Wine Country Restaurants
 

I will be staying in Napa/Sonoma for 4 days.
So far this is what we have decided.
Napa
lunch: Taylor's refresher
Dinner: Bistro Jeanty
Sonoma
Lunch: oakville grocery
dinner: Girl and the fig

Lunch probably picnic in a winery
Dinner:???? somewhere preferrably near our hotel in Rohnert Park (please not further than 15-20 minute drive from this area).

Do you have any suggestions? Please help us out....

Oakville Grocery is in Napa,near Rutherford, not near Sonoma town.
Did you want a lunch spot for Sonoma town ? I like Cafe la Haye for dinner,
you could do lunch at the girl.

Just an FYI,Rohnert Park is a good 30 mins. to Sonoma town and at least an hour to Yountville & St. Helena (Bistro Jeanty & Taylors Refresher, respectively.)

I certainly hope you are considering spending time in the Healdsburg area of Sonoma County, and not just Sonoma town.
(Especially since you are staying in Rohnert Park !) There are many great places to eat in Healdsburg-Willi's
Manzanita, Ravenous,Barndiva-to name a few.
Just west of Santa Rosa out on Guerneville Rd. is one of my favorite restaurants-Zazu-do try to get there.
20- 25 mins. from Rohnert park.

In Rohnert Park is popular spot called Latitude (If you're at the Doubletree you can walk) and one of the best sushi Japanese places around-Hana.

Petaluma has some yummy spots downtown near the river-Central Market, Graffiti
Graziano's for dinner and Dempsey's (sit outside on the river for lunch.)

What time of year will you be here ?
R5

I will be there in late May and staying in Napa for one night and in Rohnert for 2 nights. And I was under the impression that there was an Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg which is where we will be during the day the first day in Sonoma County. Is this not the case? Thanks!

Yes, there is an Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg. We had lunch there on our visit a few weeks ago. They have a small area outside to eat, but if it's raining, forget it. Actually, it's gourmet sandwiches, salads, etc...not really anything special. I liked the Hoffman House in Geyserville better. If it's raining and you can't picnic, they have indoor seating.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!
It better not rain anymore, LLindaC,
enough already ! Today is a perfect
75 degrees !

Yes, there's an Oakville Grocery in Healdsburg. I'm not a fan-too pricey and too touristy for me, yet I suppose it would fun once.

I prefer the Jimtown Store in the Alexander Valley, http://www.jimtown.com
very fun and funky and much more Sonoma
for me.

For a picnic, pick up supplies at the Dry Creek General Store, http://www.dcgstore.com and seek out a picnic table at Armida, Lambert Bridge or Passalacqua wineries.

R5

Razzle...so glad it's ended! I was worried about all those poor little vines sitting under water. :-(
Any word on the crops?

LLindaC
Probably still a tad early to tell.

Bud break for a lot of areas is/was delayed and that is good for less vulnerability to rot, but bad if the harvest gets pushed into the start of our rainy season (mid-late Oct, but who knows !?!)

Then there is the consideration of the 2005 crop-our largest ever-and some vintners saying they have yet to
deal with all the wine from that
and they don't want a large crop this year (which is one of those be careful what you wish for situations).

I doubt anyone can discern the quality
of 2006 yet.

R5

Mea culpa to keli, I don't want to hijack your thread. I hope we helped with some restaurant decisions.

Just go anywhere in Healdsburg (take a stroll around the square) and pick a place to eat, not the Oakville grocery, you can do much better than that. I like the Hotel Healdsburg (I think its called Dry Creek kitchen) you sit outside and people watch, its on the square. No bad food in Healdsburg.

I agree, try Lattitudes in Rohnert Park, also fun on weekends for dancing. Again, there you can eat outside and enjoy the sunshine we are finally getting. Girl and the Fig is popular, I haven't tried it yet, lots to do, you'll have a good time.

Thank you! Latitudes looks good but I am worried that it may be to Chain restaurant like. Is it? How about Central Market how far is that? Are there websites for Central Market or Zazu. googled them but came up with zilch. Thanks again for your help.

http://www.zazurestaurant.com/

I highly recommend it. ((b))