Inspired by her world travels, Guerneville chef and restaurateur Crista Luedtke is set to open Road Trip, a new restaurant featuring approachable, globally inspired eats (plus some of her nostalgic favorites) in late April.
The new, casual restaurant replaces Brot, a German eatery that shuttered this past December.
“I want it to have creativity and not stay in one lane. I want people to come up to the river and look at the menu and find four or five things they absolutely want to have,” Luedtke said.
Opening dishes include a banh mi panzanella salad with lemongrass chicken; spiced beef empanadas with aji verde; Texas BBQ flatbread with pulled pork, house barbecue sauce and dill pickles; fish and chips; a fried chicken sandwich; vegan coconut green curry; Mexican street corn salad; a Mexican-style hot dog with bacon, chili, crema and jalapeños; and the Mac Daddy burger with secret sauce, pickles, onions and a sesame milk bun. Most dishes range between $14 and $24. A $12 kids menu will be available.
As seasons change and Luedtke visits new locales, she’ll bring back some culinary inspiration to the Road Trip menu.
As part of its opening festivities, Road Trip will host a Big Queer Food Fest “On the Road” dinner April 14 at the restaurant. The event is part of a multicity tour for the 2025 festival celebrating LGBTQ+ chefs and their culinary contributions. The Road Trip dinner will feature chefs Tiffani Faison, Solarpunk Farms and ally chef Stephanie Izard for a five-course dinner from the restaurant’s menu, including wine pairings with LGBTQ+ winemakers.
Chad Hahne and David Lewis, television and film producers who have worked with many food-related shows, including Guy’s Grocery Games and Tournament of Champions, filmed in Santa Rosa, founded the event.
Tickets for the event are available at bigqueerfoodfest.com.