Sonoma County is busy getting ready for the holidays. Trees are being trimmed, garland is being hung, and thousands of twinkling lights are brightening the December nights. If you need a little nudge to get your festive juices flowing, hotels throughout Wine Country are decking their halls with sparkling décor. Click through the gallery above for a look at some of our favorite hotels to visit during the holiday season.
Did we miss one of your must-see properties? Let us know in the comments below.
Meatballs and mashed potatoes at Stockhome restaurant. (Courtesy of newrevmedia.com)
Sonoma County’s Bib Gourmands have been announced for 2022. While there aren’t any newcomers, it’s a high honor given to eight of the county’s restaurants considered by the California Michelin Guide to be restaurants with “good food at a moderate price.”
Receiving the awards on Dec. 5 were Healdsburg’s Chalkboard; El Molino Central, Valley Bar & Bottle and FolkTable in Sonoma; Khom Loi and Ramen Gaijin in Sebastopol, Stockhome in Petaluma and Glen Ellen Star in Glen Ellen.
While most people are familiar with the Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand award is lesser known. The Michelin guide, launched by French tire company Michelin in 1900, began awarding stars to fine dining establishments in 1926. In 1955, it introduced a second designation for restaurants deemed a good value by Michelin inspectors. It became known as Bib Gourmand in 1997 and was indicated in the guidebook with an image of the tire company’s mascot “Bibendum,” also known as the Michelin Man.
Today, the Michelin Guide comprises a series of guidebooks and announces awards annually across countries, regions and cities — there’s a Michelin Guide for France, but also one for Paris; in the United States, awards are announced in cities like New York or Washington, D.C. and statewide, in the case of California. Restaurants now need to serve two courses, a glass of wine or dessert for around $40 or less to be considered for the Bib Gourmand category.
While the stars remain the restaurant world’s most coveted awards, being selected a Bib Gourmand by Michelin inspectors is also an honor and can put a restaurant on the map of foodie destinations. This year, the California Michelin Guide lists 141 Bib Gourmand restaurants in the state. A great meal under $40 isn’t easily found in California — click through the above gallery for some excellent deals courtesy of Michelin.
Burger at Boon Eat + Drink in Guerneville. (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
For decades, Guerneville was a sleepy hideaway best known for its Russian River resorts and gay-friendly community. Flash forward to today, and the proudly self-proclaimed “gayberhood” is now a fashionable dining destination and a burgeoning resort retreat for straight folks, too.
Guerneville has retained its laidback charm, so don’t expect fancy. But the eclectic riverfront town is worth the drive for farm-to-table meals and sips and snacks at bars, and for admiring gorgeous drag queens strutting down the sidewalks.
A bit of trivia: The former logging town was once nicknamed “Big Bottom” for the alluvial flood plain that Guerneville sits upon. The town’s modern general store, Big Bottom Market, has kept the name.
Boon Eat + Drink
Chef-restaurateur-entrepreneur Crista Luedtke is the unofficial mayor of Guerneville. She owns and operates Boon restaurant, Brot modern German restaurant (closed for winter) and Boon Hotel + Spa. Boon (named for her late, beloved rescue dog) is a hip bistro brimming with all kinds of goodness in the form of organic, seasonal Californian cuisine, plus local microbrews and wines.
Explore mouthwatering plates like housemade burrata with currant glaze, toasted pine nuts, mushroom duxelles and grilled hearth bread; gently spiced chile braised pork shoulder atop creamy polenta and wilted greens with a dollop of homemade ricotta salata; and a vegan bowl that’s rich with sautéed greens, creamy beans, crisp seasonal veggies, and a spicy herbed broth.
16248 Main St., Guerneville, 707-869-0780, eatatboon.com.
At Boon Eat + Drink in Guerneville. (Boon Eat + Drink)At Boon Eat + Drink in Guerneville. (Boon Eat + Drink)
The Oxbow
It’s easy to overlook this small, nondescript, green-painted restaurant that looks like a cheerful shack on the side of the road. But the dinner and brunch menus tempt with tasty surprises, and it’s lovely to dine outside on the peaceful garden decks beneath the redwoods.
Mosey in for belly fillers such as a chile relleno fancied up with mushrooms, corn and squash; tender barbecue ribs partnered with spicy curdito, potato salad and beans or fries; big burgers of all kinds; and a terrific tri-tip cheesesteak topped with caramelized onions, beer cheese, peppers and aioli on a toasted soft roll. Lots of gluten free and vegan options, too.
After a three-year hiatus, the historic Russian River resort Dawn Ranch has reopened its luxe, cedar-topped cabins, along with its Cal-fresh restaurant, Agriculture Public House. Take in views of the towering redwoods (borrow some of the resort’s Swarovski Optics binoculars for bird watching, if you like), then dig into seasonal dishes and classic cocktails.
A few standout bites include mushroom enchiladas with braised cabbage and ancho chile sauce; grilled Mary’s organic chicken with yam medallions; cider roasted Brussels sprouts with pepita seeds; or a weekend-brunch-staple Monte Cristo with ham, turkey and Swiss cheese tucked in egg-dipped french toast and served with waffle fries.
This longtime jewel embraces Guerneville’s quirky vibe and fun, friendly community as a combined cocktail lounge, Italian restaurant, pizzeria and nightclub with a cabaret stage and piano bar. Live acoustic jazz, blues, folk and indie music is presented almost every night, too.
Start the party with oysters Rockefeller baked hot with spinach, garlic butter and Parmigiana, then move on to a smoked applewood wedge salad showered in blue cheese crumbles, slivered toasted almonds, sweet red onion and blue cheese dressing. Entrees are comfort food heaven; go for panko chicken parmesan over polenta; weekend special herb-crusted prime rib; a mountain of sausage-beef lasagna bubbling with cheese; or glorious spaghetti and meatballs crowned in Italian meat sauce.
The Guerneville Taco Truck. (Russian River Visitor Center)
Guerneville Taco Truck
A truck makes our “best” list. Really. It’s one that sends out such tasty food that you’ll wish you lived near its parking spot on downtown’s Main Street just above Johnson’s Beach.
This mobile kitchen has been a community favorite for three decades, and the Vazquez brothers continue to keep everyone well-fed with basic but well-crafted staples like carne asada tacos, lengua burritos gussied up with French fries, overstuffed quesadillas, and tortas plump with spiced, slow simmered chicken.
Challenge yourself: Do you want a large (regular and already hefty) burrito, or can you tackle the extra-large (gargantuan) burrito? Do note: prices on the website are not current and the truck is cash only.
Beef Tenderloin with sorrel pesto, grilled bok choy and Bearnaise at Table Culture Provisions’ 10-course tasting menu in Petaluma. (Table Culture Provisions)
Michelin ratings for California restaurants will be revealed Monday, Dec. 5, and my money is on newcomer Table Culture Provisions in Petaluma to win its first star.
Chefs and owners Stéphane Saint Louis and Steven Vargas have created a destination restaurant that recently attracted the attention of the San Francisco Chronicle, landing them on the coveted Top 25 Restaurants for Fall list. A recent visit and exploration of their 10-course tasting menu was even more impressive than my first visit in January.
Inside their minimalist 10-table restaurant, Saint Louis and Vargas have mastered the menu with familiar favorites like their fried Delicata Squash Rings with Truffle Caviar Dip; Mushroom Rilette Tartelette with Sunchoke Chips; and Scallop with Romanesco Cauliflower, Black Masa Crisp and Smoked Trout Roe. New-to-me dishes included a Bucatini with Nduja, Olive, Pepperonata and Macha Oil. Fluffy Parker House Rolls with Beef Bone Marrow Butter are another throwback dish, an amuse-bouche worth saving to sop up Bearnaise sauce spooned over grilled bok choy.
One of the best dishes of the menu is simply named Harvest; it’s a petite casserole with butternut squash, Crecenza Espuma cheese and tatsoi. Much of the produce comes from their garden at Asambrosa, a 63-acre farm and estate in Petaluma.
Harvest is the simple name of this petite casserole with butternut squash and Crecenza Espuma cheese at Table Culture Provisions in Petaluma. (Table Culture Provisions)
Saint Louis and Vargas gained notice after they invested their pandemic stimulus checks in Tesla and turned the investment into a $17,000 windfall that helped them launch their restaurant. During the pandemic, they operated out of a borrowed space in Petaluma, selling pantry items and serving fried chicken and waffle-style potato chips (called gaufrette if you’re fancy) with onion dip.
The $135 full tasting menu, launched about a month ago, includes an $85 wine pairing from Sommelier Roberto Espinoza with wines from lesser-known producers in Sicily and Alsace. Espinoza is an alumni of San Francisco’s pricey, upscale Benu and Quince restaurants.
We also discovered former Hana Japanese sake sommelier Danny Pitassy working at Table Culture Provisions, who dreamed up a sake-oyster shooter with quail egg and Sriracha that starts the night right.
Early seatings are quiet and relaxed if you’re willing to eat at 5:30 p.m. But evening tables with the warm glow of candles are also delightful. Grab a reservation soon, because we’re sure Table Culture Provisions is headed for its close-up. 312 Petaluma Blvd S., Petaluma, 707-559-5739; go to tcprovision.com for menu and reservations.
Dreaming of a relaxing winter getaway? Mydatingadviser.com, a web site that, as the name suggests, offers dating tips, just named a Napa Valley town among the “170 coziest small towns in America.” Two North Coast towns, a couple of hours drive from Sonoma County, also made the list.
“Drink hot chocolate, sit by a fireplace, read a book, enjoy warm meals, and curl up with someone special under a warm blanket,” in towns like Stockholm, Wisconsin (No. 1 on the list), Stowe, Vermont (No. 2), and Stanley, Idaho (No. 3), suggested mydatingadviser.com. (In order to determine the coziest small towns in the nation, the web site compared well-known U.S. small towns across three “key dimensions:” weather, food and activities.)
While snow-covered East Coast towns ranked the highest, 12 California towns made the list, with Carmel-by-the-Sea leading the Golden State pack. Click through the above gallery to see which nearby towns are among the coziest in America, with a few suggestions on things to do (courtesy of Sonoma Magazine staff). Find more serene winter escapes here: sonomamag.com/10-serene-winter-escapes-in-sonoma. Karen Misuraca and Dana Rebmann contributed to this article.
Bistro Ralph: A lot of folks took this one hard, lamenting the end of chicken paillard, shoestring fries and chicken livers from the historic Healdsburg spot owned by Ralph Tingle. Replaced by Brass Rabbit.
Restaurants are a reflection of the community. Part gathering spots, part arbiters of local tastes and part entertainment venues, they say a lot about who we are. With changing tastes and changing times, restaurants come and go, leaving behind memories for all who visited. In Sonoma County, some have sadly been lost to wildfires and, more recently, the pandemic.
Downtown Santa Rosa has been especially hard hit in the last few years amid parking problems, homelessness and the lack of downtown workers to support the businesses, among other issues. Between 2020 and 2022, closures included Bollywood, Mercato, Gerard’s Paella, Acre Coffee, Stout Brothers, Tex Wasabi’s and Bistro 29. (Warike Restobar, Kancha SR and L’Oro Di Napoli have opened recently in downtown Santa Rosa.)
Many restaurants that struggled through wildfires and the pandemic found that their troubles weren’t over in 2022. Difficulties with finding staff and exponentially rising food costs left some of our favorite restaurants throughout the county out of time and out of resources.
Click through the gallery above for a few of the restaurants we lost in 2022 and many others that we still remember fondly from years before. Did we miss one of your favorites? Share your memories in the comments.
Wine Country hotels are offering a plethora of activities to get visitors, holiday guests and locals into the festive spirit this holiday season. From snoozing in a tropical Santa suite to sipping holiday tea, merry making possibilities abound in Sonoma County.
Here’s what you need to know about the local hotel scene right now. Click through the above gallery for a peek at the properties.
Now the property is adding a new lodging option to the list. During December, guests can book a stay at Mrs. Claus’ island getaway. The festive suite will feature a Christmas tree and an assortment of holiday decor.
Guests at the h2hotel in Healdsburg can check into holiday rooms with a green theme this winter. The property is partnering with organic flower farm and full-service florist Dragonfly Floral to decorate suites with holiday plants.
“Dragonfly Floral has a wonderful selection of holiday plants that will add a festive layer of fun to a holiday stay at the property,” says Circe Sher, co-founder of Piazza Hospitality, owners of h2hotel.
The “Living Room” amenity is available through the month of December and can be added to any guest room category at h2hotel. The cost is $200 and includes one take-home plant and its container.
Get cozy with a complimentary Winter Warmer package at Wildhaven Sonoma. (Courtesy of Wildhaven Sonoma)
The heat is on — well, sort of
Two-night stays at Wildhaven Sonoma in December and January come with a complimentary dose of cozy. The Healdsburg glamping site’s Winter Warmer package includes firewood, a S’mores kit, a bottle of Sonoma County wine, a pair of stainless steel wine tumblers and an upgrade to the best tent available.
If you’re concerned about winter’s evening chill, rest assured the beds in all Wildhaven tent cabins have heated mattress pads.
Need a relaxing staycation during the holiday hustle?
Use the code LOCAL for a special rate (an overnight experience for $150, plus tax) at The Stavrand Russian River Valley on most Thursdays through February. To take advantage of this offer, you must live within 35 miles of the property (proof of address is required). Book your stay via the hotel website or by calling direct.
The Stavrand Russian River Valley, 13555 Highway 116, Guerneville, 707-869-9093, thestavrand.com
Jewelry made by Healdsburg artist Morgania Moore is available for purchase at Harmon Guest House through the holidays. (Courtesy Harmon Guest House)
Shop local
Harmon Guest House knows how to showcase local art in innovative ways, with sketches on stairwells and windows and art pieces throughout the property. For the holidays, the hotel is partnering with Healdsburg artist Morgania Moore of M.E.Moore Collection.
Inspired by the property’s eco-friendly architecture and design, Moore’s latest jewelry collection, “Native, Fall 2022 for Harmon Guest House,” is on display and available for purchase at the hotel through January. The jewelry collection features 90% reclaimed materials and Moore, who also is a video artist, will showcase some of her video projects at the hotel through February.
The halls at Hotel Healdsburg are decked with sparkling decor for its annual Holiday Afternoon Tea service. Offered Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 18, it will feature housemade pastries, dainty finger sandwiches and holiday fare from onsite restaurant Dry Creek Kitchen. Along with a variety of custom blend teas, sparkling wine and cocktails will be available.
MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa’s annual Twelve Nights of Marvel is back with a series of events throughout December, ranging from a Stollen cooking class to meetups with Santa and a menorah lighting ceremony. All events are open to the public.
MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa’s annual Twelve Nights of Marvel includes a wine tasting with Kivelstadt Cellars, cider tasting with Pomme Cider Shop, Christmas caroling and more. (Courtesy of MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa)One of the winners of the 2021 Gingerbread House Showcase & Competition at Hotel Petaluma. (Victoria Webb)
Sweet architectural stunners
Local builders and bakers of all ages can showcase their icing skills at the annual Gingerbread House Showcase & Competition at Hotel Petaluma Dec. 16-18. Awards will be given in more than a half dozen categories. Expect to see some candy-coated takes on Wine Country landmarks. Find more information about this event here and register to enter your gingerbread house here.
What’s more delicious than a pile of Guy Fieri’s Trash Can Nachos? His Trash Can Dessert Nachos! Online gourmet grocer Goldbelly has just clocked this sweet and sticky dessert from the Mayor of Flavortown as one of the top 50 gifts of the holiday season.
For $89.95, you can impress your friends and family with a pile of sweet, savory, drippy, creamy goodness, complete with a signature Guy Fieri “trash can” (otherwise known in culinary circles as a ring mold).
The DIY kit includes crispy cannoli chips, mini pretzels, chocolate toffee pieces, brownie pieces, whiskey dark chocolate sauce, whiskey salted caramel sauce, and mascarpone cream to hold it all together. There’s also a holiday version with red and green M&M’s and peppermint candy pieces. You do the stacking and presentation.
You can use your enclosed Trash Can for other personal food adventures, such as Trash Can Lasagna, Trash Can Meatloaf, Trash Can Trifle, or even Trash Can Seven Layer Dip. The possibilities are endless! You can also order Fieri’s pulled pork Trash Can Nachos with his signature Caliente Margaritas.
Still hungry? Check out some of Goldbelly’s other holiday desserts like Nancy Silverton’s Gelato Gift Box, Gray’s Papaya New York Hot Dog Kit, Vosges Haut-Chocolat Collection or Martha Stewart’s Strawberry Ombre Cake.
Tasting wines in the vineyards (pre pandemic) at Alexander Valley Vineyards in Healdsburg.
A getaway to Wine Country can add up quickly. But if you do your homework, you might just be surprised by some of the bargains available in Sonoma County. From free wine tastings and delicious cheap eats to chic-but-affordable hotel stays, here are a few of our favorite budget-friendly options. Click through the above gallery for all the details.
Heather Irwin and Linda Murphy contributed to this article.
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate, honor and learn about the cultures, traditions and contributions of Native Americans and Indigenous peoples. Sonoma County encompasses the territories of several Native American communities, including the Miwok, Wappo, Pomo, Wintun and Patwin tribes, and is rich with Native American history and culture. You’ll also find several Native-owned businesses here, which are great to visit any time of the year and especially when looking for beautiful, one-of-a-kind gifts. Click through the above gallery for a few items from Native American makers in Sonoma County.
