NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN | MAY 25-31, 2011 | BOHEMIAN.COM
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Dining Our selective list of North Bay restaurants is subject to menu, pricing and schedule changes. Call first for confirmation. For expanded listings, visit www.bohemian.com. COST: $ = Under $12; $$ = $13-$20; $$$ = $21-$26; $$$$ = Over $27
Rating indicates the low to average cost of a full dinner for one person, exclusive of desserts, beverages and tip.
S O N OM A CO U N T Y Bear Republic Brewing Co Brewpub. $-$$. Award-winning ales and pub fare. Hearty portions and friendly service. Casual dining, outside patio. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sun. 345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg. 707.433.2337.
Betty’s Fish & Chips Seafood. $-$$. Cheerful, bustling, totally informal eatery serving authentic Brit fare. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sun. 4046 Sonoma Hwy, Santa Rosa. 707.539.0899.
Bluewater Bistro California cuisine. $$-$$$. Homey and rich seafood with warm service. Terrific specialoccasion spot. Dinner, ThursSat; lunch daily; breakfast, SatSun. 21301 Heron Dr, Bodega Bay. 707.875.3513.
Carmen’s Burger Bar American. $. Excellent and innovative burgers with a Mexican flair. Beef comes fresh daily from Pacific Market next door. Lunch and dinner daily; breakfast, Sat-Sun. 1612 Terrace (in Town and Country center), Santa Rosa. 707.579.3663.
Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar Californian. $$$$. As fancy as foie graschestnut froth parfait for dinner, as simple as huevos rancheros for breakfast, and all superb. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; brunch, Sun. 1325 Broadway, Sonoma. 707.931.2042.
Chloe’s French Cafe French. $. Hearty French fare, decadent desserts and excellent selection of French and California wines. Breakfast and lunch, Mon-Fri. 3883 Airway Dr, Santa Rosa. 707.528.3095.
The Girl & the Fig Bistro. $$$. Country food with a French passion. Great wine bar, great patio. Lunch and dinner
daily. 110 W Spain St, Sonoma. 707.938.3634.
Hamburger Ranch & Pasta Farm American. $. Old-fashioned, informal mom’n’-pop roadhouse. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 31195 N Redwood Hwy, Cloverdale. 707.894.5616.
Red Rose Cafe Soul
fusion of Indian, Mexican, Italian and American, with dishes customized to your palate Lunch and dinner, MonSat. 2656 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.8083.
Boca South American. $$$$$$$. Enjoy flavorful and rich regional fare in the rustic décor of an Argentinean ranch. Lunch, Mon-Fri; dinner daily. 340 Ignacio Blvd, Novato. 415.833.0901.
Casa Mañana Mexican. $. Big burritos a stone’s throw from the perfect picnic spot: Perri Park. The horchata is divine. Lunch and dinner daily. 85 Bolinas Rd, Fairfax. 415.454.2384.
Drake’s Beach Cafe
food/Southern. $. Fried chicken, ribs, collard greens and mac ’n’ cheese. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat; breakfast and lunch, Sun. 1770 Piner Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.573.9741
Californian. $$-$$$. More dinner party than restaurant, and the food is fresh and amazing. A meal to remember. Lunch, Thurs-Sun; dinner, Fri-Sat. 1 Drake’s Beach Rd, Pt Reyes National Seashore. 415.669.1297.
Stark’s Steakhouse
Fish Seafood. $$-$$$.
Steakhouse. $$$$. Could be the best steak you’ll ever have. “Other than steak” menu changes seasonally. Happy hour Mon-Fri, 3 to 6. Dinner daily; lunch, Mon-Fri. 521 Adams St, Santa Rosa. 707.546.5100.
Incredibly fresh seafood in incredibly relaxed setting overlooking bay. Lunch and dinner, Wed-Sat. (Cash only.) 350 Harbor Dr, Sausalito. 415.331.FISH.
Truc Linh Vietnamese. $. Your basic Vietnamse fare, prepared to perfection. Great for light meals. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sat. 810 McClelland Dr, Windsor. 707.838.6746.
Willi’s Wine Bar Small plates/wine bar. $$$. Bistro dishes and extensive wine list. A terrific place to dine before a show at the Wells Fargo Center. 4404 Old Redwood Hwy, Santa Rosa. 707.526.3096.
Zazu Cal-Euro. $$$. Perfectly executed dishes that sing with flavor. Zagat-rated with much of the produce from its own gardens. 3535 Guerneville Rd, Santa Rosa. 707.523.4814.
MARIN CO U N T Y
Sushiholic Japanese. $$$$. A nice addition to the local lineup, with a lengthy and wellcrafted repertoire including uncommon dishes like nabeyaki udon, zaru soba, yosenabe and sea bass teriyaki. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat. Rowland Plaza, 112-C Vintage Way, Novato. 415.898.8500.
N A PA CO U N T Y Alexis Baking Co Cafe. $-$$. Alexis excels at baked goods and offers killer breakfasts and sensible soup’n’-salad lunches. 1517 Third St, Napa. 707.258.1827.
Angèle Restaurant & Bar French. $$$. Thoroughly French, but not aggressively so. Lunch and dinner daily. 540 Main St, Napa. 707.252.8115.
BarBersQ Barbecue/
Mountain Home Inn
California. $-$$. An upscale ’cue joint with a high-end chef and high-end ingredients. Gorgeous chipotle-braised short ribs and pulled pork. Lunch and dinner daily. 3900-D Bel Aire Plaza, Napa. 707.224.6600.
American. $$-$$$$. Great summer sandwiches with a view atop Mt Tamalpais. Breakfast, Sat-Sun; lunch and dinner, Wed-Sun. 810 Panoramic Dr, Mill Valley. 415.381.9000.
Bistro Jeanty French. $$$. Rich, homey cuisine. A perfect choice when you can’t get a chance to do your Laundry. Lunch and dinner daily. 6510 Washington St, Yountville. 707.944.0103.
Pine Cone Diner Eclectic. $$. Funky diner meets upscale bistro. Ambitious dishes, like cherry-wood-smoked pork loin with lavender gastrique, and steak au poivre with peppercorn brandy sauce are served in homey atmosphere. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Closed Mon. 60 Fourth St, Pt Reyes. 415.663.1536.
Buster’s Barbecue
Pizzeria Picco Pizza. $-$$.
comfortable as it sounds, with a rich and varied melting pot of a menu. Lunch and dinner daily. 1327 Railroad Ave, St Helena. 707.963.1200.
Il Piccolo Caffe Italian. $$. Big, ample portions at this premier spot on Sausalito’s spirited waterfront. Breakfast and lunch daily. 660 Bridgeway, Ste 3, Sausalito. 415.289.1195.
Cheap, delicious and ready to go. Lunch and dinner daily. Miracle Mile Plaza, 2046 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.453.8990.
The wood-fired oven keeps things cozy, and the organic ingredients and produce make it all tasty. Lunch and dinner, Sat-Sun; dinner only, Mon-Fri. 32o Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.8900.
Avatar’s Indian-plus. $.
Small Shed Flatbreads
Fantastic East-meets-West
Pizza. $$. Slow Food-informed
Arigatou Japanese Food to Go Japanese. $.
Marin Organics devotee with a cozy, relaxed family atmosphere and no BS approach to great food served simply for a fair price. 17 Madrona Ave, Mill Valley. Open for lunch and dinner daily. 415.383.4200.
Barbecue. $. A very busy roadside destination–for a reason. It’s the hot sauce, available in two heats: regular and hot. And the hot, as the sign says, means “hot!” Lunch and dinner daily. 1207 Foothill Blvd, Calistoga. 707.942.5606.
Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen Eclectic. $$-$$$. As
Fumé Bistro & Bar California cuisine. $$$. California bistro fare that nearly always hits the mark. Lunch and dinner daily.
SMALL BITES
Strawberries Wild It’s time to run wild through a strawberry patch, cheer on the coronation of the Strawberry Queen, share shortcake with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and dance to some berrylicious sax jams while pounding bucket loads of juicy fruit at the Fifth Annual Russian River Strawberry Fest. Radio KGGV-FM 95.1, aka “the Bridge,” celebrates summer’s red treasure by hosting the woodsy jubilee, which doubles as a fundraiser for the volunteer-run radio station. Celebrate the strawberry with contests, live music and a chocolate-dipping fountain on Saturday, May 28, at the Guerneville Community Church. 14520 Armstrong Woods Road, Guerneville. Free. 11am–5pm. 707.869.1131.
Fierocious In a recent interview with the LA Weekly, irascible recording engineer and indiemusician-turned-food-blogger Steve Albini was asked about TV cooking personalities, which launched Albini into a trademark rant against boob-tube chefs with “gimmick hairdos and catch phrases, hooting and highfiving, ‘bringing it,’ celebrating gluttonous sports-bar chow, dipshits abbreviating their ingredients and making childish, cutesy-poo ‘comfort food’ full of ‘yummy veggies’—shit like that.” In related news, Tex Wasabi’s, the downtown Santa Rosa eatery owned by Guy Fieri, reopened last week after a long closure for renovations. Craving sushi stuffed with, uh, barbecue and fries? This is the place to get it. And maybe one of those visor hats with the fake blonde hair sticking out of the top. Tex Wasabi’s, 515 Fourth St., Santa Rosa. 707.544.8399.—Leilani Clark
4050 Byway E, Napa. 707.257.1999.
La Toque Restaurant French-inspired. $$$$. Set in a comfortable elegantly rustic dining room reminiscent of a French lodge, with a stone fireplace centerpiece, La Toque makes for memorable special-occasion dining. The elaborate wine pairing menus
are luxuriously inspired. Dinner, Wed-Sun. 1314 McKinstry St, Napa. 707.257.5157.
Redd California cuisine. $$$$$. Rich dishes balanced by subtle flavors and careful yet casual presentation. Brunch at Redd is exceptional. Lunch, Mon-Sat; dinner daily; brunch, Sun. 6480 Washington St, Yountville. 707.944.2222.