Hidden deep within rural west county is a restaurant you’ve visited a hundred times or have never heard of.
Locally, it’s legendary, a longtime favorite of wine industry folk who stop in for a beer after a long day among the vines and barrels of Green Valley. No one bats an eye when someone wearing dusty boots and Carhartt pants walks through the door.
Underwood Bistro is part of the fabric of Graton, having weathered nearly 25 years in the volatile restaurant industry. Built on the bones of a former roadhouse and watering hole, it’s retained its familiar come-as-you-are charm. Once inside, however, diners are transported to a Parisian-style bistro with long banquettes, bentwood chairs, a nickel-topped bar and soft yellow lighting that gives it an all-day sunset glow.
Opened in 2001 by San Francisco transplant and former chef Matthew Greenbaum, the menu has always featured brasserie classics like French onion soup, steak frites, cauliflower gratin and duck leg confit. But the kitchen is equally adept at tapas-style Mediterranean dishes and maybe a surprise Thai dish or two in the last few years.
It’s never been easy to pinpoint Underwood’s exact focus — “global tapas” doesn’t do it justice — but more importantly, there are always familiar favorites to revisit. Open for dinner until 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, it’s also a rare late-night spot.
Chef Mark Miller has helmed the kitchen for 20 years, creating food that pairs perfectly with the region’s cool-climate Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays and adding his touches to the menu — most notably authentic Thai dishes.
On his first trip to Southeast Asia in the early 1990s, he fell in love with the hallmark sweet, sour and salty flavors of Thai cuisine — so much so that he began cooking in a Thai kitchen, learning how to make authentic curries, sauces and wok-fired dishes.
“I started going back every year — sometimes twice a year. Working in a Thai kitchen just changed me,” Miller said.
And while a few Thai dishes began appearing on the Underwood menu over the years, it wasn’t until COVID-19 that Thai cuisine became a secret specialty for in-the-know locals.
As restaurants shifted to takeout-only during the early months of the pandemic, Underwood moved to an all-Thai menu to simplify takeout. Cheeseburgers just don’t travel as well as pad Thai, said Miller. Locals not only loved it, they lined up for it.
“It just took off,” he said. With few choices for any type of Asian cuisine in west county, flavorful dishes like pad thai, crispy rice salad, Thai lettuce cups and Thai-style fried chicken gained a following.
In the years since, the Underwood menu has returned to its lineup of European tapas-style dishes — though Thai fan favorites have remained.
This year, he hopes to do a Thai pop-up featuring some of his favorite recipes, happy to have an excuse to fire up the wok and cook what he loves.
Fun Fact: Pad thai is the number one seller among Thai dishes. “I’m not sure why, but we serve hundreds of them each week,” Miller said.
The Vibe: The bar is the heart of the restaurant and a great place to hang out if you’re going solo. The dining room is cozy, with tables for two and four — but it can get loud at night. The secluded outdoor patio is excellent for a lunch rendezvous or brunch with your dog.
The Food: Chou-fleur, a cauliflower gratin, is a must-try — even if you hate cauliflower. No one can hate that much butter and cheese on anything. Salads are a specialty, and they’re all worth trying. The French frisse aux lardons salad has bitter greens, a poached egg and pancetta. You can’t go wrong with entrées, but the pad grapao moo is excellent. This unique Thai dish has spicy ground pork, a fried egg, pungent fish sauce with lime juice and jasmine rice. Hat Yai fried chicken is a revelation.
The Perks: An excellent classic cocktail list.
The Tab: Appetizers are $12-$15, and with a cocktail are a nice light choice. Salads are $13 to $24, and entrées from $24 to $36 (steak is $55). The range of prices makes it affordable for most, but you can certainly splurge.
The Service: Overall excellent, with props to the bar staff. Wait times are reasonable, even on busy nights.
The Spot: 9113 Graton Road, Graton, 707-823-7023, underwoodgraton.com
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.