Slide 1 of 28
Taqueria Molcajetes, Santa Rosa: For the uninitiated, molcajete typically refers to a large volcanic stone bowl that is heated to approximately the temperature of the sun. Meats, fresh cheese, cactus paddles, green onions, and seafood are mixed with a spicy chile stew and the whole steaming, sizzling, bubbling, furious thing is brought to your table. It will remain steaming, molten and bubbling for nearly a half hour as you are enveloped by a refreshing meat and vegetable-scented steam. You will be very tempted to touch the bowl with an adorable pig face just to see how hot it is. Do not do this. It is very hot. I have a blister on my pointer finger to prove that very point. 1195 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-544-8280.
Slide 2 of 28
You won't find advertising or sandwich boards at Taqueria Molcajetes, and no one has emailed me about their farm-to-table cuisine. The door is set into a dark and somewhat unwelcoming corner of the former G&G shopping center (it’s a Safeway now), Frankly, it’s hard to tell if the restaurant is open from the street. Inside the small doorway is a larger interior filled with throngs of people who come for their giant burritos. I’m a fan of the molcajete, which here is easily enough for two starving linebackers or a family of 6 who are peckish. (Alvin Jornada)
Slide 3 of 28
The popular Molcajete Mixto ($22) includes chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and nopales — pretty much everything but the kitchen sink, and there is a freakishly large amount of meat inside. The meal comes with fresh flour tortillas, beans, rice, salsa, guacamole and sour cream. If you break it down between four people, that’s less than $6 per person. With chips and the extensive salsa bar, you’ll go home full—and with glowingly refreshed skin. (Alvin Jornada)
Slide 5 of 28
Corner Café, Santa Rosa: Tasty Vietnamese food at a donut shop? It's a thing. Though it seems like an odd pairing, there's a long history of immigrants from southeast Asia opening donut shops that also serve the foods of their homeland. This version is especially delish, with pho, barbecue pork banh mi, fresh rolls and noodle bowls, but save a some room for mango shaved ice, a specialty. Of course, you can't leave without a couple donuts too. 4275 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa.
Slide 6 of 28
BBQ pork spring roll at Corner Cafe in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 7 of 28
Lemongrass chicken noodle bowl at Corner Cafe in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 8 of 28
BBQ pork plate with fried egg rice and salad at Corner Cafe in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 9 of 28
Mango shaved ice at Corner Cafe in Santa Rosa. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 10 of 28
Tambayan, Santa Rosa: If you’re jonesing for some lumpia, halo-halo or adobo chicken, there’s a new spot in Larkfield offering up authentic cuisine from the Philippines. Tambayan, which means “hang out” in Tagalog (the native language of the South Pacific island chain) opened in April. 600 Larkfield Center, Larkfield-Wikiup, 707-843-3824.
Slide 11 of 28
Fresh roll at Tambayan Filipino restaurant in Larkfield. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 12 of 28
Pork adobo at Tambayan Filipino restaurant in Larkfield. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 13 of 28
Meat lumpia at Tambayan Filipino restaurant in Larkfield. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 14 of 28
Glass noodles at Tambayan Filipino restaurant in Larkfield. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 15 of 28
Halo halo at Tambayan Filipino restaurant in Larkfield. Heather Irwin/PD
Slide 16 of 28
Bulgogi at Bowl and Roll, Santa Rosa: You’ll be lucky to find a table most afternoons at this combination sushi roll, ramen and Korean barbecue spot. There’s nothing all that ground-breaking, with fried apps like agedashi tofu ($3.95), chicken kaarage ($3.95), dumpling ramen ($.8.95) Korean-style rice bowls and American-style sushi rolls with plenty of fried stuff inside. What we love, though, is the simple Korean BBQ bulgogi ($9.95), strips of steak marinated with soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil served over white rice. You’ll easily have some leftovers when paired with a roll ($5 to $11) or app. Simpler than a sit-down restaurant, and phone orders accepted. 1331 Guerneville Rd., Suite Q, Santa Rosa, 595-3772.
Slide 17 of 28
Monday Momos, Santa Rosa: Sandwiches and bowls are the stock and trade of MoMo Cafe, frequented by nearby office park folks. But on Monday (and only Monday), the mom and pop deli serves up authentic momo — Tibetan-style dumplings filled with ground chicken, garlic, ginger and other spices. They’re cousins to potstickers, but these steamed and fried versions are a tasty treat to get over you start-of-the-week blahs. 385 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa, 573-0999. (Heather Irwin)
Slide 18 of 28
Banh Mi at Thuan Phat, Santa Rosa: Still one of the best Vietnamese banh mi, and a $3.75 a steal of a deal. There is exactly one tiny table inside, so take a hint and get it to go. Looking too long at the polka dot walls will give you a headache anyway. 3020 Santa Rosa Ave., Suite H, 889-3966. (Heather Irwin)
Slide 19 of 28
Mango Shaved Snow Ice at Yo Panda, Santa Rosa: Oh. My. Snow. Hawaiian shave ice just got bumped off our list of favorite things. Similar, but entirely different, shaved snow is a Taiwanese-style dessert made with frozen low-fat milk shaved into impossibly thin stacked ribbons of flavor. Mango snow topped with fresh mangos and sugar syrup makes for a crave-worthy summer treat. 925 Corporate Center Pkwy, Santa Rosa, 522-1388.
Slide 20 of 28
Yo Panda also serves up freshly-baked pastries every morning and Boba (bubble tea).
Slide 21 of 28
Canevari's Delicatessen & Catering, Santa Rosa: This no-frills Italian-American deli is the kind of spot Tony Soprano and his buddies would like if they lived in Santa Rosa, ordering signature sandwiches for lunch, like the Meatball Sub, BBQ Tri Tip, and Spiced Pulled Pork, or homemade ravioli, and cannoli for dessert. You might leave with slightly less healthy arteries, and cooking smells lingering in your hair and on your coat (the "no-frills" part includes a not-so-well-ventilated kitchen) but it's totally worth it: this hidden gem is one of the best delis in Sonoma County. 695 Lewis Rd, Santa Rosa.
Slide 22 of 28
BLT sandwich at Canevari's in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy photo)
Slide 23 of 28
Canevari's tri-tip sandwich comes with dijon aioli, tomatoes and onions. (Courtesy photo)
Slide 24 of 28
Sonoma Sourdough Sandwiches, Petaluma and Rohnert Park: This sandwich shop almost blends entirely with the concrete offices surrounding it. Unless you work on Industrial Avenue (in Petaluma) or State Farm Drive (in Rohnert Park), there’s really no reason to be in this part of town. That is, unless you're stopping by Sonoma Sourdough for their warm and soft sandwiches. They have a solid Reuben, natch, along with more than a dozen sandwiches on the menu ranging from a meaty combination of cold cuts to spicy chicken or vegetarian. Special orders gladly accepted. Service is coldly efficient but makes for a lightning fast in and out. The digs are minimal, but most folks order to go. 5440 State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park, 1320 Industrial Ave., Petaluma. (Heather Irwin)
Slide 25 of 28
Sonoma Sourdough salami sandwich (and hungry dog in the background). (Heather Irwin)
Slide 26 of 28
Flaming Cheese at Yia Yia, The Grateful Greek, Penngrove: Just-opened at the former Yanni’s Sausage Grill in Penngrove, this tiny cafe is a little bit Yanni’s and a little bit Greek and a whole lot awesome. We’ve been huge fans of flaming saganaki since, well, forever. It’s almost impossible to find locally, so Popi’s Flaming Cheese on a pita or Italian bread ($7.95) is pretty much the best grilled cheese you’ll ever eat. Plus it’s flaming. The restaurant delivers to the nearby Penngrove Bar, so there’s that little perk. 10007 Main St., Penngrove, 664-5442. (Heather Irwin)
Slide 27 of 28
Gyro at Yia Yia - The Grateful Greek in Penngrove. (Heather Irwin)
Slide 28 of 28
Tostilocos and Acai bowls at El Huerto Sonoma: This newish Sonoma storefront with healthy food as its main mission is run by a local farming family, offering fresh-pressed juices and acai bowls, along with seasonal granola and fruit bowls. What we love is the contrast of trendy avocado toast for just $4.75 and “skin glow” pressed juices along next to Mexican classics like Tostiloco (Tostito chips, mango, jicama, cucumber, peanuts, tamarind candy and lime, $7.50) and mangonada. 19213 Sonoma Hwy., Sonoma, 934-8791. (Courtesy photo)
Hmmm, strange that you missed the one restaurant in Sonoma County that is NAMED Hole in the Wall. Try Sebastopol, that’s where you’ll find it. There is a lot of good food to be found in Sebastopol!
Good food honestly, but they really need to invest in ventilation in the building. The times I’ve been there customers were coughing, walking out for air. The room is always full of smoke. It is always hot in there too.
Your columns are a joke. You need to consult a map for a reminder that Sonoma Valley is a significant part of Sonoma County. You managed to find only ONE mediocre restaurant for this article? Sonoma Magazine needs a new food editor.
thanks for the super constructive feedback. should I get off your lawn, too?
At Cannavaris Lous Chopped Salad and the Cannoli are an absolute must!
0.5
Cannavaris Deli on Steele ln, great Italian deli with sandwiches and hot food. Mushroom Polenta with there home made meat ball is delicious. They also have a freezer with take home ravioli and more! A win for sure.
If you are ever inspired to touch the lava bowl again, after burning your fingertip just immediately press your burned fingertip into your earlobe. Your earlobe will absorb the heat from the burn, and neither your earlobe (definitely) or your finger (likely) will develop a blister. I was told this trick by a sheet metal worker, and use it regularly while barbeque-ing oysters. It almost always works.
Try Bubble cups on Piner. The owner is so sweet and her Mom makes some amazing food. best egg rolls and crab puffs
I have ever had and there Ban MI is 5 bucks and huge. Not the kind of home made food you would expect from a Boba place
Missed Noodle Palace in Santa Rosa. Owned by Cambodian family. Delicious filling noodle soups, I take home a quart of vegetable loaded with rice noodles, mung bean sprouts and tons of vegies, lasts me three days. Fresh salad rolls filled with tofu and vegies, served with one of best peanut sauces ever.
Plenty of non vegetarian options too.
You forgot Hare and Hatter sausage emporium in Sonoma Plaza in the Arcade!! Miranda and Dave do a great job!!!
2.5
5
4.5