Summer and fall are always the busiest seasons for restaurant openings in Sonoma County, and 2023 has been another whirlwind. Click through the above gallery for 24 new or about-to-open restaurants we’re excited about — and this is just since June!
26 New Sonoma Restaurants We Can’t Wait to Try
Here’s a list of newcomers and a handful of much-anticipated openings for fall 2023.
Americana, Sebastopol: Santa Rosa's Americana opened a second location July 6. The menu is identical to the Santa Rosa breakfast and lunch offerings, featuring classic diner dishes with modern flair (including one of the best burgers in Sonoma County). 162 N. Main St., Sebastopol, americanasr.com (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Fried chicken at Americana. (Kelsey Joy Photography)
Barrio Becomes Osito: Former Barrio restaurant owner Carlos Rosas has launched a new fusion taco menu (don’t worry, he’s keeping plenty of his classics, too) with twists including tacos of jambalaya, carne asada with tzatziki sauce, fish and chips and chicken and waffles. 6760 McKinley St., No. 140, Sebastopol, 707-329-6538. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Sweet Straw: Sonoma County is awash in bubble tea bars lately, and this offshoot of a Napa drink bar is one of the newest. Grab a milk tea or honeydew blended ice drink. With boba pearls (or lychee jelly, my favorite), of course. 201 W. Napa St., Suite 27, Sonoma, sweetstrawteabar.square.site. (Sweet Straw)
Valley Swim Club: This casual seafood-centric cafe, open for lunch and dinner, features family-friendly outdoor dining and high-quality dishes from the owners of Sonoma's Valley Bar and Bottle. 18709 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, valleyswim.club (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Opening day at the Valley Swim Club restaurant in Sonoma, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Goose and Fern: Scotch eggs (an egg nested in a sausage ball with a fried breadcrumb coating) are a favorite at this English pub, but fat plates of fish and chips, pork rolls, savory pies and classic British desserts are a specialty. Oh, and there's plenty of Guinness. 116 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, Instagram.com/gooseandfern. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Pascaline, Santa Rosa: A new outpost near Montgomery Village for this French patisserie and cafe. Morning pastries are a focus, but lunchtime offerings include egg salad tartines, French onion soup, quiche and more. 1021 Hahman Drive, Santa Rosa, pascalinepatisserieandcafe.com. (Sonoma County Tourism)
Croque-madame at Pascaline Bakery and Cafe in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Teaspoon: Another super-cute modern bubble tea shop where you'll find lots of giggling teens, milk teas and fruit tea drinks. 2060 Santa Rosa Ave., Suite B1, Santa Rosa, teaspoonlife.com. (Teaspoon)
Wooden Petal: This pandemic pop-up has a storefront selling soft baked pretzels with homemade spreads, and cinnamon maple rolls. It also does a brisk lunch take-out with sandwiches on homemade pretzel rolls and excellent chowder. Go early, because the bake shop frequently sells out. 4984 Sonoma Hwy., Santa Rosa, woodenpetal.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Cinnamon maple rolls at Wooden Petal in Santa Rosa. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Zero&: This bubble tea shop reigns supreme with fresh ingredients, tiny cakes and the cutest packaging ever. Passion lemonade has fresh passion fruit, lemon and jasmine green tea for a more sour than sweet punch. The addition of sea-salt cheese foam isn’t as scary as it sounds — think whipped cream with a hint of salt. Order ahead on their app. 1071 Santa Rosa Plaza, 1021A, Santa Rosa, zeroand.com. (Zero&)
Acre Pizza, Cotati: Owner Steve Decosse went down a rabbit hole of pizza styles before landing on the famous New York-style thin crust and the trendy Detroit-style thick crust, baked in a square cast iron pan with caramelized Wisconsin brick cheese (a semisoft, brick-shaped cheese). Homemade ranch sauce is a necessity with this pizza. This is the third location. 8175 Gravenstein Highway, Cotati, acrepizza.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Angela's and Iggy's Organic Burger: This mom-and-son business is a one-stop-shop for a Healdsburg Plaza family night, with delicious burgers with messy fries, and decadent organic ice cream and mile-high cheesecake for dessert. 109 Plaza St., Healdsburg, Instagram.com/iggysburger. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Iggy’s Organic Burgers and Angela’s Organic Ice Cream are served on the plaza, Friday in Downtown Healdsburg June 30, 2023. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Drewish Deli: Drew Ross, owner of Healdsburg Bagel Co., expands his menu with this new deli to include tasty pastrami sandwiches, house-cured lox, matzoh-ball soup, excellent knishes and, of course, bagels. The chocolate babka, made in house, is chocolate heaven. 11 Mitchell Lane, Healdsburg, drewishdeli.com (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Molti Amici: SingleThread alums serve a seasonal, Italian-influenced menu in the former Campo Fina space. Woodfired pizzas and pastas are best bets, with of-the-moment ingredients making each dish slightly different on each visit. An outdoor patio with a bocce court and bar are often standing-room only. One of the best openings of the year. 330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, moltiamici.com. (Molti Amici)
Raviolo al’ Uovo, Summer Truffle, Sage Brown Butter from Molti Amici in Healdsburg Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Panna Cotta, Market Berries, Montenegro from Molti Amici in Healdsburg Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Goodnight’s Prime Steak + Spirits: This new Healdsburg restaurant, backed by wine mogul and entrepreneur Bill Foley, isn’t shying away from being exactly what it is — a beef-centric cowboy fantasy for the well-heeled. You can practically smell the Wine Country wheeling and dealing over filet mignon and crystal-cut glasses of Japanese whiskey. 113 Plaza St., Healdsburg, 707-543-1000, goodnightsrestaurant.com (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Second Story: In July, the owners of Little Saint quietly opened the doors of their renovated upstairs dining room with a prix-fixe menu that’s surprisingly modest for the quality of the food. The entirely vegan menu is a revelation, and absolutely worth a trip. Another best-opening of the year. 25 North St., Healdsburg, littlesainthealdsburg.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Stone Fruit with Almond and Basil from Second Story, the new vegan restaurant upstairs at Little Saint in Healdsburg. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
The Local: Finding this north Petaluma sandwich shop takes patience and a good GPS, but it’s worth seeking out. The crafty ultra-local fare hooked us immediately. Chef Raul Lopez creates stunning sandos, wraps, salads, smoothies and fresh pressed juices in the shop at the Active Wellness Center. 1200 Redwood Way, Petaluma, thelocalpetaluma.com (Crissy Pascual/Petaluma Argus-Courier)
Quiote: Blue corn tortillas are the wow factor at this family-owned taqueria. Regional Mexican cuisine is simple but elevated with high-quality ingredients like Rancho Gordo beans. The torta ahogada is especially good. 121 Kentucky St., Petaluma, quiotemx.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Gringas, a quesadilla with taco filling, from Quiote in downtown Petaluma, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails: A self-serve beer wall, plus cocktail and hard seltzer taps are as fun as you imagine. Grab a tiny taste (1-ounce pour) or fill'er up. The food is equally playful, with simple but well-executed nibbles, bowls, skewers and baskets. 9238 Old Redwood Hwy., Suite 128, Windsor, barrelbrothersbrewing.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
At Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails, you can pour 1-ounce samples from cocktail taps or full pours from their beer taps. How much you pour is up to you. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Marla Bakery: The opening is imminent for this Windsor-based bakery at the former Miracle Plum location in Santa Rosa. The new location will include coffee drinks from Oakland roasters Cute Coffee, wine and beer, bread and baked goods. 208 Davis St., Santa Rosa, marlabakery.com (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Augie's French: The eighth restaurant from restaurateurs Mark and Terri Stark is an ode to classic French bistros. The downtown location is considered risky by some, but the couple aren't daunted. The opening menu includes Salad Lyonnaise, Onion Soup Gratinee, Beef Cheek Bourguignon, Steak Frites, and Salmon Paillard. Opening Oct. 12. 535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, starkrestaurants.com. (Stark Restaurants)
Augie's French: The eighth restaurant from restaurateurs Mark and Terri Stark is an ode to classic French bistros. The downtown location is considered risky by some, but the couple aren't daunted. The opening menu includes Salad Lyonnaise, Onion Soup Gratinee, Beef Cheek Bourguignon, Steak Frites, and Salmon Paillard. Opening Oct. 12. 535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, starkrestaurants.com. (Stark Restaurants)
Augie's French: The eighth restaurant from restaurateurs Mark and Terri Stark is an ode to classic French bistros. The downtown location is considered risky by some, but the couple aren't daunted. The opening menu includes Salad Lyonnaise, Onion Soup Gratinee, Beef Cheek Bourguignon, Steak Frites, and Salmon Paillard. Opening Oct. 12. 535 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, starkrestaurants.com. (Stark Restaurants)
Vegan Mob: Oakland vegan barbecue spot that gained celebrity attention is opening a location in Santa Rosa later this year. Look for meatless versions of fried chicken, loaded nachos, brisket, burgers and soul food sides like macaroni and (not) cheese, and peach cobbler. 13 W. Third St., Santa Rosa, veganmob.biz. (Vegan Mob)
(Late Dec. 2023) Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken: Get ready to mukbang your face off at this South Korean fried chicken chain. A favorite of vloggers and podcasters who stuff themselves silly while fans watch incredulously, Bonchon is famous for its super crispy double-fried chicken with a savory/spicy glaze. But bulgogi fries (a Korean-style poutine), takoyaki (Japanese octopus dumpling), pork buns with katsu sauce, japchae (glass noodles with veggies and stir-fried beef) are other reasons to visit. The restaurant is slated for the Deer Creek Village shopping center at 429 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. No opening date yet. (Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken)
Golden Bear Station: The owners of Sonoma’s critically acclaimed Animo restaurant have announced plans to open a second restaurant at the former Tips Roadside in Kenwood this fall. The American cuisine brasserie will be a more casual cousin to Animo, chef Joshua Smookler and Heidy He’s contemporary eatery that features Basque- and Korean-inspired dishes. Golden Bear Station will serve pasta, pizza, burgers and other dishes the couple have sampled on their extensive culinary travels. 8445 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood. (Darryl Bush/For The Press Democrat)
Coming Soon—Tisza Bistro: This new location for chef Krisztian Karkus’ Hungarian-inspired food is slated to open soon, at the former Singletree Cafe. 165 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, no website yet. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
