gamut from pumpkin seed mole and guisado (slow-braised stew) to simple flautas and tacos. Everything is made from scratch here, following authentic family recipes.

Entrees: $20 to $22. 485 S. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, 707-894-6334, elmilagrocloverdale.com

Handline

This family-friendly, fast-casual restaurant focuses on sustainable seafood, tacos and great burgers in the coastal California tradition. Handmade corn tortillas, excellent al pastor, soft serve ice cream and fresh daily produce never fail to impress. The expansive outdoor patio is another plus.

Entrees: $15 to $23. 935 Gravenstein Ave. South, Sebastopol, handline.com

Pizza Leah

Leah Scurto puts every bit of her soul into making dough, sauce and cheese as perfect as possible. Her pizzas come in two styles: thin-crust round pies that are 12 or 16 inches or square-pan pies made in limited quantities. The Old Grey Beard is a great place to start.

Pizzas: $21 to $30. 9240 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 116, Windsor, 707-620-0551, pizzaleah.com

Rocker Oysterfellers

It’s no surprise that oysters — raw, baked or barbecued — are menu favorites here, but this unassuming roadhouse has so much more on the menu. It’s a perfect brunch or happy hour destination focusing on local seafood (crab cakes and fish tacos are insanely good), Southern-inspired classics (beignets, shrimp and grits) and cocktails.

Entrees: $20 to $35. 14415 Highway One, Valley Ford, 707-876-1983, rockeroystefellers.com

The Spinster Sisters

Seasonally-inspired dishes change frequently, but this is a spot that anyone you’re dining with can enjoy. Chef Liza Hinman has broken up her menu into distinct sections with local seafood (the house-smoked trout pate rocks), local veggies (the mushroom hand pie is a must-order), pasture (steak, duck), local cheeses and sweets. Sit outside under twinkle lights on the casual patio and soak in the Sonoma vibe.

Entrees: $16 to $32. 401 South A St., Santa Rosa, 707-528-7100, thespinstersisters.com

Valley Bar and Bottle

This super-buzzy restaurant, wine bar and bottle shop is all about letting yourself enjoy the mystery of the menu. The menu doesn’t dally with long, overblown explanations, but you can’t go wrong no matter what you order. Favorites include Dungeness crab roll, fried artichokes, tuna poke with fermented chile, a comforting half chicken with leeks and prunes, and crispy rice cakes with scallion-ginger sauce. Open for dinner and brunch, with unusual and unexpected small-production wines.

Entrees: $13 to $32. 487 First St. West, Sonoma, valleybarandbottle.com

Best restaurants in Sonoma $

Acme Burger

“Burger” is a state of mind here. Sure, there are plenty of excellent beef options, of the grass-fed, locally-sourced kind. But the hard-to-pick-one lineup also includes Willie Bird turkey, plant-based patties, buttermilk fried chicken, ahi tuna, Bodega rock cod and seared pork belly confit, all sandwiched between soft, sesame buns.

Single burgers are $6.75; fancier burgers, fried chicken, fried fish and BBQ pork are around $11.75. 1007 W. College Ave., Suite D, Santa Rosa; 330 Western Ave., Petaluma; 550 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati, acmeburgerco.com

Don Julio’s

Hidden away in a strip mall, this Salvadoran pupuseria isn’t the least bit fancy, but serves up some of the best “Latin fusion” dishes around. Go for the pupusas, for sure, along with sweet corn tamales and tropical burritos made with marinated meats and served with tropical salsas. Mix things up with a pupusa burger — a choice of meet sandwiched between two pupusas.

Entrees: $11 to $17. 217 Southwest Blvd., Rohnert Park, 707-242-3160, donjulioslatingrill.com

El Fogon

Come here for top-notch tacos, tortas and antojitos (snacks), plus Mexican street food faves Tostilocos, machetes (a long corn tortilla filled with meat and cheese) and pambazo (a red sauce-soaked sandwich).

Entrees: $8.99 to $15.99. Tacos: $2.99 to $4.99. 6650 Commerce Blvd., Rohnert Park; 623 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, elfogonca.com

Mitote Food Park

Roseland is the heart of Santa Rosa’s vibrant Latino community and is a must-visit for antojitos (snacks), tacos, agua chiles and tortas (among many other delicious dishes). Mitote, a new food truck park, serves up some of the most authentic Mexican food on this side of the border. You’ll find plenty of outdoor seating and a a full bar featuring mezcal cocktails at this year-round fiesta.

Most dishes are under $15. 665 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa, mitotefoodpark.com

Pupuseria Salvadorena

This locals’ spot, frequented by Salvadorans, serves up no-frills comfort cuisine from Latin America. Pupusas, a masa dough filled with cheese or other ingredients, are top-notch, along with fried empanadas and tamales.

Pupusas, tamales and empanadas are between $2.50 and $3.50 each. 1403 Maple St., Santa Rosa, 707-544-3141

Taqueria California

The ultimate bite of carnitas straddles the line between crispy crunch and soft, melty meat. This humble taqueria has the magic touch, avoiding the leathery, tough strips of meat that others pass off as carnitas.

Tacos are $4 to $5 each. 6560 Hembree Lane, Windsor, 707-836-4242.

The post The 30 Best Restaurants in Sonoma County appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Feeling like dining is finally fun again? We are, too. Underground pop-ups, food-centric wine bars, and farm-to-table favorites are gathering all kinds of momentum this summer.

For this list, our team focused on spots that have opened since 2022. We defined “restaurant” loosely — as in, “any place where you can get great food”– canvassing food trucks, popups, and takeout spots as well as more traditional establishments. And just for fun, we’ve asked each of our winners to share where they like to dine out with their own loved ones. The result: A snapshot of favorites you’ll return to again and again. Click through the above gallery for a few top dishes.

Cyrus

This is Cyrus 2.0, really, since the Healdsburg original closed a decade ago, then reopened last September as a dramatically reinvented concept in a former Sunsweet prune packing plant. It’s elegance perfected, as guests are guided through a Champagne and canapes reception, elaborate hors d’oeuvres at an interactive chef’s table in the kitchen, entrées in the main dining room, and finally, dessert in room of chocolate with a molten candy fountain.

Chef-owner Douglas Keane has brought back many from his original team, and a few signature dishes, including a gorgeous Billi Bi soup of slow-cooked mussels in a silky broth of heavy cream, butter, fennel, and saffron.

The 20-course, $295 per person feast showcases Cal-Asian creations that embrace the five essential flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. That can mean delicate squares of raw shima aji (horse mackerel) set atop compressed watermelon radishes and sliced kumquat with sorrel, finger lime, ice lettuce, and shio koji. Or a silky oval of Hudson Valley foie gras drizzled in peach syrup-an already over-the-top rich dish elevated with warm steamed buns and salty-sweet white miso butter.

Cyrus’s Bubble Lounge is open for walk-ins, offering wine and à la carte bites. 275 Hwy. 128, Geyserville. 707-7235999, cyrusrestaurant.com

Bloom Carneros

Owner Jordan Kivelstadt recently decided the former Kivelstadt Cellars WineGarten & Eatery needed its own name, just in time for summer. So welcome to this newly rebranded, garden-centric destination on Highway 12/121. The creative, Cal-Med menu from chef Jennifer McMurry, is so expertly crafted that it can be hard for newbie customers to score a seat amid all the regulars flocking in. Previously open only for lunch, Bloom Carneros now serves dinner, too.

Kivelstadt scored a coup in landing chef McMurry, a Sonoma County native. She works magic with simple, seasonal, local ingredients in playful recipes that burst with upscale flavor. Chill out with clever mortadella corn dogs or fried chicken bites dolloped in whipped Bellwether Farms ricotta and house-made Calabrian chile jam. Or fancy things up with burrata and pea shoot pesto over arugula, followed by a bowl of glazed pork belly with grilled Hen of the Woods mushrooms, pistachio pesto, burrata, radicchio salsa verde and nasturtium flowers.

Bring your kids and puppies, too. The garden is a perfect playland and offers a kid menu. And-how cool is this-the kitchen treats canines like royalty, with their own menu of rice, veggies, and chicken.

22910 Broadway, Sonoma. 707-412-0438, bloomcarneros.com

Farmstand

Most people equate the posh Farmhouse Inn with the equally posh Farmhouse Restaurant. But last summer, owners and siblings Joe and Catherine Bartolomei opened a casual sister restaurant on-site, offering à la carte meals.

Under the direction of chef Seamus Guevara, the eatery operates out of a corrugated-metal-roofed shed that houses a mobile kitchen and a freestanding wood-burning oven. Guevara makes his own sourdough pizza doughs, breads, and pastas, including a towering, crisp-edged lasagna layered with chunky meat sauce and four types of cheese, or a wood-fired pizza topped in pork guanciale (the insanely tender and fatty cheek that sings with umami richness and a salty, velvety back note) and spicy Calabrian chiles.

Relaxing poolside next to the inn’s gardens feels almost like glamping, especially when we tuck into luxuries like local roasted trout dressed with chewy fregola pasta pearls, tart olives, and peppery arugula and French fries dolled up with porcini mushrooms, truffle oil, and a flurry of Parmesan cheese. It actually feels more decadent to eat such finery in a more rustic setting. And here’s a bonus for our ever-busy lives: we eat fine food, but we also can be in and out in an hour.

7871 River Rd., Forestville. 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com

Maison Porcella

This charming family-run gourmet shop and wine bar recently started offering lunch during the week with golden croque madame sandwiches, pâtés and French bread, and other gourmet treats. They’re also pouring on the elegance in the evenings with regular soirées featuring chef Marc-Henri Jean-Baptiste’s housecured salmon, duck pâte, and other delicacies.

Everything feels sparkly and special, especially with warm hospitality from Marc-Henri’s wife, Maud Jean-Baptiste. The couple, who met when Marc-Henri was working at a high-end restaurant along the French Côte d’Azur, have poured their heart into the business, a former catering kitchen transformed with French antiques (including Maud’s grandmother’s oak armoire and kitchen tools), shiny copper cases brimming with prepared foods to take home, and a thoughtful selection of French and local natural wines.

The bar is becoming a regular hangout for the winemaker set, many of whom have been taken, as are we, with Marc-Henri and Maud’s earnest passion for their work and their shared love of French food-both delicacies and rustic luxuries like country pâté and pickles.

More winemaker dinners are scheduled in the months to come, and the couple hope to expand their hours in summer. 8499 Old Redwood Hwy., Windsor. 707-955-5611, maisonporcella.com

Kapu

First and foremost, Kapu is a tiki bar. You know, the kind with little grass huts as seating areas, island iconography, and fruit-forward rum drinks that will knock you on your caboose if you’re not careful.

Kapu mixes and matches midcentury modern and pinup culture with island nostalgia, pirate booty, and tacky tiki elements everywhere. A large rectangular bar has open seating for a better view of the bartenders at work on their mysterious concoctions — the Fink Bomb, Tropical Itch, classic Mai Tai or Missionary’s Downfall.

If you know tiki, you likely know Kapu owner/manager Michael Richardson. He came to Sonoma County in 2020 to oversee the beverage program at Burdock Bar in Healdsburg, where he wowed locals with outlandish tiki drinks he first created for the famous Frankie’s Tiki Room in Las Vegas.

Chef Mike Lutz’s Hawaiian-inspired comfort food is ono-licious. After spending more than 20 years on the islands, he knows his grindz. Moody lighting makes it a little challenging to see the beauty of the food, but the flavors speak loud and clear. Poke nachos, fried noodles, and a tasty stuffed rockfish with sweet kabayaki Hollandaise are top picks. And the garlic chicken is a must-order, with crispy nuggets double-fried, bathed in shoyu, and sprinkled with furikake and crispy garlic.

132 Keller St., Petaluma. 707-559-3665, kapubar.com

L’oro di Napoli

Opening a new restaurant is never easy, but the launch of this family restaurant on downtown’s Fourth Street was a little bumpier than owners Domenico and Taylor De Angelis would have liked. L’Oro di Napoli opened quietly last summer but closed for a few weeks in fall for a quick reset with a new business partner. It reopened in late November with a fresh ambience, complete with art of a Naples street scene, and a renewed focus on Domenico De Angelis’s ingredient-driven pizza menu.

The Naples-born chef knows what makes authentic Neapolitan pie, and he’s nailing it, night after night. The crust, blistered from a wood-fired oven, is puffy and crisp with an irresistible, slightly stretchy chew. The classic Margherita, topped with San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil is a great place to start. Elsewhere on the menu, De Angelis takes some creative license with toppings but keeps the puz y, crispy, chewy crust.

There’s always an of-the-moment salad, and De Angelis plans to add regular pastas as well. If it’s on special, don’t miss the mile-high lasagna, with sheets of housemade noodles layered in tomato sauce and béchamel-a dish as exciting as the pizza.

629 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 707-293-9540, lorodinapolisr.com

Second Staff

When Sean Quan and Jenny Phan moved to Sonoma in early 2021 for Quan to take a job at SingleThread, the couple realized they missed late-night socializing with other industry professionals.

“We needed to find a way to hang out with people,” says Phan, “so we thought, ‘What the hell, we’ll just do it ourselves.'”

And so Second Staff was born, with a core group of six friends and a stable of different, cheeky pop-up concepts, including RageCage fried chicken, Space Balls boba and street snacks, and Small Men, with sandwiches named after different trim models of the Honda Civic.

Several friends have fine dining experience, so they recently launched a small-plates spinoff called FNCY + PNTS. Quan’s younger brother, Emmett, who is helping out in the kitchen while spending a gap year in Sonoma, calls FNCY + PNTS “the anti-tasting menu.” Diners carry cafeteria-style trays and choose dishes directly from the chefs. Nothing is over $15, and most dishes are less than that. It all feels very underground and understated-a food lover’s freestyle mix-tape of a meal.

“Restaurants should be a reflection of the communities they are part of,” says Quan. “But they should also matter and provide an insight into the community that you wouldn’t normally see.”

Various locations. second-staff.com

Mitote Food Park

Years in the making, this 7½-acre culinary paradise fully opened just last summer. Set in the heart of the predominantly Latino community of Roseland, a gathering of food trucks entices with tastes of Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacan, Yucatán, and Mexico City. There’s also a vibrant al fresco bar, live music, and an adjacent craft market.

Mitote is an incubator for Latino-owned businesses, giving entrepreneurs like the food truck owners support to establish success. Crowds throng to some 10 trucks, including Lucha Sabina (fabulous wild mushroom tlayudas and molotes), La Victoria (brilliant zucchini and pumpkin-blossom quesadillas on housemade tortillas), Maria Machetes (wildly good griddled hot dog draped with bacon, mayonnaise and queso), and Gio y Los Magos (decadent enchiladas Michoacánas served with roast chicken and potatoes).

Colorful papel picado banners decorate the picnic tables, and savvy diners load up with bites from several different vendors and always share plates to uncover flavors like huaraches loaded with cactus and chiles or quesadillas stuffed with huitlacoche, an earthy, savory mushroom-like delicacy.

For a sweet finish, hit up La Churroteka, for impossibly light, crispy churros stued with chocolate, caramel, or creamy condensed milk.

665 Sebastopol Rd., Santa Rosa. mitotefoodpark.com

Oyster

Who knows seafood better than a sushi chef? Chef Jake Rand, owner and sushi master at the popular Sushi Kosho at The Barlow in Sebastopol, opened a sister restaurant across the street last November. The Parisian-style oyster bar and seafood spot has beautiful outdoor patio seating and recently expanded into a larger indoor space next door.

Oysters are, not surprisingly, a highlight of the menu. They’re served raw, baked, and fried. The rest of the menu leans on sustainable shellfish, fish, prawns and octopus, all named “best choices” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Rand brings awareness to aquafarmed seafood-controlled cultivation of fish and bivalves in water. He also promotes the eating of filter feeders like oysters, mussels, and clams, which help keep ocean water clean, sequester carbon, and can protect shores from erosion.

Sustainability doesn’t always mean deliciousness, but here, you don’t have to compromise. Rand’s chile-dusted calamari with a kicked-up rémoulade sauce, a hearty oyster po’boy sandwich with a creamy lemon slaw, and seared scallops with brown butter are familiar yet luxurious. He makes his own aioli and cocktail sauce and has added fish and chips with duck-fat fries to the menu. Be sure to grab a bottle of bubbly to go with those oysters.

6751 McKinley St., Sebastopol. Instagram.com/oyster_sebastopol

Piala

The tiny, rustic hideaway holds a secret, serving Georgian cuisine from the Eastern European republic, alongside rare Georgian and European wines. Owner Jeff Berlin has created a casual, cozy place that invites you to hang out and play, though he takes his work very seriously. That’s him behind the bar, sharing his love of the region with anyone who wants to listen.

Before opening, he flew in a consulting chef from Georgia to teach his full-time chef how to make the unfamiliar-sounding dishes as authentically as possible. It’s hard to resist a clay crock of steaming-hot chashushuli, a soulful, aromatic stew of lamb head and neck with potatoes, tomatoes, chickpeas, and lots of spices and herbs.

Try the classic Georgian dumplings, too, stuffed with spiced beef and pork, kale and ricotta. And chvishtari, crisp-edged golden corn cakes oozing melted cheese, served with a side of lobio, a fragrant, garlicky bean stew for dunking.

Note: Berlin’s business partner is restaurateur Lowell Sheldon, who in 2021 was accused of sexual harassment by six former employees and, in one instance, of sexual assault. As a condition of the restaurant’s alcohol permit, Sheldon is not allowed to work at Piala nor enter the space when employees are present.

7233 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol. 707-861-9186, pialanaturalwine.com

Psychic Pie

These chewy, crispy, double-baked, rectangular Roman-style pizzas first captured our heart as a pandemic takeout offering, and we were over the moon when a brick-and-mortar location opened in Sebastopol. The menu here changes weekly, with options dreamed up by husband-wife owners Nicholi Ludlow and Leith Leiser-Miller that celebrate the season.

Farm-fresh toppings include chèvre with fresh lemon and herbs; potato with chile oil, mozzarella, and crème fraîche; and hot coppa with Estero Gold cheese, mozzarella and hot honey. There’s always one vegan selection, several vegetarian choices and a couple of meaty slices. The pizzas are sold by weight (order by the finger width-three fingers wide is a good small slice and runs about $7) and trying different options is encouraged.

“We’re a slice house, and we want people to have fun, just have a little levity. We want them to come eat good food, hang out, chill and maybe have a drink and just be happy,” Ludlow says. “We’re not fine dining, and we’re not looking to make anyone intimidated.”

The couple launched Psychic Pie as a side hustle while working full time at San Francisco’s Del Popolo pizzeria, perfecting their recipe for a chewy-crispy, naturally fermented sourdough crust. They sold out completely by word of mouth and a business was born.

So why the name Psychic Pie? The couple aren’t psychics or mystics. Ludlow studied to be a podiatrist, and Leiser-Miller is a former field researcher with a Ph.D. in the biology of bats. Both walked away from academics for a life in food, using all their brainpower to obsess about things like dough and where to get seasonal tomatoes or sustainable meats while raising their young family in Sonoma (the couple are expecting their second child just as this issue hits newsstands).

“We want to be a mom-and-pop and focus on this community,” Ludlow says. “Everyone is warm and fun, and we want to continue to support the people here.”

980 Gravenstein Hwy. S., Sebastopol. 707-827-6032, psychicpie.com

The Redwood

Young restaurateurs and bar owners in Sebastopol are contributing to a forward-thinking food scene unlike any other, and that includes the city’s newest spot, a natural wine bar with excellent food called The Redwood. Owners Geneva Melby and Ryan Miller (both alums of local Thai standout Khom Loi) know exactly what the next generation of wine drinkers want in their glasses.

These new-school sippers are, in simple terms, an un-futzed-around-with style of wine that stands in contrast to the helicopter-parent winemaking of Napa and Sonoma. They’re food-friendly and often remain unfiltered, giving them an often funky, un-wine-like quality.

Melby is an excellent chef, whipping up stunning nibbles as well as bigger entrées for dinner. The menu is divided into snacks, small plates, big plates, and desserts and guests are welcome to eat, drink or both.

The Redwood’s Route One Pita and Dips include a lineup of smoky baba ghanoush, hummus, and herbed labneh that you’ll crave for days afterwards. Dishes like scallop crudo tart with slices of kumquat, fennel, and drips of fennel frond sauce is chef’s-kiss good. The menu changes seasonally, but will continue to include snacky tinned fish with potato chips and pickles, and heartier, vegetable-forward dishes and risottos.

234 S. Main St., Sebastopol. 707-861-9730, theredwoodwine.com

Sonoma Eats

Sonoma Eats owner Efrain Balmes arrived in Sonoma County in 2007 with nothing but a dream and a drive to make something of himself. Though it’s a worn archetype, it exemplifies the vineyard-worker-to-business-owner hopes of many in the Agua Caliente community. Working multiple jobs, he saved up to buy a $29,000 mobile home shared with multiple roommates. In 2017, he sold the home for three times its original price and used the proceeds to purchase a food truck he parked at the Barking Dog Roasters.

Balmes’s Oaxacan eatery serves up elevated basics like a mole enchilada with intense flavors –chocolate, roasted chiles, nuts and potent herbs-mixed into an almost black sauce and cooked slowly over several days. Simple shrimp tacos are served with a light aioli studded with juicy tomatoes. This dish is restrained rather than over-seasoned and drowning in toppings to mask cheap ingredients. Generous beer-battered Baja fish tacos made with catfish beats the pants oz more traditional cod, while Balmes’s chipotle aioli lends sweet heat.

Vegan mushroom tacos are so much more than a concession to the moment, elevated with avocado and salsa verde. They’re also great in the mix with other à la carte tacos, including carne asada, chicken, carnitas, al pastor, chorizo and nopales.

At Barking Dog Roasters, 18133 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma. 707-939-1905; sonomaeatsmex.com

Vine Burgers

When James Byus III swung open the doors of Vine Burgers last March, his mission was to make the best burgers in town. Those in the know seek out the unassuming strip mall location tucked behind a weedy field that was the K-Mart before the Tubbs fire. It’s a gritty landscape that belies the quality food that Byus and his small team turn out each day.

There’s a burger here for everyone, from basic beef to feta-topped lamb with meat sourced from Sonoma County Meat Co. A selection of seafood sandwiches, including lump crab cakes and a Cajun tuna burger, are made in- house from scratch with seafood from local purveyors. All burgers are served on toasted brioche bun.

This is a burger joint even vegetarians can feel good about, with a veggie burger, several salads, and a robust list of vegetarian sides including mayo-slathered street corn and housemade fried pickles.

Regulars know to order a side of fried cheese curds from the “secret” menu, a once-in-a-while special that was so over-the-top good that Byus made it a permanent addition-dine-in only, though.

It was a wine sales job that drew the Maryland-born Byus to Sonoma County in the first place, so it’s no surprise that he offers a succinct but super-appealing globe-spanning wine list. There’s also a rotating list of craft beer on tap so burgers can be washed down the way they were meant to be-with a cold pint of suds.

3579 Industrial Dr., Santa Rosa. 707-536-9654, vineburgers.com

Troubadour

This pop-up dinner restaurant is refreshingly single-minded in its vision of elevated French bistro cuisine. A side project of chef Sean McGaughey, the intimate, multi-course dinner is served five nights a week in the same space as the nibble-size bakery he and wife Melissa Yanc founded in 2021. The couple is also behind the buzzy Quail & Condor bakery that opened locally in 2020 and a yet-to-open spot in the former Campo Fina. Yep, that’s four concepts in less than two years for the SingleThread alums.

The menu isn’t Cal-French or Mediterranean-French or another fusion. It’s just French, with all the unpronounceable but delicious sauces that have been perfected over centuries. McGaughey and his small team cook seasonal, locally sourced dishes such as duck à l’orange with crisp salty skin, Wagyu steak tartare with a cured egg yolk, petite escargot served in a Limoges teacup with creamy velouté and roasted garlic, and a thick tomato slice with tart sauce vierge and caviar.

The small kitchen at Troubadour, lacking a grill and many other staples of a restaurant kitchen, forces the team to think creatively and keep things simple. The four best seats in the house are at the counter facing Healdsburg Avenue. There, you can watch people go by (and be watched, eating) in the evening hours.

More private seats at the bakery counter are better for intimate dining, and groups of up to four can sit at a communal table. The vibe is a mix of irreverence (don’t miss the homage to Andre the Giant in the bathroom) and old-school French, with antique mix-and-match plates and a clubby San Francisco cafe atmosphere.

381 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 707756-3972, troubadourhbg.com

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Santa Rosa, the urban center of Sonoma County, may not be the first item on Wine Country itineraries but, to the savvy visitor, this North Coast city offers more than meets the eye.

This is the kind of place where natural bounty serves as a muse for utopian dreams, where sleepy residential streets hide ambitious farm-to-table kitchens, abandoned buildings are resurrected as art galleries, and the corner coffeeshop turns nightlife hot spot with craft beers on tap, all to the rhythm of Americana and bluegrass. Best of all, Santa Rosa can easily be explored by bike or by foot.

Click through the above gallery to explore (some of) the best Santa Rosa has to offer. 

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The most important part of any trip, aside from where to stay, is where to eat.

While adventuring through the cities, towns and burgs of Wine Country, amazing meal opportunities are literally around almost every bend. If you’re like us, though, doing a little research beforehand on iconic local dining destinations can make your visit far more delicious — and less likely to end up at a drive-thru just because everyone’s starving.

Click through the gallery for some of the best Sonoma restaurants for first-time visitors.

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Sure, the North Bay has plenty of lovely patios, but how about an amazing view and great food to boot? Not quite as easy. We’ve culled through our favorites and created a carefully curated list of spots where you can dole out some serious cheddar (that’s seriously worth it) or just bundle up with a plate of tacos by the bay. In Wine Country, you don’t necessarily have to spend a mint for a million dollar view. Click through the gallery for all the details.

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The rise of Instagram and crowdsourcing sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor have completely changed the dining game. Many people now plan their next restaurant visit by checking out reviews and photos by fellow diners – and they make sure to not put the fork in the food before the meal has been immortalized on Instagram.

In Sonoma County, there are plenty of restaurants that serve up photogenic presentations, and foodies flock here for exceptional bites and stunning shots. Click through the gallery above for some of the most Instagram-worthy restaurants and meals in Sonoma County, and share your Sonoma County restaurant pics with us by tagging @SonomaMag and using the hashtag #SonomaMagazine!

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