For more than a century, the 22-acre plot of redwood-shaded land along Guerneville’s Fife Creek has been a retreat from the hubbub of daily life. Founded as the family-friendly Murphy’s Guest Ranch, it later became the iconic gay resort Fife’s, and in 2005, it again transformed into Dawn Ranch.
Despite the resort’s epic natural beauty, with sun-dappled orchards, quiet groves and access to the beach, its on-site dining hall (and later, restaurant) was never one of its main draws.
That changed when New York City-based Bridgeton Holdings purchased the property after its flood-related closure in 2019.
The company launched a three-year overhaul of the cabins, lodge and restaurant. When Dawn Ranch reopened in 2023, it aligned comfortably with Bridgeton’s portfolio of boutique resorts, which includes Marram Montauk in the Hamptons and the Walker Hotels in Greenwich Village and Tribeca.
The restaurant soon followed suit, first reopening as Agriculture Public House and later as The Lodge at Dawn Ranch, under the guidance of co-executive chefs Ignacio “Nacho” Zuzulich and Juliana Thorpe since 2023. Both are veterans of Michelin-starred kitchens.
Zuzulich hails from Argentina, where his family owns several well-known restaurants. Thorpe was raised vegetarian on her family’s farm in Brazil. The couple met while working at Lasai in Rio de Janeiro and later cooked at the wildly experimental Mugaritz in Spain and The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena (now closed following the 2020 Glass Fire).
After what The Press Democrat critic Carey Sweet called a “confusing” start, the duo seems to have now found their footing with cohesive tasting menu-only dinners (seven to 12 courses) that draw from their South American heritage with influences from Spain and France. And there’s a lot to love.
“When we opened, we were not ready. The first year was really tough for us,” Zuzulich admitted.
Initially, Thorpe and Zuzulich were encouraged to lean into California-inspired cuisine rather than the eclectic Brazilian, Argentinian and Basque flavors they had spent the last decade perfecting.
“When we stopped listening to everyone and started cooking what we knew, everything changed,” he said.
The Experience
Reaching the dining room is part of a curated experience that guides diners from beneath the redwood boughs in the parking lot up a steep flight of stairs to the lodge – a tree house among the soaring groves. Inside, vaulted ceilings and exposed beams give way to a modern lounge with a marble-topped bar and oversized chairs. The dining room itself has been pared down to highlight the natural elements of the space, with warm wood tables, low banquettes, soft lighting and willow branches woven into the rafters. The natural world never feels far away, adding to its otherworldly ambiance.
The Food
Thorpe and Zuzulich serve only tasting menus in the dining room, although a smaller à la carte selection is available in the lounge. With just 40 seats, the space lends itself better to the couple’s kind of cooking: a curated parade of tweezer-perfect bites rather than a 32-ounce steak.
The seven-course “This and That” menu includes both shared and individual plates, presented in four stages. But the 12-course “All That” ($140 per person) is the best way to truly experience the breadth of Thorpe and Zuzulich’s talent. And it begins with a flurry of finger foods — five dishes in total.
While sending out five of the 12 courses all at once may seem counterintuitive, Thorpe encourages diners to dive in, get their hands dirty and play with the textures and temperatures.
“We are constantly grabbing things with our hands and that’s how we like to eat,” she said, adding, “We want people to have fun.”
The first courses arrive on artful trays and plates and include a thousand-layer potato pavé with caviar and crème fraiche; a briny oyster topped with tiny orbs of watermelon; Brazilian dadinho de tapioca (tiny, chewy cheese bites); and a simple tuna tostada covered in brilliant garden herbs and flowers. A childhood treat inspired the “Smile,” a savory cookie sandwich of chicken pate and tomato relish.
Playfulness and childhood memories are infused in many of the dishes, making the experience light-hearted and personal.
“Eating those cookies is a fun memory from being a child. I want someone who has never eaten one before to smile,” said Zuzulich. “Food can be funny.”
One by one, the dishes get better and better — a creamy corn pudding; spot prawn pasta in broth served with charcoal-grilled flatbread infused with rosemary smoke; and a concise slice of Mt. Lassen trout in butter sauce. The Snake River Farms picanha, a prized cut of beef (also known as culotte) beloved in Argentina, is a nod to the country’s Sunday asado tradition, where grilling meat and socializing make a leisurely, all-day event. Here, small bites of beef are grilled and served rare, accompanied by a sliver of yellow fat, roasted pepper and avocado purée.
Dessert is served on the patio, allowing diners to stretch their legs and take in the resort’s view. A trio of sweets — chewy Brazilian coconut cake, a quenelle of strawberry sorbet dotted with tiny berries, and dulce de leche cookies — is a cozy closing act.
The Wine
The restaurant’s new sommelier, Genaro Gallo, has created a whimsical handwritten sommelier’s notebook that’s worth perusing. The wine pairings are stunning and include a “blind tasting,” where guests are invited to guess the varietal, vintage and origin of the wine.
The Outlook
As for Michelin aspirations, Zuzulich and Thorpe are keeping their ambitions local, for now. Just being found in remote Sonoma west county is their first order of business.
“Guerneville is not the most well-known town because of its food,” said Zuzulich. “It’s beautiful and it’s growing and we have a really big potential. But for now, we would just love to be on the map.”
16467 Highway 116, Guerneville, 707-869-0656, dawnranch.com/dine