A retired librarian and an accomplished chef walk into a bar. On a whim, they decide to take over the space. There’s no punchline — that’s just how Sonoma County came to have the new Trillium, a lovely little cafe and wine lounge in downtown Guerneville.

The shoebox-size spot is the work of Genevieve Payne, who began studying wine at Santa Rosa Junior College and traveled around Europe after leaving her career as a bibliophile. The co-owner and chef is Greg Barnes, who has worked with legends such as Jeremiah Tower, Traci Des Jardins, and Duskie Estes, and who has known Payne for a decade.

The long-vacant space the team took over, right near the landmark Rainbow Cattle Company bar, came with some kitchen challenges, namely a lack of space for equipment to work with grills and live fire. So Barnes developed a sophisticated menu around a raw bar and selections from a giant convection oven and cooktop. The raw bar offers the oysters, poke, crudo and ceviche that have become Trillium’s signature.

There’s sumptuous seafood chowder and a sensational New England-style crab roll ($32), on a toasted, house-baked brioche split roll with a side of tangy house pickles, a sandwich that won a gold medal at last fall’s Sonoma County Harvest Fair. The seafood chowder is a standout, too, with a rich white-wine-and-cream base with chopped mussels, prawns, red potatoes, and hickory-smoked sous vide bacon over a base of heavy cream and white wine, with fresh thyme, Old Bay seasoning, and a splash of Louisiana Crystal hot sauce to make it sing.

The wine list is extensive and interesting, focusing on natural wines, including a dry, citrusy Colliano Sparkling Ribolla Gialla from Slovenia and the certified organic, gently tropical Folk Machine Potter Valley Sauvignon Blanc. There are also craft beers and ciders on tap, nonalcoholic cocktails and wine flights. Tiny Trillium, in tiny Guerneville, is setting the bar high.

16222 Main St., Guerneville. 707-604-5750, trillium.bar

This story was originally published in The Press Democrat. Read the full story here.

The post Tiny Trillium Winebar in Guerneville Is Setting the Bar High appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Chef Matt Weinberger has taken over the kitchen of Tony’s Seafood in Marshall. Chef Matt Shapiro previously held the position.

Weinberger was a former chef at Santa Rosa’s Grossman’s Noshery & Bar (he created the restaurant’s Weinburger patty melt). He was also the opening chef at Marshall’s Nick’s Cove restaurant together with his wife, chef Heather Ames.

Tony’s Seafood, a coastal staple for more than 70 years, was purchased in 2017 by the owners of Hog Island Oyster Co., who renovated the restaurant and turned it into a vibrant, modern seafood house with some of the best food and best views of Tomales Bay.

18863 Shoreline Highway, Marshall, 415-663-1107, hogislandoysters.com

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

The post New Chef at Coastal Staple Tony’s Seafood in Marshall appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Hog Island Oyster Co., a popular seafood establishment on the Sonoma-Marin Coast, has opened a Petaluma pickup window on First Street. The menu features oysters, shellfish (clams, mussels, prawns) and other local catches, including squid, abalone and geoduck clams.

Customers will also be able to pick up kitchen staples, including Hogwash mignonette, cocktail sauce and miso nori butter, as well as Hog Island merch.

Orders must be placed online or over the phone for pickup from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays.

419 First St., Suite B, Petaluma, 415-390-4219, hogislandoysters.com

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

The post Renowned Oyster Company Opens Petaluma Pickup Window appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

With stunning views of Bodega Bay, a convenient location and ample parking, Lucas Wharf Restaurant has been a popular stop on the Sonoma Coast since it opened in the early 1980s. The food, was another story. Let’s just say it never made my annual “Best Restaurants” list. This year, it probably will.

(Side note: Fishetarian, the restaurant’s fast-casual seafood sibling, is spectacular.)

The coastal restaurant, which closed abruptly last March, reopened as Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf in mid-August. Within days, new owners and longtime restaurateurs Brandon Guenther and Shona Campbell had a runaway hit on their hands. And the excitement is only growing.

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.

But Lucas Wharf has always been more than just another seaside restaurant to Guenther and Campbell. The couple, who also own Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford, loved its historic mahogany charm and rough-around-the-edges aura, and frequented the restaurant on days off. It was a no-brainer to save it after it closed last year.

Once known as Lazio Dock, the restaurant has been a centerpiece of the local seafood industry, where salmon, shrimp, rockfish, crabs and all other kinds of seafood caught in and around the Bay were processed.

“Lucas Wharf was important to the community. Watching it sit there for so long empty drove me crazy, so we jumped on it and threw ourselves to the wolves to get it opened back up,” said Guenther. “We wanted it for the community, even though I didn’t want to give up our favorite bar seats.”

The eats

The menu, developed by Guenther and chef Nixon, is classic wharf-side dining with some Southern twists — not surprising since the original Rocker Oysterfeller’s restaurant in Valley Ford focuses on dishes like shrimp and grits and fried chicken (as well as oysters). The two restaurants, however, are literally and figuratively miles apart.

While Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf focuses on “surf” dishes like fat Captain’s Platters loaded with fried fish, calamari and fries, peel-and-eat shrimp, blackened rockfish and chowder, Rocker Oysterfeller’s Roadhouse (the new name), will evolve its menu around “turf,” with fried chicken, pasta and burgers (though its fish tacos and oysters will remain). (The daily happy hour is a Valley Ford tradition and is highly recommended.)

Guenther said the couple closed their third Rocker’s location in Placerville recently so they could focus on the new restaurant in Bodega Bay.

The vibe

Lucas Wharf’s brick-red exterior and old-school interior are mostly the same, purposefully.

Things have been refreshed, though, and artist Joe Szuecs has created a metal kelp garden with moving lights above the dining room, echoing the Bay’s aquatic life.

The bar is still a focus, with seats and window views always at a premium. There are no reservations, so you’ll likely be in for a wait if you visit at peak times.

“This place already has a built-in audience, so you’re constantly getting people coming by who came here for years. They’re excited to have it back,” said Guenther. “We’re definitely going to have some fun out there.”

Best bets

Butterball Potato and Manila Clam Chowder, $9.95: Not your average pasty chowdah. Rocker’s version has a New Orleans-style roux base, giving it a light caramel color and loads of flavor. Not too thick or too thin, but something perfectly in between. Served with applewood-smoked bacon and garlic toast to sop up all the goodness.

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, $19.95: Shell-on wild Gulf shrimp in Worcestershire butter sauce. Worth the mess.

Pan Roasted Local Fish Fillet, $29.95: Rockfish (aka rock cod or Pacific red snapper) is a local favorite and a workhorse of this menu. The styles will change seasonally — we had it with blackened spice, basmati rice, corn and summer squash, black-eyed peas and green tomato chowchow. You’ll be a fan even if you’re not a fan. If the charbroiled whole rockfish with garlic butter and fennel (with jambalaya fried rice) is available, it’s also spectacular.

Captain’s Platter, $38.95: This is the holy grail of fried seafood pilgrims. 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. Easily enough for two. 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.

Rémoulade Louis Salad with Dungeness Crab, $29.95: Soft butter lettuce, toy box tomatoes, pickled onions and a jammy-yolked egg set the scene. A pile of fresh crab gets dressed with a Cajun-spice riff on the classic Crab Louie dressing.

Smoked Salmon Dip, $14.95: Just what it says. Creamy smoked salmon with salty capers, salmon roe, fresh herbs and plenty of cream cheese — another tasty dipper.

Banana Pudding, $11.95: Tiramisu meets English trifle meets maw-maw’s home cooking. Though it was first introduced in the North, this simple banana pudding recipe is layered with ‘Nilla wafers soaked in Saint George NOLA coffee liqueur. Your inner child will squeal while your adult self contemplatively savors the deep coffee and banana flavors.

Also great: The Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf menu is expansive and the portions are generous. We barely got through a handful of dishes before tapping out. Guenther said the PEI Mussels in a Creole tomato beer broth with Andouille sausage ($23.95) is a personal favorite, along with the ever-evolving Chilled Seafood Tower ($49.95), with raw oysters, mussels, shrimp, smoked fish dip and pickled corn. If you’re not a huge seafood fan, steak and pasta are also available.

Rocker Oysterfeller’s at Lucas Wharf is open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. 595 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-772-5670, rockeroysterfellers.com

Carey Sweet contributed to this article.

The post We Found the Sonoma Coast’s Best New Seafood Spot appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

All it takes is a cool, winter day out on Tomales Bay, right after a storm passes and the water turns to glass, “when it just feels like home to me,” says Aluxa Lalicker. It is where she learned to ply the waters as a kayak guide and where she mastered the art of shucking oysters, a life skill she passed down to her younger sister, Jazmine. They might have been born in the Yucatan and raised in Oklahoma, but The Oyster Girls were conceived in the briny waters of Tomales Bay.

“I call it the slippery slope upward,” Aluxa says. “It really is an obsession or an addiction.”

After shucking oysters on the beach for clients while working as a kayak guide on the bay, Aluxa was hooked. Transporting that experience to the Bay Area party circuit, she and Jazmine took their show on the road in 2007 as The Oyster Girls, catering events everywhere from wineries to fire stations. Quick to show off their knife skills, the sisters were often the life of the party. Their look was classy and sophisticated—much like the vintage girl lounging on a half-shell that makes up their business logo.

Everywhere the sisters went, people learned more about Tomales Bay – and more about the mystique of the oyster as an aphrodisiac, a fascination that goes back to ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. For Jazmine, part of the fun is “taking the sexuality and turning it into education, and showcasing the oyster for the femininity that it has, which I think before wasn’t really showcased before.”

The sisters’ nuanced approach is a welcome counterpoint to the stereotypical bro oyster shucker. “The number one biggest misconception with oysters is that it takes some big dude wearing, like, a rubber apron and rubber boots and really dirty gloves that have never been washed before. And they’ve got to power through this hard, really hard, dirty, gritty work,” Aluxa says. “It’s a huge misunderstanding,” adds Jazmine. “Because oysters are so delicate, and it takes so much finesse to open them.”

Another misconception is that an oyster party will turn into a hazmat scene. “I’ve had people gasp, like, ‘You’re going to wear that and shuck oysters?’” Aluxa says. “Or they ask, ‘Do I need to Saran-Wrap the bar area?’ They want to Saran-Wrap the whole room.”

“It’s not a crime scene,” Jazmine jokes. Quick to finish each other’s sentences, the two sisters were born in Cancun, Mexico, where their parents – their father is Mexican and their mother is from Oklahoma – ran a bed-and-breakfast. Not long after a hurricane ravaged the Yucatan peninsula, the family relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was in Sooner country, where, as a teenager, Aluxa tasted her first oyster. Her grandfather wanted to show her, “how to act on a date and what to expect on a date,” she remembers. “So I went out and bought a little black dress, and my grandpa picked me up in his truck and we went out and ate oysters.”

The briny, salty flavors blew her mind. Over a decade later, she migrated to Sonoma State University and was working for Blue Waters Kayaking on Tomales Bay when a friend taught her how to shuck an oyster. The sisters knew from the beginning that it would be important to create lasting relationships with local oyster farmers, especially Hog Island Oyster Co., Tomales Bay Oyster Company, and Drakes Bay Oyster Company. “I’ve always seen The Oyster Girls as a bridge between the oyster farmers and the party world,” Aluxa says.

Drakes Bay Oyster Company co-owner Ginny Cummings taught them that a handshake was all it took to do business. To this day, The Oyster Girls buy half their bivalves from the company, which pivoted to farming oysters in Baja, Mexico after closing down their operations in Point Reyes National Seashore in 2014. “They found that niche that no one else was doing at the time,” says Cummings of the sisters. “They had sass, but they also had class.”

Those relationships came in handy when the Lalickers opened The Shuckery on the ground floor of Hotel Petaluma in 2016. Inspired by a trip to New Orleans, where hotel oyster bars are a way of life, the two carved out a 32-seat oyster bar that goes through 600-1,200 oysters a day. Jazmine, who once worked as a server at Petaluma’s Central Market, now primarily focuses on the restaurant, while Aluxa books Oyster Girl parties. Both businesses are starting to bounce back from the pandemic, along with the oyster industry as a whole.

During the restaurant hiatus, many of the meaty mollusks sat in the water for an extra 12 to 18 months, growing larger than usual. “I’ve never seen Kumamotos so big,” Aluxa says.

When it comes to local oyster terroir, Aluxa can get super nerdy.

“An oyster that was eating zooplankton is almost like a wine that came from stainless steel,” she says. “It’s going to be really bright, briny— steely and metallic. And an oyster feeding on phytoplankton, it’s still gonna have the salt of the bay, but it’s gonna have a sweeter finish, like seagrass and melon – even though it’s the same oyster from the same bay, at the same time of year.”

Still amazed that many locals take it for granted, both sisters cherish this time of year on Tomales Bay. “It’s a little-known secret, but it’s the most beautiful time of the year,” Aluxa says. “Sure, you get rain. But then you get four days of calm weather, with the water like glass. The migrating birds move in. The anchovies come in, and the whales are migrating. Californians eat most of their oysters in the summer, with outdoor barbecued oysters – it’s a very California thing. But really, I think the oysters are the best this time of year.”

Jazmine and Aluxa Lalicker’s oyster bar, The Shuckery, is located inside the Hotel Petaluma, 100 Washington St., Petaluma. 707-981-7891, theshuckeryca.com. For catering and events, visit theoystergirls.com.

How to Throw Your Own Oyster Party

Inspired by local oyster experts Jazmine and Aluxa Lalicker, we’re celebrating the season by honoring winter oysters. So grab a shucking board and some Sonoma County seafood and read on to learn about how to set up the perfect oyster party.

It may seem obvious but…

Make sure you invite people who love oysters, says Aluxa Lalicker, co-owner of The Oyster Girls and The Shuckery restaurant in Petaluma. You don’t want to throw a party where you’re shucking oysters and no one’s eating them – that’s no fun for anyone.

Out of the shell

Decide whether to hire a professional oyster shucker or do it yourself. If you’ve never brandished an oyster knife, practice ahead of time. Jazmine and Aluxa Lalicker have a how-to video at theoystergirls.com.

Source your oysters

Figure out if you’re going to get a bag of the same oysters, or do a tasting of several varieties. The Oyster Girls have oysters for pick-up and party kit trays to go. Or, if you’re driving to Tomales Bay to pick up oysters, bring a cooler, and don’t make too many pit stops on the way home. You don’t want your oysters to sit for long in the car.

Set up the bar

Don’t banish your oyster bar to a far corner of the party—choose a central location. Next to the alcohol is often a good idea, say the sisters. Picnic tables and wine barrels easily showcase big oyster platters.

Grab supplies

You’ll need a shucking board, oyster knife, glove, apron, and trash can. Also some crushed ice and platters if you’d like to display your oysters after shucking.

Wine, cocktails, tequila shots — all good!

“Really, it comes down to whatever makes you happy,” says Jazmine Lalicker of what to drink with your oysters. Wines made in stainless steel and neutral oak pair beautifully, especially Chablis and Chenin Blanc—and, of course, Champagne.

At The Shuckery, Jazmine serves a popular Huntress cocktail, with gin, vermouth blend, Campari, golden raisins, toasted oak, and Angelica root. And don’t forget: “The oyster can always be the salt to your tequila shot,” Aluxa says.

The post Petaluma’s The Oyster Girls Want You to Have a Party appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Tony’s Seafood in the tiny hamlet of Marshall was a charming little seafood restaurant until it wasn’t.

For almost 70 years, the ramshackle little fish house was a coastal favorite run by a Croatian fishing family. But by the time the restaurant changed hands in 2017, the restaurant was a fading relic from another era.

After a two-year remodel by the owners of Hog Island Oyster Co., Tony’s has been reborn into a vibrant, modern seafood house with some of the best food and best views of Tomales Bay.

Old oyster shells litter the ground on the strip of land south of the cozy restaurant, giving a satisfying crunch underfoot. There is almost no parking, so expect to pull perilously close to a steep drop-off, then tiptoe your way over shells to the pier-supported restaurant. The smell of brine is a companion for the slightly harrowing journey, but the reward of a cozy, modern room filled with sunlight and bowls of shells on every table.

Shells, of course, are what you’re here for, or more specifically what’s in them — clams, mussels, crab, shrimp and, of course, oysters. There’s fresh Alaska cod, halibut, salmon and anchovies along with a handful of seafood-free items like the Tony’s burger, or battered-veggies and local greens, but really, seafood is what’s on the menu.

Chef and forager Matt Shapiro runs the kitchen and focuses on seaside classics with his own twists. The longtime Hog Island toque knows what coastal travelers want, from fish and chips and clam chowder to crab sandwiches, raw oysters and oyster po’ boys. What makes Tony’s worth the trip, however, are the little touches — house-made tartar sauce, creamy flourless chowder with piles of sweet clams, and just-from-the-ocean ingredients.

Best Bets

HIOC Clam Chowder, $16: Hog Island owner John Finger developed this recipe with two absolutes, no flour to thicken it and only fresh clams. Hog Island grows Manila clams in addition to oysters, so the sweet little clams are piled high in the bowl, shells on, making it an interactive experience as well as a tasty one. It’s heavy on the good stuff, aromatic herbs, fresh cream and bacon, and light on the fillers (potatoes and carrots). This is what chowder should always be and rarely ever achieves.

Whole SF Anchovies, $11: Even experienced eaters can be put off by a plate of fish returning your gaze, but these little anchovies are deboned and lightly fried with a blast of furikake (a mix of dried fish, sesame seeds, seaweed, sugar, and salt) and served with togarishi-sesame aioli and lime. Pop the finger-sized fish into your mouth whole and prepare for fireworks of flavor. Bonus, there’s no oily, overly salty, fishy flavor to these fresh anchovies.

Baked Stuffed Butter Clams, $15: Minced clams are mixed with bacon, jalapeno, thyme, celery, and breadcrumbs and baked onto a scallop shell. It’s a great alternative to raw oysters if that’s not your jam.

Fish & Chips & Slaw, $21: Local rock cod is the standard on the coast, but Tony’s uses Alaska “True” Cod, a sweeter, more substantial cod that was originally found on the East Coast. Sustainably sourced, it’s actually a lot better than rock cod. Light breading and house-made tartar sauce that’s flavorful and slightly runny rather than mayonnaise quicksand that swallows up the entire piece of fish.

Tony’s Burger, $17: Is it the best burger ever? Nope, but it’s a really good burger made with locally sourced Stemple Creek beef. The thick patty is cooked perfectly medium-rare and topped with Pt. Reyes Toma cheese and tartar sauce. Served with thin-cut fries. The original Tony’s was known for their burger, and this one pays homage to that tradition.

Halibut Crudo, $15: Thin slices of raw halibut float on slices of Granny Smith apples in a shallow pool of jalapeño oil and lime juice. It’s very, very tart and the lime slightly overpowers. But eaten with the apple, which seems almost sweet in comparison, lightens the dish.

Today’s Oysters: Pacific and Atlantic oysters are both on the menu, though oddly on the day we visited there were no Hog Island oysters from the nearby farm. Apparently, conditions only recently became optimal for the Hogs, and they will soon return.

Drinks

A brief but well-matched wine list with plenty of crisp whites and sparkling wines by the glass or bottle. The Hog Island Oyster Wine, White Rhone Blend, $12 per glass, has nice acidity with hints of lemon. Works beautifully with raw seafood in particular.

Local beers, including Henhouse Oyster Stout plus Mexican Coke and Sprite, house lemonade and teas.

Needs Improvement

CA Dungeness Crab Sandwich, $21: It’s end of season for fresh crab, and this version just doesn’t really do the local crab justice, lacking the sweetness that makes local Dungeness so wonderful. The crab salad felt a little dry, made with celery, dijon and house-made mayo. The ciabatta bun made the whole thing even drier. A smushy roll, more mayo and a little less mustard would have made this a more enjoyable experience.

Overall

A relic has been reborn, bringing back the tradition of just-off-the-boat seafood to a new generation.

Details: 18863 Shoreline Highway, Marshall. Open Friday through Sunday for lunch and dinner, Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. for dinner only. 415-663-1107, tonysseafoodrestaurant.com.

Still hungry? Check out Heather’s always-updated food and dining blog at BiteClubEats.com

The post Tony’s Seafood, A Great Catch in Marshall appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

We love any excuse to escape to the coast — from Marin to Mendocino — and, of course, Sonoma! Whether it is to reward ourselves with a local beer after a long day of hiking or biking, or toast to a special occasion as the sun sets, a cocktail with a coastal view never gets old. Click through the gallery above to discover our favorite coastal bars.

The post From Marin to Mendocino: 8 Ocean-View Bars To Visit Along Highway 1 appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

The list of restaurants re-opening after the wildfires that ravaged Wine Country continues to grow – and soon the Glen Ellen Inn Oyster Grill & Martini Bar will be added to that list – after renovations. 

“Our restaurant and inn survived,” share owners Karen & Chris Bertrand, who have owned the bistro for over 25 years, “as did our house, barely.”

Luckily, most of the restaurants in downtown Glen Ellen escaped major damage, thanks to hard working fire crews.

The Glen Ellen Inn serves up more than just local oysters and strong martinis, it has seven cottages nestled along a creek behind the restaurant. “Three of our buildings were yellow tagged due to roof damage,” says the Bertrand’s, “but we will have that fixed as soon as we can.”

The electricity was off in Glen Ellen for 14 days, leading the Bertrand’s to replace a refrigerator and freezer. They’re also taking advantage of the repair time for a winter renovation, which will feature an update to the martini bar, flooring and kitchen. They’ll reopen as soon as permitting allows.

“Meanwhile, we ask all of our guests to visit our friends in our Glen Ellen neighborhood restaurants,” say the couple, “Glen Ellen is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people – and we will come back strong!”

We here at Bite Club will let you know when they reopen.

The post Glen Ellen Inn Oyster Grill & Martini Bar Stands After Fires appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

There’s a good reason the apprenticeship of a sushi chef can take 10 years or more: It’s really hard to cut up a fish without making a serious mess of the whole thing. Add in razor sharp knives sliding along wet, slippery flesh and suddenly deboning a chicken seems like child’s play.

But after dead lifting a 150-pound tuna with his sous chef, both of them straining to hold on for the nail-biting 50 feet to the kitchen, Chef Aiki Terashima of Reel Fish Shop & Grill breathes a sigh of relief once the yellowfin is firmly on his chopping board. Worth several thousand dollars, the tuna is a serious investment for the restaurant. Considered a more sustainable tuna, as opposed to the bluefin, it retails for up to $30 per pound.

What happens next, however, will make even a jaded culinary observer go slack-jawed. With a finely honed Japanese knife in one hand and a carefully placed wet towel bracing the fish in the other, Terashima butchers the tuna in minutes according to incredibly specific techniques he learned as a sushi chef for Masaharu Morimoto (of NYC’s Nobu, Napa’s Morimoto and, yes, “Iron Chef”). The whole thing looks terribly simple as he glides the knife along the lines of a mental map of the fish’s anatomy — leaving only a few slips of meat sticking to the bones. The only tell that this is actually brutally physical work are the tiny beads of sweat on the chef’s forehead, and a weightlifter’s tensed face as he lifts a huge hunk of fish to go into the restaurant’s blast freezer.

And though it would be far simpler to order presliced, preweighed fish from a restaurant supplier, Terashima makes a habit of regularly buying whole fish like Scottish salmon and ling cod. Cutting up the fish himself is cost-effective and more sustainable (all the fish is used, not just filets), and frankly, it just tastes a whole lot better.

The Reel Fish Shop & Grill opened in January, replacing Rossi’s 1906 on the outskirts of the town of Sonoma. The menu is a something-for-everyone mashup of sushi rolls, poke, fish and chips, seafood chowders and stews, along with Japanese curry, shrimp po-boys, fish tacos and for the seafood-challenged, even a burger and steak frites. The historic 100-plus year old roadhouse once again has destination-worthy food in addition to its still-great lineup of live music and massive outdoor patio.

One of the questions most often asked by restaurant-seekers in Sonoma County: Where can I get great seafood? And though many restaurants have one or two seafood items on the menu, Reel Fish Shop & Grill is one of only a handful that specialize in seafood. With a focus on helping to maintain rather than deplete ocean populations, it’s a solid choice when you’re craving a taste of the sea.

Best Bets

Grilled Salmon Salad ($16): What could be a ho-hum pile of greens goes the extra mile. A generous hunk of grilled salmon tops creamy dill dressing mixed with fresh greens, pickled cucumbers, red onions and oranges. We licked the bowl clean, and just looking at the pictures again makes us drool a little.

Fish & Chips ($16): Along with great clam chowder, every coastal adventure seems to culminate in a search for the ultimate fish and chips. And always ends in disappointment. This crispy beer-battered version uses ling cod, and is refreshingly light enough to actually dip in tartar sauce — something we dare not do with greasier, more dense versions.

Chef’s 2-Day Curry ($16): A slightly sweet Japanese style curry. Japanese curry? Adapted from Indian recipes, curry is actually a pretty common Japanese food, though it tends to be sweeter, often with apples added to the veggies. This version, with shrimp (you can sub steak, salmon, chicken or mushrooms) is offbeat, but delicious comfort food.

Fish Tacos ($10): Fish often feels like an afterthought in fish tacos — a fried filler of dubious origins. Gild the lily with the fried version, with salsa fresca and citrus creme.

Did we mention? The restaurant has a full bar, along with a happy hour with fish tacos, wings and fries for $3-$6. Live music Friday and Saturday nights, in addition to some Thursdays and Sundays.

Reel Fish Shop, 401 Grove St., Sonoma, 707-343-0044, thereelfishshop.com

The post Reel Fish Shop & Grill: A Sonoma Seafood Catch appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

First reviewed Oct. 2016. Revisited June 2025 “Still excellent. Worth a trip. Don’t miss happy hour.” – HI

Handline is all about “Coastal California” cuisine, and that means plenty of seafood ranging from raw and grilled oysters to fried rockfish tacos, fisherman’s stew, ceviche and a killer salad with house smoked trout, pickled onion, apple and buttermilk dressing .

What puts Handline over the top however, has nothing to do with the sea. It’s the burger and fries. Their Inglewood burger includes St. Jorge fonduta, sweet chili relish, pastured beef and Thousand Island dressing ($11) and the double-fried hand cut fries with chipotle aioli ($5). 

One of the most stunning reasons to check out the former Foster’s Freeze is the soaring interior, with Japanese-screen style windows that slide open, a large outdoor patio and large, family-sized tables (and some great beer and wine for mom and dad). Don’t miss dessert, their ode to Foster’s with Straus soft serve ($6) that’s available at the restaurant or the walk-up window to the patio.

It’s a fast-casual concept where you order at the counter and food is delivered, making it a quick in-and-out for lunch,  but if you’ve got the time, you can also order more courses either at the window or from your table. It’s a bit like Gott’s Roadside, but inside and with better service. 

The visual highpoint, however, is the Fire Island Barbie fish tank diorama. At least that’s what we’ve dubbed it. You kinda gotta-see-it-to-believe the five-foot waterless tank filled with rainbow colored sea life, mermaid Barbies, jellyfish, guitar playing turtles and Godzilla with a bouquet of flowers. Paired with a few hard ciders, its even more entertaining.

Hint: Watch out for the hot sauce at the tables. Though it looks creamy and undaunting, it’s got a powerful bite!

Handline Restaurant, 935 Gravenstein Hwy. South, Sebastopol, 11a.m. to 10p.m. daily. Visit site.

The post Handline Restaurant No Fish Story in Sebastopol appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.