Along the coast, Dillon Beach houses perch at the edge of a cliff—as close to the Pacific as you will see in any enclave from San Diego to Vancouver. (John Beck/for Sonoma Magazine)
It was all open space once, a land untamed and unpastured. Animal trails leading to water and Kashia Pomo footpaths eventually gave way to dirt roads worn down by settlers from as far away as Spain and Russia. Later paved over, the byways were replaced by overpasses and interstates.
From an eagle’s view, it might have appeared the land was being carved apart.
As more people arrived in Sonoma County, the lines of demarcation between built and unbuilt spaces spread in a maze of patterns, as farms, subdivisions, parks, downtowns, forests, rivers, gravel mines, and warehouses, all butted up against one another.
Today, the idea of “living on the edge” is less metaphor than reality. From above, these borders appear like seams in a patchwork quilt of human impressions on the land. In southwest Sonoma, a flower pattern is sewn against a solid patch of green, coming to life in a mobile-home park arranged like daisies, each single unit a petal around a pistil-shaped court, a bouquet beside an open meadow.
Above Cloverdale. (John Beck/for Sonoma Magazine)
A fallow field next to an east Petaluma neighborhood lies charred black. Hay farmers live side by side with soccer moms, down the road from a water treatment plant and a hospital. On the eastern edge of Rohnert Park, new development stamps order upon a sea of wild green grass painted with wisps of seasonal pools. And along the coast, Dillon Beach houses perch at the edge of a cliff — as close to the Pacific as you will see in any enclave from San Diego to Vancouver.
These endless boundaries bind together urban, suburban, and rural landscapes, not unlike the lines that artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude played with in their “Running Fence” back in 1976. At night, they occupy the same liminal space evoked by Bruce Springsteen on the album “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” In the daylight, they become ribbons of unending possibility, like those a child might imagine while listening to Shel Silverstein’s “Where the Sidewalk Ends” for the first time.
Looking down from above, it makes you wonder what Sonoma County looked like 500 years ago or 100 years ago or even 10 years ago. Open space hardly means what it once did, before the fires. Then again, there were always fires. And it was all open space once.
Purple haze carrots with shaved red cabbage, crunchy rice, XO sauce at Little Saint in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
As chef de cuisine of the much-anticipated Little Saint cafe and restaurant in Healdsburg, Brian Oliver has spent the last seven months studying the subtleties of plant-based emulsifiers.
He’s been on a mission to make sure aquafaba (chickpea water) doesn’t taste like beans and has tackled the challenges of creating a satisfying buttercream without butter or cream. When building an entirely plant-based menu with a Michelin-starred restaurant’s exacting standards, sometimes it’s as much about chemistry as it is about cuisine.
“In the first few months, we were not trying to figure out a menu but exploring the world of plant-based foods,” Oliver said at the restaurant’s April 22 debut. “There was a lot of playing around.”
More than a food hall, the 10,000-square-foot building that once housed SHED Modern Grange has been transformed into multi-use art, music and performance space with a 72-seat restaurant, bar and market selling wine and produce. A collaboration between Kyle and Katina Connaughton of Healdsburg’s upscale Single Thread; designer Ken Fulk; philanthropist Jeff Ubben and his wife, animal activist Laurie Ubben; and program director Jenny Hess, Little Saint aims to forge a new vision for vegan dining and sustainable living.
Chef Bryan Oliver of Little Saint in downtown Healdsburg. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Chef Bryan Oliver’s Saintly Greens with red wine vinaigrette at Little Saint in downtown Healdsburg. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Not that Little Saint is all about over-constructed, needlessly precious dishes. Thirty acres of dedicated farmland in the Alexander Valley provide the still-warm-from-the-garden seasonal fruits and vegetables that form the menu’s foundation, and Oliver aims to create crave-able cuisine that just happens not to include animal protein.
Still, he said, having the narrow parameters of a meatless, dairy-free and egg-free menu has made for compelling work.
“It’s almost freeing, in a lot of ways, to have limitations when you cook. You kind of stay in certain lanes,” he said.
Though the Little Saint team is still getting its bearings, a year of delays afforded the staff extra time for research and development. The purposefully cozy vibe and professionalism have been evident from the start.
Farm to your plate
You won’t find a fresh tomato on the menu at Little Saint until tomatoes are in season in Sonoma County. Here, the menu is driven by exactly what’s happening on the Connaughton’s 24-acre Single Thread Farm and the nearby Little Saint Farm.
Eschewing animal proteins was a natural evolution, according to Kyle Connaughton.
The couple’s steadfast commitment to micro-seasonality — using ingredients only at their moments of peak perfection— has brought international acclaim and three Michelin stars to Single Thread just five years after it opened. Little Saint delivers that same farm-to-table ethos at a fraction of the prices, with dishes from $5 hummus or lavash to $39 cauliflower biryani for two, with a middle $14 to $24 range for many dishes.
“The menu reflects this moment in the season, showcasing what’s here in Sonoma County today,” Kyle Connaughton said.
That also means preserving, pickling and drying ingredients for later use and a “closed loop” that encourages as little waste as possible.
For instance, Executive Bar Director Matthew Seigel’s Little Saint bar program uses the cooking water from beets and purple carrots to add color and an earthy bass note to cocktails. Chickpea water becomes foam. Working with Oliver, he tries to find uses for nearly everything coming into or out of the kitchen.
Cocktail from Little Saint in Healdsburg. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)Cocktail from Little Saint in Healdsburg. (Chad Surmick/The Press Democrat)
Drinks like the Frances Fizz combine pisco and Aperol, purple carrots and a sprinkle of dehydrated beet powder, sumac and salt. It’s dangerously delicious.
The pastry program, overseen by Single Thread’s pastry chef Baruch Ellsworth, is especially challenging without butter, eggs or milk. He uses vegan butter, nut and grain milk and egg replacements like flax.
“I wouldn’t take this opportunity unless I was willing to fail,” Ellsworth said. “The difficult part is getting the consistency regular and figuring out why. Making one batch isn’t the same as making 25 times the amount for retail. Sometimes the easiest things are the hardest.”
Keep in mind that dishes frequently change, even daily, but whatever’s on the menu will impress.
Best Bets
A grab-and-go “Larder” selection is available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It includes dips, prepared salads (beet salad with coconut yogurt, potato salad with soy milk aioli, farro with fresh asparagus), green salads, beverages and desserts. Bread from Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey of Quail and Condor are also available. It’s a good toe-dip into the flavors of Little Saint.
Soft Lavash ($5) with Shichimi Togarashi ($5), Quail and Condor Seeded Levain ($5) with Red Lentil Hummus, Pumpkin Seed Dip and Cultured Cashew Spread (all three dips for $14): The chorus of flavors work so harmoniously. Rip up the pocketed bread showered with dukkha-mimicking togarashi (chile, seaweed, sesame seed, orange peel) to dip in red lentil hummus with chile oil. Pumpkin seed dip has an earthier, nuttier flavor. We’re most fond of the cultured cashew spread, a creamy and tart cream-cheese like dip.
Cultured cashew spread, pumpkin seed dip, red lentil hummus with soft lavash at Little Saint in Healdsburg. (Heather Irwin/The Press Democrat)
Saintly Greens ($12): This is what every salad dreams of being — today’s mix of sunny field greens, herbs and lettuces, plus perhaps a slice of radish or carrot. An impossibly simple red wine vinaigrette dresses this natural beauty without overpowering it.
Roasted Beets ($15): This one is worth trying even if you hate beets. Pickled golden beets are tossed with fresh mandarins, pistachio and mint. Every bite is slightly different, but the zing of citrus and mint elevates the stalwart root veggies.
Purple Haze Carrots ($16): These deep purple carrots are cooked to just-tender, adding sweetness without falling apart. Crispy black rice looks a bit like dirt, a playful foil to the ground-dwelling vegetable, but adds a subtle crunch. A vegan version of XO sauce (a garlicky, smoky condiment usually made with dried fish and scallops) on top adds umami without the seafood.
Cauliflower Biryani for two ($39): Basmati rice, curried cauliflower and pickled golden raisins are finished in a wood-fired oven and topped with crispy onions and dried rose petals. Easily enough for three (or four), it’s a hearty Indian-inspired rice dish that lets the aromatic spices of cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper and nutmeg do all the talking. Sweet pickled kohlrabi and citrus hot sauce ramp up the flavors even more.
Rhubarb and Strawberry Tart ($14): You can’t go wrong with the seasonal fruit dessert. Sweet strawberry sauce is topped with crisp, acidic rhubarb for a light end to the meal.
Little Saint: The coffee and pastry bar is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. The grab-and-go cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Table service at the restaurant is from 6 to 9:30 p.m.; reservations are highly recommended as there is limited first-come, first-served seating. No reservations are needed for the bar. 25 North St., Healdsburg, littlesainthealdsburg.com.
It would take at least a week to explore all the charms and outdoor activities Sonoma’s coastline has to offer. But a one-day, wine-friendly trip to the seaport town of Bodega Bay can be a great introduction.
Bodega Bay is just 23 miles west of Santa Rosa, via Highway 12, Bodega Highway and Highway 1. In a straight-through drive, the landscape changes from downtowns and housing developments in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, to vineyard-studded hillsides and the last vestiges of Gravenstein apple orchards, to oak, fir and redwood forests, to the rocky Pacific Ocean and its pockets and spits of sandy beach. Yet a few stops along the route deliver a more leisurely and delicious way to Bodega Bay.
This itinerary isn’t for golfers, surfers, hikers or bicyclists, but rather for wine lovers craving a relaxing, don’t-break-a-sweat day. The overlapping Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley winegrowing regions near Bodega Bay are widely known for vibrant chardonnays, rosés, pinot noirs, syrahs and sparkling wines, all of which thrive in vineyards exposed to the cooling winds and fog from the Pacific Ocean. Fasten your seat belts, sip and spit, and rehydrate often with water for a safe journey.
Morning
Depart Santa Rosa, driving west on Highway 12 through Sebastopol. Continue west on 12, which turns into Bodega Highway. In approximately 6 miles from Sebastopol, near the intersection of Bodega and Bohemian highways, you’ll find Freestone Artisan Cheese, where owner Omar Mueller and his team offer goodies for the perfect picnic basket.
While waiting for coffee and a hot crepe (sweet or savory) or gluten-free buckwheat galette, shop from the small but carefully chosen selection of local cheeses, charcuterie, oils, vinegars, nuts, jams, crackers and other condiments. Mueller’s house wines include a vineyard-designated chardonnay from nearby Freeman Vineyards and a blanc de blancs bubbly made by Norm Yost of Flying Goat Cellars. Open Friday-Monday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
From Freestone Artisan Cheese, drive northwest on Freestone Road and merge onto Bohemian Highway. In 3.2 miles, turn right onto First Street, then take a quick left onto Occidental’s charmingly rustic Main Street. There, you’ll find Bohème Wines Cellar Door, where owner and winemaker Kurt Beitler pours his wines, for no-appointment-needed walk-ins.
Beitler focuses on small-production pinot noirs and chardonnays, vineyard-designated and of excellent quality. Bohème largely flies under the radar, although it’s surprising that this is the case, given the charm and finesse of Beitler’s coastal-influenced wines. Those looking to discover a brand to tell others about visit Beitler’s tasting room, open noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday ; and noon-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Or call to schedule a private tasting and vineyard tour, a fine way to fill a mid-morning before hitting the coast.
Reverse course and drive south on Bohemian Highway, then turn right onto Bodega Highway/Highway 1 for the cruise into the village of Bodega Bay. Take a left on Doran Beach Road and you’ll find Doran Regional Park; it covers 127 acres on the spit separating Bodega Harbor and Bodega Bay and its beach is ideal for picnicking, walking, sticking toes into the frigid water and surfer-watching. Or go fly a kite. The entrance closes when day-use parking ($7) is full.
Barbara and John Drady founded Sonoma Coast Vineyards in 2001, with winemaker Anthony Austin specializing in pinot noir from, you guessed it, the Sonoma Coast region. They eventually sold the brand to Vintage Wine Estates, which has expanded the range of wines to include chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, red blends and bubbles, and maintained the “SCV” tasting room in Bodega Bay. Wines by the glass start at $10 and the wine flight is $25 (reservations required). A grab-and-go artisan cheese and charcuterie box, which serves two, is available for $35. Open daily from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
For those who don’t gorge themselves on Freestone Artisan Cheese picnic fare or cheese and salumi from Sonoma Coast Vineyards, there is The Birds Cafe. The comfy patio and porch areas of Melissa Freeman’s casual eatery overlook Bodega Bay and the menu includes fish tacos, oysters, clam chowder, fish and chips, chicken tenders and other items that are as good as any served in Bodega Bay. The fish tacos and artichoke fritters are standouts; vegetarians will be happy with the artichoke tacos. The wine list is small yet smart, with La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rosé; Ferrari-Carano Sonoma County Fume Blanc; and a syrah-carignane blend from Sonoma Coast Vineyards. Photos from “The Birds” filming in 1963 are on the walls; Freeman’s parents were extras in the movie. Open daily, 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
For a more upscale meal, visit Terrapin Creek Cafe. Open 4:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday-Monday the restaurant of Liya Lin and Andrew Truong offers a menu that typically includes pan-roasted Hokkaido scallops with sweet potato and ginger purée; poached halibut with baby bok choy; braised lamb shank; and beef ribeye with potato puree, sautéed broccolini and trumpet mushrooms. Local sourcing of ingredients is a signature of Terrapin Creek.
The Region wine bar in The Barlow in Sebastopol is open from 1-8 p.m. daily, with options for ordering food from Barlow center eateries. For those who haven’t had enough wine tasting, stop at this new venue with push-button pours of wines from approximately 25 Sonoma producers, most of them small and with otherwise hard-to-find bottles.
Bacon Cheeseburger, Machado Burgers: Is this bacon cheeseburger the most perfect burger in Sonoma County? Quite possibly. Don’t miss the Piggy Tots, tater tots topped with homemade chili, pulled pork, cheese, onions and jalapeños and mustard sauce. 406 Larkfield Center, Santa Rosa, 707-546-6835, machadoburgers.com (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Is Machado’s bacon cheeseburger the most perfect burger in Sonoma County? Quite possibly.
This Larkfield walk-up counter offers jaw-busting creations that check all of our “perfect burger” boxes. Chewy (but not too soft) Franco American buns easily hold up to a meaty grilled beef patty, oozing cheese, piles of shredded lettuce (please stop putting entire leaves on burgers, people!), salty pickles, onions, tomato and a tangy housemade mustard sauce that’s just right.
The former Big Boys Buns and Burgers also has Piggy Tots on the menu, which are tater tots topped with homemade chili, pulled pork, cheese, onions, jalapeños and mustard sauce. We’re in hog heaven.
Tater tots, onion rings, and drinks from Sonic fast food chain. (Wild As Light / Shutterstock.com)
Since 2019, Sonoma County has waited patiently for a Sonic Drive-In to arrive in Santa Rosa. This Oklahoma-based chain is an American classic, hawking burgers, hot dogs, popcorn chicken, onion rings, grilled cheese, tater tots, jalapeño poppers and anything else your doctor would strongly advise against.
Not surprisingly, when it opened on April 7, lines snaked out of the parking lot, causing traffic snarls along Santa Rosa Avenue. That enthusiasm has continued steadily as eager newcomers pull into one of the six drive-in spaces or drive-thru lines. With an average wait of about 25 minutes, eating here is a commitment, however (though it can be significantly faster at off hours).
So is it worth it? Yes and no. While pickle fries and Coney Island dogs are fun, Sonic is all about the drinks.
Depending on how you do the math, there are up to 1.5 million drink combinations on the Sonic menu. It’s a mind-bending mixture of fountain drinks, slushes, milkshakes, juices and flavorings coupled with candy and fruit add-ins that have given rise to “secret drink menu” blog posts raving about the Sonic Sunrise (cherry limeade with orange juice), the Pink Lady (Sprite with cherry juice and vanilla cream) or the Dr Pepper Orgasm (Dr Pepper, lemonade and Powerade).
The top seller is Cherry Limeade slush, though Ocean Water comes in at a close second (a very blue, very coconut-y, fizzy citrus drink that’s as much ice as drink). Fans rave about Sonic’s proprietary “nugget” ice — a soft pellet that retains its chill and begs to be chewed loudly.
The food is another story. It’s not that great. Though the burgers are enormous, they’re just OK, without any redeeming qualities. The tots are also acceptable, as are the corn dogs. The onion rings taste like they’ve been fried in doughnut batter, with an oddly sweet quality. Rumor has it (there has been no confirmation from Sonic) that the secret ingredient in the cornmeal onion ring batter is vanilla ice cream.
Even the Sonic Signature Sauce falls flat, tasting like a bad knockoff of Chick-fil-A’s smoky-sweet mustard sauce.
So go for some chili-cheese tots, maybe a breakfast burrito or some mozzarella sticks, and stay for the nearly infinite possible drink combinations like a cake batter milkshake, sweet tea with orange and cream, a Red Bull strawberry apricot slush, a cranberry limeade with Nerds candy or a chocolate chip cookie dough milkshake. Sonic’s daily happy hour is from 2 to 4 p.m., when all drinks and slushes are half off.
Sonic Drive-In, 2245 Santa Rosa Ave., open 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for takeout or drive-up only. sonicdrivein.com
Cheese board from Kancha, opening soon in downtown Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Kancha)
A new tapas restaurant and bar, Kancha, is slated to open in May at the former Fourth Street Social location in downtown Santa Rosa.
Restaurant veteran and owner Angel Cayllahua (Roka Akor, La Mar SF) has taken over the lounge-y space that launched as The Jade Room in 2019 but has struggled to find consistent clientele after fires, the pandemic and ongoing downtown malaise.
Now that diners (and drinkers) are heading out again in droves, Cayllahua plans an extensive selection of Champagne and other bubbly drinks from around the world, along with wine and beer to pair with Peruvian and Japanese small bites meant for sharing. Fresh oysters, seared scallops with passion fruit leche de tigre, crab cakes, ceviches, lomo saltado empanadas, octopus causa, charcuterie platters and a “very adult mac and cheese” with huancaina (a mild yellow chile and cheese sauce) are on the opening menu. Stay tuned for more opening details.
This article was originally published in the March/April 2020 issue of Sonoma Magazine.
Justin Koenig and Jennifer Potts live with their two young sons in a home smaller than many kitchens. If that sounds cramped, it isn’t until you step inside the 320-square-foot house at Glen Ellen’s Bouverie Preserve that you truly appreciate just how tight it really is. With just a few steps, a visitor has completed the tour of the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and single closet. On either end of the tiny home are bedroom lofts — one for Kai, 6, and Toby, 9, the other for their parents.
The couple, who have been together since high school, have to be careful not to bang their heads on the ceiling when they get out of bed. Their morning routine in the kitchen is more like a dance. “There’s definitely a choreography we’re figuring out,” says Justin, a physical therapist. “I see her going for the milk, so I step over here to the toaster. You are definitely more aware of each other’s space.”
Justin Koenig, Jennifer Potts and their two children, Kai, 6, and Toby, 9. (Rebecca Gosselin)
During storms, wind causes the entire house to sway. “It’s like living on a boat, basically,” says Jennifer. She is a wildlife and fire ecologist for Audubon Canyon Ranch, which owns the 535-acre preserve. Her job is the reason why the couple are afforded the rare opportunity of raising their boys in such a world-class setting. But as a concession to the preserve’s mission and in exchange for living rentfree on the site, the couple must maintain a small footprint on the landscape.
Tiny home kitchen. (Rebecca Gosselin)
What their tiny home lacks in space, however, is more than made up for by its hillside setting. From their deck, the family enjoys an amazing view of Sonoma Valley Regional Park and Sonoma Mountain. The surrounding preserve offers limitless opportunities for the boys to explore and play. On a sun-dappled Saturday morning, Kai races an electric scooter he got for Christmas up and down the tree-lined road leading to the house, without concern for other vehicles. “That’s a pretty sweet backyard,” Jennifer says.
Toby and Kai spend most of their days outside. (Rebecca Gosselin)
On spring and summer days, she delivers lunch to the boys in their tree fort via a bucket and rope-and-pulley system attached to the house. The family scours creeks for invasive crayfish, which they freeze and give to Audubon Canyon staff to feed to otters. Or they go swimming in a large pool at the former home of David Bouverie, the late London architect whose name graces the property. Frequent visitors include red-tailed hawks, deer, bobcats, and an occasional mountain lion. “They may not have city smarts. But they know how to identify birds,” Jennifer says of her boys. At night, the family soaks in a hot tub on the deck beneath a universe of stars.
Justin built stairs that double as storage for easier access and better use of space. (Rebecca Gosselin)Looking across to the boy’s bedroom loft. (Rebecca Gosselin)
Still, family closeness can at times feel claustrophobic. The family resorts to placing a Rubbermaid storage bin in the shower so their younger son can indulge his preference for taking a bath. And it’s so loud at times that Justin retreats to his Chevrolet Volt to make work calls and answer emails. In a nod to his mental health, he schedules an hour of alone time every Tuesday night in the bedroom loft, where he dons headphones and watches shows on his cellphone. Jennifer, who seems more comfortable with chaos, says she’d be fine living in a cave, without any amenities other than her cappuccino maker.
The couple concede their lifestyle is not for everyone. But they consider themselves fortunate, two years after their former residence at Bouverie Preserve was destroyed in the 2017 Nuns fire. The night the October inferno erupted, the family drove away from the preserve, sensing no imminent danger from a blaze that, at the time, appeared to be burning far in the distance. Jennifer returned the following morning to retrieve more of the family’s belongings. Instead, she drove up the hill just in time to watch their home catch fire and burn to the ground. Shocking? Yes. But she also acknowledges feeling relatively comforted by the spectacle, which she captured on video. “You think of all the people who didn’t know [whether their home was lost] for two weeks, and I watched it go down,” she says.
Jennifer and Justin in their living room. (Rebecca Gosselin)
The couple saved some of their most meaningful possessions, including love letters and cards they gave to one another when they were dating. But they had to replace most everything else. They say the process of downsizing their lives — what they refer to as “decluttering” — has been cathartic, even freeing. “It was awesome, because you got to start from scratch,” Justin says. “Everything we acquired was necessary.”
The couple’s greatest sense of loss in the aftermath of the fire was over no longer having access to the preserve and space for their boys to grow in nature. Knowing they faced steep odds to rebuild any structures on the protected acreage of the preserve, Jennifer approached her employer with an idea to put a tiny home on the site. Justin spent hours researching options online. And then one day, the couple were watching an episode of “Tiny House Nation” when they were drawn to a home featured on the program, which turned out to be for sale. Audubon Canyon Ranch purchased the house for $55,000 and the family had it shipped to California.
Jennifer was at the preserve on the summer day in August 2018 when the cozy abode arrived on a trailer pulled by a pickup. “It was so cool. It came up the road,” she recalls. “There’s our home.”
Let us know your favorite BBQ spots in Sonoma County. (Shutterstock)
Do you love BBQ?
For a summer magazine story, we’re looking for YOUR favorite Sonoma County BBQ ideas. Please send the names of your top BBQ restaurants, pop-ups and food trucks to bbq@sonomamag.com by Wednesday, May 4. Suggestions should be located within Sonoma County and should be places where the public can go to eat (ie, not your friend’s house, even if his ‘cue is the best you’ve ever tasted!).
Healdsburg-based Costeaux Bakery will open a satellite cafe in the Hotel Petaluma this summer. The new location, which has walk-up counter service only, will sell coffee, bread, pastries, lunch and desserts.
“The loaf is out of the oven,” said owner Will Seppi in a social media post announcing the opening. The menu will include dishes like their Deep Dish Quiche, croissant breakfast sandwiches, salads, lemon tarts, French macarons and sourdough baguettes. The cafe will be open daily at 205 Kentucky St.
Founded in 1923, Costeaux is one of the oldest bakeries in the county, with locations in Healdsburg and at the Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, plus their traditional Latino bakery in Roseland, Tia Maria.
In addition to its five-star rating of the Montage Resort, Forbes also highlighted the Montage Spa and the resort’s restaurant Hazel Hill with their very own four-star ratings. (Christian Horan Photography)
Any day is a good day to show your mom some extra appreciation. This Mother’s Day, May 8, treat her to a sunny gourmet brunch at a nice restaurant or scenic winery.
All the listed brunches are on Sunday, May 8, unless otherwise noted. Reservations required for most places. Click through the above gallery for a peek at the venues.
Bacchus Landing
A Mother’s Day brunch and wine pairing on the piazza of a seasonal fruit salad with a strawberry-basil syrup, avocado toast on local artisan bread, chicken and waffles with brown honey butter and bread pudding with a raspberry cremeux, plus bottomless glasses of wine. Brunch seatings at 10 a.m. and noon. Tickets are $125 per person. Reserve on Tock.
Brunch on the patio accompanied by live local music. There will be quiche, salad, croissants and sparkling wine to toast to mothers. Tickets are $22 to $34 per person and there are multiple seating times from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Reserve on Tock.
Bubbles from Breathless Wines in Healdsburg. (Courtesy of Breathless Wines)
Comstock Wines
Comstock Wines will bring back its annual Mother’s Day brunch with a special feast paired with a wine flight. Seatings available at 3 p.m. (11 a.m. and 1 p.m. seatings are sold out.) Tickets are $85 per person or $75 for club members. Reserve on Tock.
Hazel Hill at Montage Healdsburg will host a two-course prix fixe Mother’s Day brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in addition to a three-course prix fixe Mother’s Day dinner. The brunch is $95 per person and will include seasonal entrees, desserts and drinks; menu details will be announced at montagehotels.com/healdsburg/upcoming-events. For reservations, call 707-354-6900 or book online on OpenTable.
A buffet-style Mother’s Day brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ballroom. The brunch will include an assortment of savory entrees, sweets and sides, such as quiche, salad, French toast, roasted tri-tip, a bagel brunch board, fruit tarts and mini pastries. Tickets are $65 for adults and $35 for kids 12 and under. Reserve on Tock.
A special brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with an assortment of seasonal dishes. The brunch menu includes oysters, French onion soup, ricotta and salmon crepes, eggs Benedict, strawberry challah French toast, spring vegetable frittata, duck confit hash, country fried angus steak and pan-roasted sea bass. See the full menu with prices here. Reserve on OpenTable.
A Mother’s Day brunch from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. featuring bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys. The brunch menu includes beignets, fresh fruit and other breakfast sides for the table, plus your choice of French toast, eggs Benedict, California omelet or spring asparagus salad with smoked salmon for the entree. The brunch is $42 per adult and $18 per child 12 and under, and bottomless drinks are $22 per person. To make a reservation, call 707-843-5143 or email RickysEastbound@gmail.com.
The Epicenter’s sports bar and restaurant Victory House will celebrate Mother’s Day with a brunch starting at 10 a.m. and comedy show (for ages 18 and up) starting at 11 a.m. The brunch will include breakfast burritos, eggs Benedict, buttermilk pancakes, grilled flank steak, orange-marinated pork tenderloin, apple pie parfait and chocolate cake. San Jose comedian Jeanette Marin with headliner Dennis Gaxiola will perform. The comedy show is $50 per person. Purchase tickets on Victory House’s website.
Unwind this Mother’s Day with yoga, tea and pizza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A morning yoga class in the vineyard ($40 per guest, $32 per wine club member) will start at 10 a.m. and includes a glass of sparkling rosé. The tea service ($60 per guest, $48 per club member and $15 for kids) will be held at multiple times from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and includes scones, tea sandwiches and sweets, with additional wines and pizzas available to buy. There will be kids’ activities, such as outdoor games and Mother’s Day card-making at the craft table. Reserve the tea service or yoga experience on Tock.
Beignets with spiced sugar and meyer lemon sauce from Tips Roadside in Kenwood. (photo by John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
TIPS Roadside
A family-style Mother’s Day brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The all-you-can-eat brunch will include cornbread with honey butter, vegetable quiche, shrimp and grits, fried chicken and sides of housemade breakfast sausage, applewood-smoked bacon, root vegetable hash, red-eyed gravy and beignets for dessert. There will be bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys for an extra $19. The meal is $55 for adults, $20 for children 12 and under and free for kids 6 and under. Reservations are required; reserve a table on Tock.
Mother’s Day brunch from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A la carte brunch menu includes seasonal fare and brunch favorites such as brioche French toast, huevos rancheros, steak and eggs, Shanghai chicken salad, Dungeness crab melt, sumac-crusted snapper, lamb burger and cauliflower gnocchi. Book a table on Salt and Stone’s website via Resy.
Mother’s Day brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. complete with a la carte entrees, crepe station and dessert buffet. The brunch menu includes a seafood platter to share, Dungeness crab Benedict, grilled lamb rack, pastrami-smoked salmon, various fruit crepes, strawberry cheesecake and chamomile panna cotta. The kids menu includes buttermilk pancakes, brioche French toast, macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders, a kids burger with fries and access to the crepe station and dessert buffet. $110 per adult and $39 per child. Reservations required. Call 707-939-2415 to reserve a table.
Three-course prix fixe Mother’s Day brunch served from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. includes brunch classics and fresh seasonal dishes such as roasted Pacific oysters, rigatoni arrabbiata with lobster, eggs Benedict, king salmon, creme brûlée French toast, charcoal-grilled lamb chops, wild mushroom pizza and Basque-style cheesecake. The brunch is $89 per person. See the full food and drink menu and make a reservation here.
Mother’s Day celebration at Murphy’s with a special menu of Irish and seasonal dishes in addition to the regular menu. The Mother’s Day brunch menu will include a breakfast shepherd’s pie with poached eggs, smoked salmon omelet, ahi tuna Nicoise salad and chicken and waffles with Irish bangers. Reservations recommended for groups of six or more.
464 First St. East, Sonoma, 707-935-0660, sonomapub.com
Roche Winery & Vineyards
Roche Winery’s annual Mother’s Day Brunch in the Vineyard with seatings at 10 a.m. and noon will include a breakfast tower of bagels, rye toasts and baguettes with homemade jam and cream cheese, yogurt and granola parfaits, baked goods, spinach frittata, flat-iron steak and sweet potato hash. $85 per person, $65 for wine club members, $15 for children and free for kids 3 and younger. The last day to buy tickets is May 3. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Mother’s Day picnic brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Viansa Winery’s scenic lawn with live music by Bay Area singer Lara Louise. A $125 ticket includes a spot on the lawn for up to six people, a bottle of wine with Govino wine glasses and a charcuterie spread of cheeses, baguettes, fruit and Italian desserts. Additional food and wine will be available to buy from the marketplace and the woodfired pizza oven. Wine club members get a 20% discount on tickets. Purchase a ticket on Tock.
25200 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, 800-995-4740, viansa.com
Picnic at Viansa Winery in Sonoma. (Courtesy of Viansa Winery)
Enriquez Estate Wines
As part of its Brunch in the Vineyard series, Enriquez Estate Wines will partner with SoCo Paella to host a Mother’s Day brunch with live music by Bay Area singer John Vicino. The brunch will include salmon cake with lemon aioli; “adult grilled cheese” with brie, figs and caramelized onions; chocolate chip cookies; and award-winning wines. The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and tickets are $60 per person. Reserve a seat on Tock.
Mother’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with local musical duo Mac & Potter, who will perform oldies and Americana music from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. No cover charge.
Rocker Oysterfeller’s 16th annual Mother’s Day Brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. will have a two-course brunch menu plus oysters and brunch drinks such as mimosas, Irish coffee, Bloody Marys and Ramos gin fizzes. A menu for children 10 and under will also be available. Reservations are required for groups of six or more, and groups of five or fewer will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. To make a reservation for a party of six or more, email info@ffrsi.com.
Coast Kitchen at Timber Cove Resort will serve a buffet-style Mother’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with dishes such as waffles, fried chicken and eggs Benedict. There will also be an omelet station and fresh fruit and pastries for dessert. To reserve a table, call or 707-847-3231.
Indulge your mom’s sweet tooth this Mother’s Day with a special treat from one of these Sonoma County bakeries.
Costeaux French Bakery
Costeaux will be open Mother’s Day for its regular Sunday brunch, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The bakery is also offering a special “For Mom with Love” care package, which includes chocolate biscotti, cinnamon walnut bread, a dozen French macaroons and two handmade “mom” shortbread cookies. Order by Thursday, April 28, for the package to arrive in time for Mother’s Day.
BFF Collaborations is selling Mother’s Day mugs with either a cookie bouquet or chocolate-covered strawberries. Last day for Mother’s Day orders is April 27.
Frosty’z Bakery has a special Mother’s Day cookie set available for pre-order. Pre-order early and pick-up on Saturday, May 7, between noon to 1 p.m. at Homespun Market in Rohnert Park.
