Big girls soccer tournament in Santa Rosa 8/28 -8/29. Our team is staying overnight, and needs recommendations for family style, ma and pa, or buffet restaurants. Suggestions for a good breakfast place would also be appreciated. Thanks a bunch.

Let me know what part of town you are staying in or what you want to be near
before/after you eat-or I'll have you driving all over the place!
R5

Hey Razzle,
We will be staying at the Hilton, Santa Rosa, but at this moment, I do not know the soccer tournament exact location. Oh, go ahead and give me your list regardless. Thanks a mil.
zz

Hello Razzle,
Addendum:
We will be playing our games at Lawrence Cook Middle School 2480 Sebastopol Rd, Santa Rosa, Ca 95407.
Thanks,
zz

OK, then you are staying in the NE
quad of the city and playing just
west of the center (Hwy 12/101
interchange). I will send you downtown
to Hank's Creekside, 2400 4th street
for breakfast (BE EARLY).
Also on 4th street, 629 4th, is La
Vera Pizza, a mom & pop with the pizza in SR-huge salads and other Italian as well. In the SR Plaza Mall is a Fresh Choice (east of Hwy 101-take downtown exit)-it's a salad/pasta etc. buffet.
Same exit WEST of 101,at 24 4th ST. there's a Chevy's (mex).Up by the Hilton, off the Mendocino/Fountain Grove exit, on the OTHER side (east side of 101)-there's an Applebee's
at 855 Hopper.
All of these can be found on Mapquest-
hope that these are in the ballpark.
R5

Razzledazzle,
I really want to thank you, of legendary Fodor status, for taking time to provide an input. Your responses are refreshing and personal. You and Mr R5 are blessed to be so well traveled. As time goes on, I wish to provide similiar (albeit smaller scale) experiences for my ten y.o. daughter.
Hank's Creekside has the most appeal for me. The team may have a different opinion. It's a spirited group that loves to eat.
Final note: Santa Rosa has really grown up over the past twenty years with its hotel and restaurant chains. Back then,it seemed to be locked in a kind of time warp with its small town charm and abundance of beautiful older cars. Today, Petaluma is probably close to what Santa Rosa was.

"r5-Brains AND beauty"! :-"

That's why she fits in so well with the other "Lady WineOs"!

A co-worker whose family lives in Santa Rosa, mentioned a restaurant he tried and liked called Terry's Southern Style Fish and BBQ on Santa Rosa Avenue. Said it was a casual place serving ribs, catfish, fried chicken and grilled ribeye steaks. It sounded good so I filed it away in my travel eats listing.

Ah, yes, Terry's....every
time we make
the trek back to 101 on SR Ave
Mr. R5 drools
-not pretty.

It is not in the greatest part of town,a tad sketchy,
just a tad,curiousgeo FYI.

Lengendary???

Well traveled????
I WISH-I just know my Sonoma County.
Petaluma, I hope, will remain somewhat quaint, we are having some terrfic
new buildings going up downtown by the river-the facades are designed to blend with the victorian,are low-rise and are planned with lots of green space meant for strolling. Our downtown is quite lovely and vibrant. The streets don't
roll-up at 8PM!

Oh, MG, I am going on..

Have fun on your trip to SR zz-next time,stop down here!

R5
Kal-You always know the right thing to
say-and today I needed that!

A little rusty on names these days, but there is an Asian Buffet this is quite good for all you can eat types on Mendocino Avenue about 2 blocks north of 4th st. (This is quite close to downtown square and the downtown mall). They have everything--dim sum, sweet and sour, sushi, even pizza and it is all fresh (not at all like Todai which I think is awful and too expensive to boot).

Mary's Pizza shack on Summerfield is good and they have a Clover diner with burgers and shakes next door (and coincidentally another Asian Buffet which I have not tried) this is across from Howarth Park which has a nice lake and picnic areas should you decide to BBQ instead.