1. The Big 3 Diner At The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 939-2410, (800) 862-4945
Address: 18140 Highway 12 (Sonoma Highway)
Description: This is a great place for breakfast—the eggs Benedict with rosemary potatoes are very good, and the meal is served until 3:00 p.m. Because this is part of the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn Spa (see the Spas and Resorts chapter), the menu also includes dishes for the calorie watcher that are equally tasty—especially apple oatcakes with walnuts and crème fraîche. The salads are excellent too; the delectable Cobb keeps me coming back again and again. Lunch and dinner are served each day, with a fine wine list and full bar.
2. Cafe La Haye
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 935-5994
Address: 140 East Napa Street
Description: The small, two-level dining room is highlighted by artwork that changes periodically. The risotto is different every day, as is the fish special. Dig into the oven-roasted quail with almond sauce, preceded by house-smoked trout. A double chocolate parfait makes the perfect end to the meal. Cafe La Haye has been around for nearly 14 years and has many loyal fans in the Bay Area who come to Sonoma especially to dine here. With only 32 seats, it’s intimate but fun. Open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
3. Carneros Bistro At The Lodge At Sonoma
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 931-2042, (707) 935-6600
Address: 1325 Broadway
Description: It’s within the hotel/spa complex the Lodge at Sonoma (see the Spas and Resorts chapter), but you needn’t be a guest at the lodge to enjoy dining here. The interesting dishes change with the seasons. Here are a few examples of what you might find: wood oven–roasted whole fish with baby artichokes, horseradish pappardelle with short rib ragu, rotisserie rib eye with caramelized shallots, and Sonoma lamb offered with braised fennel or slow-roasted with tomatoes and lemon thyme. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
4. Della Santina’S
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 935-0576
Address: 133 East Napa Street
Description: This intimate, no-frills Italian trattoria-pasticceria faces onto the main street, and the food is authentic Italian prepared from recipes inspired by owner Dan Santina’s grandmother. All dishes are made from scratch, using a rotisserie to contain the flavors of all the herbs and spices used in such dishes as locally raised chicken, rabbit, and duck. The menu offers traditional northern Italian fare such as lasagna Bolognese, pressed squab, and all sorts of antipasti. One of the best entrees—maybe the best in all of Wine Country—is pollo allo spiedo, a traditional Italian roast chicken. Della Santina’s serves lunch and dinner every day. Because the restaurant is small, reservations are advised.
5. Depot Hotel Cucina Rustica
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 938-2980
Address: 241 First Street W.
Description: Located in a historic stone building a block from the plaza, this was once a hotel but it is now a delightful restaurant serving northern Italian cuisine. The chef does wonders with such dishes as ravioli al bosco (shiitake mushrooms and herbs sautéed with white wine and shallots) and hand-stuffed tortellini. One of the real delights of the restaurant is its garden, with Roman fountain and poolside dining. Vegetarian dishes and heart-healthy choices are also offered. Lunch is available Wednesday through Friday and dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday. Ask about the cooking classes offered by chef Michael Ghilarducci, typically on Monday or Tuesday evenings.
6. Deuce
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 933-3823
Address: 691 Broadway
Description: A popular eatery for more than 13 years, the cuisine at Deuce reflects mostly French and Italian influences. You can expect such dishes as a braised pork shoulder with chive mashed potatoes, bucatini pasta with toasted walnuts, and Dungeness crab gratin. Sweeten your experience by ending with peanut butter pie or spiced apple crisp. Deuce serves lunch and dinner daily.
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 110 West Spain Street
8. La Casa Restaurant
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 996-3406
Address: 121 East Spain Street
Description: In a town dedicated to Italian cuisine, La Casa’s smashing Mexican food is as welcome as a breeze in the heat of summer, and it’s been that way for more than 40 years. The ambience is as close to authentic as you can get north of the border, with Mexican woven leather chairs and a tiled bar. The nachos are sensational, the salsa and chips addictive. For a view of the Sonoma Mission and Barracks (see the Attractions chapter), ask for a window seat. Or choose to eat outdoors on the patio facing onto El Paseo de Sonoma courtyard. Fiesta hour (from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) is popular among the locals, thanks to the ambience and the great margaritas.
9. The Red Grape
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 996-4103
Address: 529 First Street W.
Description: Just off the Sonoma Plaza is this fun pizza joint that puts the pie on a pedestal. Try 30 kinds of pizza (olive oil– or pesto-based, or plum tomato sauce–based) and a couple of calzones, too. There’s a huge selection of toppings, if you want to build your own pie. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, try one of the pasta dishes combined with a Gorgonzola salad. The Red Grape has an extensive wine list, too. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
10. Saddles
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 933-3191
Address: 29 East MacArthur Street
Description: Within the classy MacArthur Place hotel and spa (see the Spas and Resorts chapter), this restaurant exudes a rustic, bunkhouse feel, because it’s in the original barn on the property. It has a cowboy motif—with real saddles made into chairs in the lobby and the wait staff in denim—but don’t expect beans and boiled coffee here. What you will find is plenty of red meat and fixins, primarily midwestern corn-fed, mesquite-grilled USDA prime beef. For lighter appetites, there’s salmon, mahimahi, and chicken entrees. Start your meal with the cornmeal onion rings—a crunchy, tasty bit of heaven. The wine list runs about 70 labels strong and there’s a martini bar that offers 14 oversize libations. Saddles is open daily for lunch and dinner, with a weekend brunch to boot.
11. Sante At The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 938-9000, (800) 862-4945
Address: 18140 Sonoma Highway
Description: If you’re ready to go upscale, walk to the main building of the inn for a Sunday brunch overlooking the pool, or have lunch or dinner in an ambience that has country-club class—elegant but not stuffy. This is a spa, after all (see the Spas and Resorts chapter), so the cuisine leans toward healthful preparations using lighter sauces, lots of vegetables, and delicate fish and chicken dishes. But have no fear—you can still order a bit of decadence by topping off your meal with crème brûlée. The award-winning wine list features 500 selections from Napa and Sonoma vineyards. Reservations are recommended for dinner. Sante is open daily.
12. The Swiss Hotel
City: Sonoma, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 938-2884
Address: 18 West Spain Street
Description: It’s a wonderful old building—a remarkably preserved adobe that was once the home of Gen. Mariano Vallejo’s brother, Salvador, who built it in the late 1830s. It became “the Swiss” when a stagecoach operator bought it and changed the name. Today it is easily recognizable by the Swiss flag flying over the door. For decades the restaurant was patronized largely by local families who came for the generous family-style Italian dinners. The barroom was a hangout for locals as well, who came to meet and greet friends, and it hasn’t changed much over the past 100 years. The menu is a bit upscale from the days of the massive Italian feasts, but the pastas are still served al dente, and the pizzas are turned out of wood-burning brick ovens. It’s open daily for lunch and dinner.