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Sonoma Restaurant Scene

paca

By paca
in California: Dining

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paca

paca

Posted
Posted

Heading back to Sonoma shortly (the town). Sadly, there were lots of closings this fall ( Cafe Le Presse, Sonoma Saveurs, two Italian ones on the corners of the square, maybe Maya. These are all restaurants we will miss. Anything taking their place? Is there a reason all these good ones are dying??

melkor

melkor

Posted
Posted

The Farmhouse inn 20 minutes north of Sonoma is excellent as is Santi in Geyserville (there's also a great Taco Truck in Geyserville). I've never really been wowed by anything in the square itself, the Girl and the Fig being my favorite place in Sonoma itself.

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted
Heading back to Sonoma shortly (the town). Sadly, there were lots of closings this fall ( Cafe Le Presse, Sonoma Saveurs, two Italian ones on the corners of the square, maybe Maya. These are all restaurants we will miss.  Anything taking their place? Is there a reason all these good ones are dying??

Vaquero closes on Sunday. The old Paitti reopens on June 2 with a new name El Dorado Kitchen. Ryan Fancher formerly of the French Laundry is head chef. Calif-French-Mediterranen on the menu. Generals Daughter has reopened and is quite good. Dying because of rent prices on the square. Deuce is very good down on Broadway. PM me with specific questions, it's my home town.

:biggrin:

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

syrah girl

syrah girl

Posted
Posted

We dined our way around Sonoma for two days in March. We went to the Harmony Club at the Ledson Hotel. It was very good. A very small dining room, it is actually the lobby to the hotel. The ambiance is very elegant and food quite good. I had the rabbit ravioli with a glass of the Ledson Pinot Noir. It was a very nice meal and I highly recommend it.

We also love the girl and the fig. We have had several nice dinenrs at the Swiss Hotel on the plaza. In Kenwood, we had a very nice lunch at small place called Doce Lunas. They made a really nice wok-seared calamari salad there that we enjoyed.

The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville was the hit of our trip. www.farmhouseinn.com Cozy, quaint ambiance with delicious food and first-class service. Cheers!

melkor

melkor

Posted
Posted
The Farmhouse Inn in Forestville was the hit of our trip.  www.farmhouseinn.com  Cozy, quaint ambiance with delicious food and first-class service.  Cheers!

And a great wine list full of interesting things from around the world at reasonable prices!

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted
The Farmhouse inn 20 minutes north of Sonoma is excellent as is Santi in Geyserville (there's also a great Taco Truck in Geyserville).  I've never really been wowed by anything in the square itself, the Girl and the Fig being my favorite place in Sonoma itself.

45 minutes to 1.5 hours is more like it on travel time. 20 minutes gets you to Glen Ellen or Kenwood.

:biggrin:

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

melkor

melkor

Posted
Posted
The Farmhouse inn 20 minutes north of Sonoma is excellent as is Santi in Geyserville (there's also a great Taco Truck in Geyserville).  I've never really been wowed by anything in the square itself, the Girl and the Fig being my favorite place in Sonoma itself.

45 minutes to 1.5 hours is more like it on travel time. 20 minutes gets you to Glen Ellen or Kenwood.

:biggrin:

You just need a faster car :raz: But you are correct - Forestville is 40 miles away so without traffic and paying some sort of attention to the speed limit 45 minutes would be more like it.

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted

And it's 2 lane country roads. :raz:

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

LEdlund

LEdlund

Posted
Posted
Sadly, there were lots of closings this fall ( Cafe Le Presse, Sonoma Saveurs, two Italian ones on the corners of the square, maybe Maya. These are all restaurants we will miss. 

My husband and I have a soft spot in our hearts for Maya (due to a very romantic afternoon spent drinking tequila there) and were just there again in February. Can anyone confirm its closure?

Practice Random Acts of Toasting

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted

Maya is for sale. It's still open.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

LEdlund

LEdlund

Posted
Posted
Maya is for sale. It's still open.

Thanks for the info. I guess I better hurry and go back if I want to relive our afternoon :raz:

Practice Random Acts of Toasting

Wolfert

Wolfert

Posted
Posted

winesonoma:

I heard they were going to sell the restaurant to the work-staff. Did that fall through?

“C’est dans les vieux pots, qu’on fait la bonne soupe!”, or ‘it is in old pots that good soup is made’.

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted
winesonoma:

I heard they were going to sell the restaurant to the work-staff. Did that fall through?

It has been sold to the Chef and bartender. Vaquero site no longer will be a restaurant, but will become office space.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

  • 2 weeks later...
rjwong

rjwong

Posted
Posted

This week's LA Times Food Section (1 June 2005) features: SONOMA COUNTY!

Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration.

One of the articles talks about the restaurant scene in Sonoma County:

At last, the scene blossoms / by S. Irene Virbila

Elegant tasting menus, hand-thrown pizzas, oysters al fresco: Sonoma's restaurants have arrived. Despite producing lamb, chickens, eggs, cheeses, heirloom vegetables and the like, Sonoma County has never had a restaurant with the high-profile of the French Laundry, say, or even Mustards Grill in Napa Valley. However, restaurants like Cyrus, Will's Seafood & Raw Bar, and Zazu, may change all that.

Enjoy!

Russell J. Wong aka "rjwong"

Food and I, we go way back ...

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted
This week's LA Times Food Section (1 June 2005) features: SONOMA COUNTY!

Viewing the LA Times website, www.latimes.com, requires registration.

One of the articles talks about the restaurant scene in Sonoma County:

At last, the scene blossoms / by S. Irene Virbila

Elegant tasting menus, hand-thrown pizzas, oysters al fresco: Sonoma's restaurants have arrived. Despite producing lamb, chickens, eggs, cheeses, heirloom vegetables and the like, Sonoma County has never had a restaurant with the high-profile of the French Laundry, say, or even Mustards Grill in Napa Valley. However, restaurants like Cyrus, Will's Seafood & Raw Bar, and Zazu, may change all that.

Enjoy!

That's the county not the town. Still we have a lot to offer in town.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted
I've heard good thing about Cafe la Haye...anyone care to offer an opinion? I'm looking for a good place to go with a few girlfriends, somewhere with great food but a really laidback atmosphere (which pretty much describes every place in Sonoma...)

Small and kinda loud, best food, Deuce, Depot, Della Santini, Generals Daughter,Girl &The Fig, La Sallette. Pick one and eat. Hard to have a bad meal here.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

syrah girl

syrah girl

Posted
Posted

We had a very nice dinner at Cafe La Haye. The dining room is small, but we really enjoyed the ambiance, food and service. I had the Yankee pot roast that was very, very good. Great deserts, also! :)

  • 2 weeks later...
Batuta

Batuta

Posted
Posted

What do you think of the Meritage Oyster Bar, just off Sonoma's square?

We had appetizers there for the Sonoma Jazz & Wine fest, and were fairly impressed. Is the rest of the meal as good?

Wolfert

Wolfert

Posted
Posted

Yesterday, I had a simple but wonderful outdoor lunch at the General's Daugher. It's really lovely, with light flooding through the big trees, and the tables really spread apart for private conversation. This airy restaurant is now in the hands of egulleteer Chef Preston and he has created a very appealing menu.

I had a trio of bay scallops over a buttery and tomatoey bed of fava beans, cippolini onions and a few local wild mushrooms. Afterwards, I adored the valhrona chocolate ice cream served in a martini glass.

“C’est dans les vieux pots, qu’on fait la bonne soupe!”, or ‘it is in old pots that good soup is made’.

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted

Latest rumor heard in town. Sonoma Saveurs will reopen with a new manager.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

winesonoma

winesonoma

Posted
Posted

I had dinner for the 2nd time at The Generals Daughter and now have a new favorite place in town. Gf had the red snapper and I had the duck breast. Appetizers were Mushroom ravioli, also Oyster, tuna tar-tare and a shrimp with corn cake. Had a nice chat after dinner with fellow eGulleter Preston the chef. A great new addition to town. It's worth a special trip.

Bruce Frigard

Quality control Taster, Château D'Eau Winery

"Free time is the engine of ingenuity, creativity and innovation"

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

syrah girl

syrah girl

Posted
Posted

I had heard the General's Daughter had gone downhill lately. We enjoyed a couple of great meals there a few years ago. It's nice to hear the place is in good hands again. We'll give it a try next time we're in the Sonoma area. I have always loved the decor and the Victorian feel to the place. :)

  • 3 weeks later...
dvs

dvs

Posted
Posted

i don't know how new this place is (The Red Grape) http://www.theredgrape.com/start.html , but i had lunch there yesterday w/ 3 kids in tow (4.5, 3 & 15m) and the lunch was pretty good!

they have east coast style pizzas, sandos, salads, etc. & a full bar (good for when you don't have the kiddos).

service was a bit harried, but it was a great option nad only .5 blocks off the square on 1st Street.

i had the blt & my friend had the spinach salad... btw...

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