I haven't been there for several years and will be staying at the Sheraton for a few weeks.

Also, it's been quite a long time since my last trip to wine country- are the best bets Napa or Sonoma? Thanks!

Well, I don't know about the "A-List" restaurants, but our favorite casual, inexpensive restaurant in Petaluma is Aram's. Delicious Mediterranean food.

In June 5 of us enjoyed dinner at Central Market in Petaluma. 42 Petaluma Blvd.
We also visited several wineries in Sonoma. Gloria Ferrer, Chateau St Jean, Benzinger and Matanza. We also enjoyed Domain Carneros in Napa.

Petaluma restaurants.

Dempseys Restaurant and Brewery. It's a little hard to find...in the Golden Eagle shopping center, but you can dine on the patio and watch the boats go by on the Petaluma river. Award winning hand-crafted beers and organic food. They have a wood fired oven. Outrageous desserts.

Graziano's Ristorante

This is in the historic Wickersham Building which once was a speakeasy. There are murals on the walls. Their specialties are gnocchi, veal and prk tenderloin. Downtown on Petaluma Blvd.

If you have not been to Petaluma for a few years, check out what they have done to restore some of the buildings downtown. They sort of have their own "River Walk" along the Petaluma River. When I was a child, all that was industrial. Nice what they have done.

Hallie's on Keller Street is wonderful for breakfast!

Cucina Paradiso is excellent - it is across the parking lot from Dempsey's (mentioned earlier). It's a small place. Many people I know consider it the best food in Petaluma. I have friends who drive from Santa Rosa and Marin County just to go there.

There's a new restaurant - 3BO - that is getting rave reviews and is said to be a "destination" restaurant in terms of the food. It is seemingly always quite full already - I haven't been yet.

Dempsey's (mentioned earlier) is especially pleasant on a warm evening for sitting out on the patio on the river.

Central Market (mentioned earlier) is good.

Hiro's is pretty good Japanese food.

Water St. Bistro is excellent French bistro food, on the river. Best quiche I have ever had - silky texture that's wonderful. They are only open breakfast and lunch as far as I know, but I keep hearing rumors they are opening on weekend nights for dinner (maybe already have?).

The Tea Room Cafe is a great casual lunch spot - quite good food.

It's hard to go wrong in Petaluma for food. In addition to Cucina Paradiso (my favorite, and favorite Italian), Dempsey's (good, informal, imaginative), Central Market (slow-food, New Orleans flair), and others already mentioned, I like Sooze, a tiny wine bar and restaurant in the Great Petaluma Mill (by the river) for very good fish, and everything else I've had there has been excellent. I have it on my list to visit Sal's, a new informal Italian place somewhat near the Sheraton in the shopping center with the Albertson's in it. There's good Vietnamese at Thang Long on the East Side (in the clock tower shopping center whose name I don't remember, corner of McDowell and Washington), as well as good Thai at Little Thai in the same center, and my preferred Chinese at China Dragon. I think there are at last count four other Thai places: Banyan Tree (Golden Eagle Shopping Center, Petaluma Blvd. and Washington), Sea (Petaluma Blvd. So.), Thai House (610 Petaluma Blvd.), and Thai Ginger (downtown in Helen Putnam Plaza). Risibisi is also very good, more formal Italian (downtown), and Semolina (Washington Street) has hearty Italian. I'm probably forgetting a whole lot more. You won't go hungry.