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Sonoma Grille, Sonoma: With a nod to its past as Meritage Oyster Bar and Grill, the menu at this reborn surf and turf restaurant features many of the same dishes fans craved before. From oysters and hefty seafood platters to roast chicken and steaks, there's something for every taste. The familiar Surf and Turf ($37) features a grilled Angus filet and a half Maine lobster served with sautéed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes. A small ramekin of clarified butter takes the whole dish way over the top, but that’s what we’re going for, right? 165 W Napa St, Sonoma, 707-938-7542, sonomagrilleandbar.com. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Seared, Petaluma: It’s mostly a steakhouse, but the menu is more varied than that, with lots of seafood and a range of good appetizers. The beef tends to be the Japanese breeds, often aged and sometimes grass-fed. The vegetables are handled with care. Chef Joe O’Donnell displays his skill by adding complexity to the food, creating a whirlwind of flavors. Pick from "1200 Degree Steaks" like the Beeman Ranch Wagyu Hanger Steak or Ribeye, Surf & Turf with Flannery beef petite filet and day boat scallops, and "Prime" prime rib on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 170 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, 707-762-5997 petalumaseared.com. (Photo by Kent Porter)
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Stark's Steak & Seafood, Santa Rosa: Casually elegant with an upscale feel, Stark’s Steak & Seafood serves up classic fare with a modern approach. Stark’s features sustainable seafood, Certified Angus Beef Prime and Natural, in-house dry-aged beef, and American Kobe. All beef is hand selected by owner/executive chef Mark Stark and served à la carte. 521 Adams St, Santa Rosa, 707-546-5100, starkrestaurants.com. (Photo by John Burgess)
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Farmhouse Inn, Forestville: Farmhouse Inn houses an upscale, but surprisingly low-key, Michelin-starred restaurant. The ambiance is sophisticated yet cozy, the Cal-French cuisine delicious yet unpretentious, the decor chic and the service snappy. A New York Sirloin is currently on the dinner menu and is served with duck fat fried potato cakes, heirloom broccoli and green peppercorn butter. 7871 River Rd, Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com. (Photo by Charlie Gesell)
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Boon Eat & Drink, Guerneville: No matter what brings you to the resort hamlet of Guerneville, chances are you’re gonna be hungry afterward. Follow the apre-swim, kayak, festival-going and cruising crowd to boon eat + drink. What the dime-sized restaurant lacks in diameter, it makes up for in taste — both in its pared-down decor and simply done menu of spot-on eats. Grilled Hanger Steak ($30) is served with crispy potatoes, hen of the woods, asparagus and sauce Mornay. 16248 Main St, Guerneville, 707-869-0780, eatatboon.com. (Photo Steak Frites by Chris Hardy)
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El Dorado Kitchen, Sonoma: You’ll feel like an A-lister in the courtyard of this award-winning restaurant on the Sonoma Plaza. Their New York Steak is served with carrot ginger puree, Yukon gold potatoes, king trumpet mushroom, leeks, salsa verde, and bordelaise. Order the addictive truffle oil and Parmesan fries and a craft cocktail. 405 First St. West, Sonoma, 707-996-3030, eldoradosonoma.com. (Courtesy photo)
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Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen: A wood-fired oven is central to most of the dishes at this tiny-but-mighty Sonoma Valley outpost. Chef Ari Weisswasser's New York strip is paired with creamed spinach, peas and morels. 13648 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen, 707-343-1384, glenellenstar.com. (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)
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Bruno’s on Fourth, Santa Rosa: Bruno’s on Fourth is what Applebee’s can only aspire to: Good eating in the neighborhood. The tiny 38-seat restaurant is a blip on the local food radar…unless you’re in Bruno’s inner circle. But start asking around and you’re bound to find a devotee. Best bets for meat-lovers include the Flat Iron steak with blue cheese butter ($22) that will have you mopping up the rich pan sauce with anything in sight — including leftover bread, fingers and possibly your neighbor’s tie. It’s that good. 1226 4th St, Santa Rosa, 707-569-8222, brunosonfourth.com. (Photo by Conner Jay)
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630 Park Steakhouse, Rohnert Park: Here’s your big-time casino-style steakhouse. Offering 42-ounce prime T-bones, 20-ounce rib-eye, filet mignons and more. The meat is as terrific as the prices, and the kitchen also serves up chicken and seafood, like the 28-ounce Northern Australian lobster tail. Side dishes of vegetables, potatoes, and comfort foods like mac and cheese run are also available. You only live once. Graton Casino, 288 Golf Course Dr. W, Rohnert Park, 707-588-7115, gratonresortcasino.com. (Photo by Conner Jay)
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Underwood Bar & Bistro, Graton: You know that funky little bistro with just enough urban cred to be cool, but stuck far enough out in the boondocks to keep away the riff-raff? Yeah, that’s Underwood Bar & Bistro. A perennial favorite of night owls and winemakers, it’s a meet and eat rendezvous in the tiny hamlet of Graton. Underwood serves up perfect tapas (tuna tartare, cauliflower gratin, french onion soup, harissa fries, ceviche tostada), oysters and cocktails (don’t miss the Graton Sunrise) from lunch through late night as well as heartier entrees at dinner (steak frites, Moroccan lamb stew, duck breast, burgers). 9113 Graton Road, Graton, 707-823-7023, underwoodgraton.com. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
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Valette, Healdsburg: Chef Dustin Valette and brother Aaron Garzini operate a restaurant that could be a superstar on any culinary stage in the country. Valette was chef at Dry Creek Kitchen for years, and his skills are honed, and then some. His Charred Wagyu New York Steak ($42) comes with Mr. Duncan's Mushroom Fondue, caramelized parsnip, fermented garlic and olive oil poached potatoes. 344 Center St, Healdsburg, 707-473-0946, valettehealdsburg.com. (Photo by Chris Hardy)
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Stormy’s Spirits and Supper, Petaluma: Established as a roadhouse, Stormy’s has hosted generations of West County diners. The restaurant turned into a steakhouse in the early 1970s, and remains at family-style dining destination in Bloomfield. The beef is topnotch, especially the superb prime rib. And you can’t beat the prices, with all meals including homemade clam chowder, salad, potato, vegetable and French bread. 6650 Bloomfield Road, Petaluma, 795-0127, stormysrestaurant.com. (Photo by Alvin Jornada)
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The Brass Rabbit, Healdsburg: The Brass Rabbit features supper club classics cooked up by Chalkboard Restaurant's Shane McAnelly. Expect a protein-focused menu that showcases the restaurant’s six-foot Argentinian-style wood-burning grill, along with a rotisserie and plancha in the open kitchen. On the dinner menu is Snake River Farms Beef ($32); a grilled Bavette steak served with creamed swiss chard, cumin scented sweet potato, Sausalito springs watercress and sauce Bearnaise. 109 Plaza St, Healdsburg, 707-473-8580, thebrassrabbithealdsburg.com. (Photo by Heather Irwin)
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Barndiva, Healdsburg: A little bit country. A little bit rock and roll. Barndiva is the hipster hangout in Wine Country, with its organic sensibilities, minimalist barn decor and swanky cocktails. Their Filet Mignon ($42) is served with “loaded baked potato”, caramelized onion, bacon, chive crème fraîche, and toy box carrots. 231 Center St, Healdsburg, 707-431-0100, barndiva.com. (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)
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Cattlemens, Santa Rosa & Petaluma: A traditional family-owned steakhouse, Cattlemens has been serving up hand-cut beef in a ranch-style atmosphere since 1968. Sizzling prime rib is available in in 9oz, 12oz, and 16oz cuts, there are "beef and reef combos" (including New York steak with shrimp and Sirloin steak with crab) and "classic steaks" and ribs. 250 Dutton Ave, Santa Rosa; 2400 Midway Dr, Santa Rosa; 5012 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, cattlemens.com. (Photo by Crista Jeremiason)
