Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
Farm-to-table Modern American cuisine is the prevalent style in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County, but this encompasses both the delicate preparations of Yountville’s Thomas Keller, whose restaurants include The French Laundry, and the upscale comfort food served throughout the Wine Country. The quality (and hype) often means high prices, but you can find appealing, inexpensive eateries, especially in Napa, Calistoga, Sonoma, and Santa Rosa.
Spouses Andzia and Jenay Hofftin opened this organic restaurant, wineshop, retail space, and community hangout inside Occidental's oldest building (1876), originally a hotel. The "farm-fresh comfort food" menu encompasses egg burritos, avocado “smash” toast, and pork-sausage sandwiches for breakfast and vegetarian bowls, pork melts, and the popular Hawaiian-inspired beef hot dog with grilled pineapple relish for lunch and (three days a week) early dinner until 7.
The chef at this few-frills restaurant with seating outdoors under a massive poplar tree or inside at the bar and a handful of tables prepares pan-Chinese comfort cuisine. Dishes that might include pork wonton noodle soup, spicier Taiwan beef noodle soup, congee (rice porridge), sizzling black cod, and Szechuan mapo tofu with black bean sauce are easy to appreciate on their culinary merits, the bonus being the sense of deep cultural attachment underpinning them.
A casual storefront restaurant on Guerneville's main drag, Boon Eat + Drink has a menu built around salads, smallish shareable plates, and entrées that might include vegan risotto, Moroccan chicken, and pan-seared local cod. Like many of chef-owner Crista Luedtke's dishes, the signature polenta lasagna—creamy ricotta salata cheese and polenta served on greens sautéed in garlic, all of it floating upon a spicy marinara sauce—deviates significantly from the lasagna norm but succeeds on its own merits.
Cookbook author and Iron Chef judge Domenica Catelli returned home to revive her family's American-Italian restaurant, a Geyserville fixture. Contemporary abstract paintings, reclaimed-wood furnishings, and muted gray and chocolate-brown walls signal the changing times, but you'll find good-lovin' echoes of traditional cuisine in the sturdy meat sauce that accompanies the signature lasagna, made with paper-thin noodles and a ricotta-and-herb-cheese filling.
The mixologists at this verdant "bar-focused restaurant" whip up creative "garden-to-glass" cocktails meant for pairing with neo-comfort food whose ingredients, especially the produce, are primarily cultivated in west Sonoma County. "Umami bomb" mushrooms with sticky rice and the tofu with five-spice pistachio entice vegans and vegetarians at dinner, but with pork belly skewers, chicken wings to share, a smash burger, and pan-seared fish, there's plenty for carnivores and pescatarians.
Asian tapestries, Nepalese tunes, images of precipitous peaks, and the fragrant scent of curries transport patrons of this storefront restaurant to the Himalayas, at least for an hour. Locals enamored of the flavorful cuisine and solicitous service often pack the place for dinner, served indoors and on the adjoining patio.
Sonoma County food lovers and national food writers are among the fans of Healdsburg’s premier butcher shop, whose products include hand-crafted salumi and jerky and other snacks. You can order a charcuterie board or sandwiches, pizzas, steak, and a lone salad to go or enjoy at tables inside or out.
The strip-mall location a mile southeast of Windsor's town green only adds to the cachet of this what-a-find combination charcuterie shop and bistro whose croque monsieur a local magazine anointed Sonoma County's best (madame's mighty fine, too). Chef-owner Marc-Henri Jean-Baptiste's Haitian-French roots, training under culinary icons Daniel Boulud and Alain Ducasse, and affinity for his local purveyors' "European mentality of respect for the environment and traditional agriculture practices" all inform Maison Porcella's dreamy cuisine.
Regulars of this southern Petaluma "daytime café" with indoor and outdoor seating rave about its eastern Mediterranean–inflected cuisine—immediately downplaying their enthusiasm lest this quiet gem become more popular. The menu changes often, but mainstays include shakshuka (a tomato-based stew with baked eggs) and a lamb burger dripping with fennel tzatziki.
Chef-owner Leah Scurto has won awards for creations like the Mush-a-Roni (pepperoni, cremini), the Nico (olive oil, mozzarella, roasted garlic, Parmesan), and the spicy Old Grey Beard (two kinds of cheese, sausage, Calabrian peppers, honey, orange zest). She serves her pies—plus salads, calzones, meatballs, and other items—in a minimally decorated strip-mall storefront with a spacious entryway patio.
The chef at this café, wine bar, and bottle shop prepares the primarily small bites—among them yellowtail crudo, ricotta tartine, duck-liver mousse, and baba ghanoush—in a semi-open kitchen, while her sommelier husband and his cheerful front-of-house team suggest pairings from the local-to-international natural wines the couple champion. With bar seating, high-tops, and several tables, the space is too big to feel like you're at a friend's party, but that's the vibe.
A loungelike covered outdoor space with a backyard-party vibe and an accessible reggae soundtrack, Robert's pairs palate-piquing cocktails and smart local wines with inspired takes on tropical cuisine. Tapas-sized plates might include plantains, fried cornmeal dumplings, and a grilled-shrimp salad, with Jamaican jerk chicken, a pork belly slider, whole grilled fish, and a salmon poke bowl approaching entrée proportions.
The Petaluma-based owners of this hip-homey counter-service restaurant pay homage to Swedish street food, whose influences, it turns out, include Middle Eastern cuisine. Seasonal ingredients, for the most part locally produced and raised, find their way into kebabs, Swedish meatballs, Wiener schnitzel, gravlax, herring, and korv kiosk (grilled frankfurters or sausages), all prepared with élan.
Kris Austin of Mississippi and Marvin McKenzy of Kentucky operate this hot spot for Texas-style barbecue notorious for long summer lines and closing when the food runs out. Brisket, tri-tip, and pulled pork appear in sandwiches and plates, the latter also including pork spare ribs, chicken, and jalapeño sausage.
Shaded by oaks and burnt-orange umbrellas, this kid- and dog-friendly roadhouse outdoor restaurant, best for lunch on a sunny day, often bustles with locals and out-of-towners chowing down on comfort fare based on ingredients from local artisanal purveyors. A recent menu's smoked-and-glazed pork belly with maitakes and pistachio pesto pleased with its layered flavors, as did vegan and gluten-free sweet-potato tacos and a vegetarian mushroom Cubano with spicy pickles, cabbage, and Monterey Jack on focaccia.
This small spot that melds rural charm with industrial chic serves updated American classics such as fried chicken (free-range in this case), burgers (with Kobe beef), steak, fish, and a pasta dish or two. The flatbreads—including smoked salmon with fromage blanc, Parmesan, lemon crème fraîche, and capers—are worth a try.
Wall-mounted game trophies and two tables with leather saddles doubling as seats contribute to the whimsically rustic atmosphere of this wine store, wine bar, and restaurant. The small menu’s standouts include the pulled-pork and smoked beef-brisket sandwiches served with three types of barbecue sauce, the meltingly tender St. Louis–style ribs, and the signature beer-can chicken (only Tecate will do).
Fried chicken and St. Louis ribs whose meat glides off the bone are among the hits at this open-air, partially covered restaurant where diners sit at sturdy oak picnic or high-top tables. Many ingredients come from artisanal protein and produce purveyors; craft breweries make most of the two dozen beers on tap.
A family-owned restaurant with tables lining wainscoted walls, Bricco aims for old-school authenticity in both its Italian cuisine and no-pretense hospitality. Although the menu isn't as massive as its Italian-American counterparts of eras past, the chefs fire up the greatest hits: arancini, carpaccio, and stracciatella soup starters; penne with vodka-tomato sauce, four-cheese ravioli, and seafood linguine first courses; and veal scaloppine, chicken Parmigiano, and osso buco mains.
A roadside stand at the west end of Calistoga's downtown, Buster's serves Louisiana-style barbecue basics, sweet potato pies, and cornbread muffins. Local-fave sandwiches at lunch (best time to come) include the tri-tip, spicy hot links, and pulled pork, with tri-tip and pork or beef ribs the hits at dinner (which ends early, at 6 or 7 in winter, 7 or 8 in summer).
"Elevate Your Everyday" glows a neon side at Crisp, whose spanking-clean interior mirrors the pristine food—avocado toast, beet-cured salmon tartine, breakfast and lunch bowls, and inventive juices, soups, broths, and smoothies—this health-oriented café serves. The location next to Sunshine Market (easy parking out front) may lack glamour, but the place exudes wellness, and the menu acknowledges the requirements of vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike.
Long a locals' favorite for traditional Italian-American cuisine, this restaurant has a warmly lit, often packed dining room and a heated back patio with Petaluma River views. The chef, who trained in Italy, prepares several pasta dishes a night, along with mains that might include veal scaloppini or saltimbocca, roasted chicken stuffed with arugula and pancetta, and pork tenderloin with Gorgonzola sauce.
A dining area with hardwood floors, a pressed-tin ceiling, and exposed brick walls provides a fitting setting for the rustic cuisine at this Geyserville mainstay. Chef Dino Bugica studied with artisanal cooks in Italy before opening this restaurant specializing in wood-fired pizzas and house-cured meats, with a few salads and meaty main courses rounding out the menu.
The compact menu at this cheerful bistro focuses on California and French comfort food—pot roast and duck confit, for instance, as well as flounder meunière and a few thin-crust pizzas. Steamed mussels are served with crispy fries, which also accompany the Chef's Burger (top sirloin with cheese), two of the many dependable dishes that have made the Fig a downtown Glen Ellen fixture.
Built-in wood-fired ovens anchor the open kitchen at this fun-casual spot with tile floors and bare light bulbs strung over the tables. Pizzas and pasta dishes made from farm-fresh ingredients dominate the menu, but straightforward fish, chicken, and steak entrées also appear.
Colorful paintings and metal wall hangings decorate the indoor dining spaces of this Mexican restaurant whose signature, nuanced mole recipe comes from the family's Oaxaca-born grandmother. Much of the menu—tacos, burritos, enchiladas, carne asada, and chicken in cream sauce—may sound familiar, but the chefs craft them with care, and the chips, tortillas, and sauces are all made fresh daily.
A chef formerly with the Stark organization (Willi's Seafood and others) opened this casual restaurant—a good bet for families—whose decor of rich pastels sets a placid tone. Hits here include Parmesan arancini, fried calamari, and burrata with lemon honey starters, as well as shrimp diavolo pasta and risotto, chicken, fish, and beef entrées.
A family-friendly, mostly open-air spa restaurant, HoB promotes wellness via Southwest-inspired "booster food" like a quinoa-and-kale salad and bowls containing sautéed kale, red quinoa, green chilies, and avocado. To reel in the wary, House of Better hedges its bet with nicely spiced fish tacos, going full carnivore with a green-chili cheeseburger and pepper steak add-ons to nachos, enchiladas, burritos, and tacos.
Beef brisket and St. Louis ribs are the hits at this saloonlike, order-at-the-counter joint whose house-made sauces include espresso barbecue, South Carolina mustard, and the sweet-and-sourish KIN blend. Along with the expected sides of potato salad, cornbread muffins, and baked beans (the latter bourbon-infused), the spiced sweet-potato tater tots and Granny-Smith-and-horseradish slaw stand out.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
