Breaking: Flavor Bistro in downtown Santa Rosa has closed.
A sign on the cafe’s door simply reads:
“To Our Flavor Family
It is our joy to live life together celebrating the good things of Sonoma County.
We are closed.
Let us look forward to gathering at the table and continuing the celebration.
All love and goodness to your hearts,
Your Flavor Family”
A phone call to the restaurant had the same message.
The restaurant was located at 96 Old Courthouse Square.
The restaurant is the second eatery on Courthouse Square to go out of business as the construction to unify the square continues. The first was Seed to Leaf.
(Thanks Gabe Meline)
So sorry to hear this news. This has been a ‘go-to’ spot for me for many years — especially when feeling ambivalent about what/where to eat or when going out with a variety of folks with widely varying food preferences — always something for everyone here and with absolutely the most responsive waitstaff and kitchen services anywhere. If I wanted something done a bit differently — to leave out some ingredient or to add a little something — they were always willing to accommodate, if possible, and never copped an attitude (like I was insulting the cook — a pet peeve of mine about many upscale restaurants). I never had a dish there that I didn’t like and had many favorites I enjoyed again and again and will miss terribly (like the seafood pasta– which wasn’t always on the menu, but would always fix if asked). And the owners were great supporters of the community – donating gift certificates to all sorts of fundraising events. You did a great job Stu and biz partner (whose name I forget) — thank you and all the staff for taking such good care of me and my dining companions for many years — hope to see you again soon in a some new location.
This is very sad! I loved taking out of town guests to this restaurant; always excellent food and service! I can’t count the number of birthday celebrations there, or family get togethers. One thing that was remarkable was that the service was always outstanding; servers, bussers, bartenders, hostesses; all were friendly and warm. I have had some memorable moments there, and this is a real loss to Santa Rosa downtown. I wish them all well; please open another one!!
I’m not surprised. It is sad! But the city needs a solution! Right now especially for the holidays, the city needs to keep the area clean, inviting and also to have free parking! It is very hard to get parking as it is, but I will not go downtown. Here is the reason. There has been many times that I have parked and either my meter just ran out or I’m about to leave sitting in my car I had the meter maid attendant approach me and start writing a ticket. Yes, while just arriving at my car and getting into it to leave. I couldn’t believe it! Even though I was leaving! My son also lives at the Rosenberg building and not having a place to drop him off, because someone was parked AND not in their car at the 5 min drop off in front of the building, the meter maid came up to me, while I was pulled over to the yellow curb in front of the deli, car still running, comes to my window and tells me I can’t park here. I replied I’m dropping my son off who is handicapped so he can go to his apartment and the 5 min drop off is taken by someone illegally parked, he tells me ” well I can give you a ticket, but I will let it go this time”. Really??? There are so many times I see delivery trucks parked there, police officers parked there to go into the deli to get food. Not a scene call.
Now, my complaint is not that the officers are parked there, I get that they have to eat as well and parking is so out of hand! But when your approached by a city worker and addressed in a criminal manner and with a attitude, that’s where the line needs to be drawn. BTW City of Santa Rosa, how long must a garbage can sit on public sidewalks full of garbage before it is addressed? That garbage can(dumpster) has been on that sidewalk for over 3 weeks!
Well I see that the city needs to clean up the area, get rid of garbage, loitering , begging, and have free parking during the holidays this year! Especially during this construction!!!
Clean it up SANTA ROSA!!
BTW, loved Flavors! Hate to see them go!
Absolutely agree! I work for a company in railroaf square. So many times f the same issues and no matterhow much you tell them the parking and homelssnes is a major issue, nothing gets done
WOW! How sad is this? loved the risotto there. My favorite place to go for breakfast. I had a feeling all that construction would really affect those businesses. Seed to leaf had to close as well and that place was awesome!
Sadly, I feel terrible for the downtown businesses!They should have prepared for project better, the pedestrian situation is very poor!!!!Lighting is weak…..people won’t go and hang in Rosa until the streets are safe, clean and free of begging/cigarettes/very sad!!
What!?! Noooo!!!!!!!! Omg no!!!!
Oh no!
Please tell us if Greg resurfaces somewhere. He was a GREAT GM and so much fun to interact with. We will miss you!
Bob Dole is sad. Bob Dole liked Flavor’s breakfast, Bob Dole also like their burgers…Bob Dole…Bob Dole…Bob Dole
So sad best food for me I will miss the gnocchi, it was the best hands down.
NO! It’s been my favorite for years, crab cake, the best ever, anywhere. And, then, the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday nights food and wine dinners. Made friends with other regulars.
Where to drown my election day sorrows?
Betz & Sam
My favorite resturant in Santa Rosa, it’s where we told my mom, We were pregnant by giving her a ultrasound picture of our son, on her birthday. I would go for the gelato sundaes alone! Huge loss, for a job, very well done!
We have been regulars at FLAVOR since the first day Stu opened the doors, back in 2005! I cannot stand this stupid construction! It has ruined the trees the fountain, courthouse square…. and now this?! I’m so upset.
can we get back to the subject of loosing our favorite resturant and get off the politics people…
My husband and I are local business owners and are busy people, we have been eating at flavor once a week for the whole 11 years they were in business, they have become our home away from home family and will miss our date nights there. Good or bad whatever your opions, I for one will miss our little flavor family. I hope they pop up somewhere else, the renovated locaton was to blame I’m sure…. too many us us love it.
I’m so devastated. Why no warning?!
So bummed 🙁 flavor was so great. We left our wedding and went there to eat out our wedding night for dinner. Our kids like it too. It will always be special to us
The owners and staff were the kindest. The food was great. I will miss them terribly.
Very sad to hear, this was my favorite spot to go celebrate anything special. I never had a bad meal, affordable, the wait staff was always polite and suggestive. I loved the Butternut Squash Ravioli with crispy sage and a great glass of wine on a cold night. #alittlesad!
NNNOOOOOO!
They will be sorely missed. I was looking forward to the construction finishing up in time for next springs outdoor dining weather. Guess I should have gone more in recent times to help them get thru, maybe no one to blame but myself.
Best to them all! And thanks for all the wonderful meals and fun memories.
I am truly upset! Flavor has been our gathering spot for over ten years! Great food, lovely waiters, sweet owners! I am at a loss.
Not surprising. Bad food and bad service. Cheezy wine country for sure
Their service was great, but they were the only restaurant downtown where the waiters had brown skin and accents – is this the subtext to your complaint above?
Their food was great, but their menu was too big and barely changed. That’s about the biggest complaint one could make about Flavor.
I will miss them dearly. Curbside pickup saved me many a time when I needed to provide a nice meal for guests and couldn’t cook, when I wanted to sit at the bar by myself and eat a perfectly cooked steak that wasn’t overpriced because I had childcare at dinner time serendipitously, when one of us wanted noodles and the other a burger, when I wanted to meet friends and have a bistro salad… DAMMIT FLAVOR WHY???????????
I don’t think I have felt this deeply about any Santa Rosa downtown business news ever. Hopefully the owners will open up something else in a smaller location.
Thanks for calling that racist out! Hillary 2016 everyone! Hello? Guys? Hey where’s everyone going…?
So, the guy makes a comment about the bad service and you make the giant leap that he’s a racist??? You libs have got some serious issues. It’s now wonder Hillary lost. SMH
Whoosh!
Good grief, Sarah! Please show us where the skin color and accents of the waiters has any relevance to Phil’s comment. Is that how you roll when you disagree with someone??? That’s pathetic!
Same here. We literally ate here the day Stu opened in 2005. And every week since. Where the heck did this come from! So mad about this construction! !
You have no taste for good food. That’d place was great!
OoooooNooooo ! Flavors has been our go-to restaurant for a long time and never disappointed…Please return soon…Rincon Valley could use a Flavor and we wouldn’t have to deal with downtown parking and you would have a faithful following…please consider this.
Perhaps it means that they will reopen after the construction is over. The “wistful” last sentence “see you at the table” leads me to believe this. Perhaps it is better to reduce expenses, go on a long vacation, & come back when the construction is over.
I hope you’re right!
This is truly a day for mourning! Flavor has been our favorite restaurant in Sonoma County for years. The food was always on point, the prices reasonable, and the service faultless! I am truly saddened. I know, I know, ‘First World Problem’, but really Sonoma County has lost a GEM!!
Ancient Oak Cellars and its sandwich shop also closed.
Just another small business to close at the hands of SR’s “re-unification” $12M boondoggle.
The construction didn’t affect the downtown deli. Their high prices did. They increased prices with the new ownership and Ancient Oak name.
The sandwiches were good, the wine was not. I got a tasting there once and thought the wine was bad, but was willing to buy a bottle to offset the cost of the tasting. Then I found out it was like $60/bottle so I noped out. It could have made it as a sandwich shop, continuing in the tradition of Mr. Pickel’s and Mom and Pop’s, but it wasn’t’ obvious from the street that you could just go in and get a sandwich.
When did that happen? Just today? (Ancient Oak that is)
This is odd, but in light of the election, may not be surprising.
Trump’s fault?
Perhaps, British Columbia, or Australia looked better…….
USVI everybody!!!
St. John is amazing!!! 3% fed. Tax, no sales tax!!! I’d think trump has a few business’s set up there!⛳️?? Rockefeller did!!!
All right. Let’s make Trump the fall guy. What can we lose…