Locally made craft beer and seasonal cuisine are already a perfect match. Throw in some live (mostly free) music, and you’re in store for a great night out.
From brewpubs and beer gardens to roadside diners and farmers markets, check out our list of over a dozen places in Sonoma County to eat local cuisine while listening to live music. Click through the above gallery for details.
I caught up with The Madrona’s new executive chef recently as he finished his first month at the revamped space. Chef Patrick Tafoya took over the kitchen of the venerated restaurant after chef Jesse Mallgren jumped to Jordan Winery in May as their new executive chef.
Tafoya has a diverse resume, having worked at the coastal Duck Club (now called Drake’s) and owning his restaurant, P/30 (closed in 2011). After the 2017 wildfires, he and his family spent several years living in Kansas City, where he headed the dining program at a local casino serving 1,000 people a night. Most recently, he was executive estate chef at Round Pound Estate in Rutherford.
As The Madrona’s new kitchen boss, he’s got big shoes to fill.
“Jesse has a reputation as one of the most celebrated chefs. You can’t walk into this building and not see what he did here,” Tafoya said. The restaurant gained a Michelin star in 2008 and held the honor for over a decade.
But Tafoya isn’t driving at those kinds of kudos.
“There’s a lot of pressure in that,” he said.
“My goal is to make the food approachable, comfortable and like someone’s home. We want people to feel comfortable from the moment they enter,” he said. That means leaning heavily on the estate’s sizable culinary garden for the 21 meal services (brunch, lunch and dinner) each week. For example, the team has planted 20 varieties of tomatoes on the property, and Tafoya is excited about showcasing them on the menu this summer.
The current dinner menu mixes some of Mallgren’s classic dishes and new items from Tafoya. Caviar and Onion Dip, warm bread with chicken schmaltz, Dayboat Scallops Crudo, Chicken Paillard, Dry-Aged Liberty Farm Duck and the Madrona Burger have remained. Tafoya has added an Estate Crudite with herbed creme fraiche, a Little Gem Salad, Grilled Local Peach with burrata and prosciutto and Corned “Beet” Tartare.
“My ideals and goals fit really well with the new ethos of The Madrona,” he said. “I am committed to curating a dining experience that encapsulates the distinctive style and spirit of The Madrona, honoring its illustrious past while offering our guests a diverse range of approachable dishes.”
The restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner. 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707-395-6700, themadronahotel.com.
Summer is officially here. Sonoma County hotels are celebrating the arrival of the sunny season with a series of events and new experiences. From a special dinner on the coast to the reopening of a historic Russian River resort, here’s what to look forward to during a Wine Country stay this summer. Click through the above gallery for details.
A modern, cedar-clad cabin makes for a beautiful forest retreat in western Sonoma County. The spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 177 Mohrhardt Ridge Road is situated among the redwoods by Austin Creek in Cazadero, just a few miles from Guerneville. It is listed for $1,658,000.
The home, which was designed by Marks & Marks in Piedmont, has forest views on all sides via ample oversized windows and doors framed in clear-coated red cedar. Vaulted and beautifully trussed ceilings create a sense of spaciousness and drama indoors, while fir siding adds a woodsy warmth.
The home makes good use of space with a loft that can function as an office or exercise room —that is, if you don’t prefer to move your workout or yoga practice outdoors to the expansive elevated deck. The kitchen has granite countertops, a hand carved stainless steel hood and custom cabinetry.
Exterior cedar siding and modern clean lines make the home blend into the natural setting. A short walk down the one-acre property’s steps leads to the creek and a waterfall.
Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the home.
For more information about this property at 177 Mohrhardt Ridge Road, contact listing agents Sudha Schlesinger , 707-889-7778 and Stewart Moore, 707-583-4196, Engel and Völkers Sonoma County, 328 Healdsburg Ave., Suite B, Healdsburg, 707 477-3982, sudhaschlesinger.com
To buy a home in Sonoma County’s Sea Ranch is to purchase a piece of design history.
The coastal community, with its modernist wooden homes, was conceived in the early 1960s by a group of architecture faculty at UC Berkley, including the late Lawrence Halprin whose Sea Ranch estate sold in 2021. The goal was to design dwellings that did not detract from the natural landscape or obstruct ocean views. Typical features of suburbia and non-native plants were banned: no lawns, no palm trees and no fences were allowed.
Now, one of those iconic dwellings has hit the market: a 2,251-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1972 by Richard H. Perkins is currently listed for $1,395,000.
The home at 349 Conifer Close Road sits on 0.67 acres and aligns with the visionary Sea Ranch developers’ guiding ethos of “living lightly on the land.” The modern retreat features midcentury design details, an open great room, renovated ensuite bedrooms with heritage heart redwood paneling, and sweeping panoramic views. A staircase with a bright yellow handrail (a nod to Sea Ranch founding architect Donlyn Lyndon) leads to a downstairs seating area.
The remodeled kitchen has a backsplash with locally made tiles from Heath Ceramics in different shades of avocado green. It opens toward the dining and living areas, with modern Herman Miller lamps and a wood burning stove with a tile surround in a geometric pattern.
Click through the above gallery for a peek inside the home.
For more information about this home at 349 Conifer Close Road, contact listing agent Marianne Harder, 707 328-4434, or Hanne M. Liisberg, 707-785-3322, Liisberg & Company, Verdant View, PO Box 280 The Sea Ranch, 707-888-4337, liisbergandcompany.com
It’s always a good time to visit Napa Valley. But warm summer days allow us to spend more time outdoors and linger longer at local wineries, restaurants and bars. Chilled wine pairs perfectly with sunny days and buzz is already building around the upcoming harvest. From après-pickleball with bubbles and bites to a Secret Garden afternoon tea, Napa Valley has a plethora of new experiences waiting for you this summer. Click through the above gallery for details.
Dreaming of a coastal getaway? Check into these gorgeous hotels along Highway 1 in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties. Take a walk on the beach, go surfing, eat oysters or just relax with a tasty glass of wine and someone special by your side. Click through the gallery above for eight favorite places to stay on the coast.
Sofia Englund, Maci Martell and Sarah Stierch contributed to this article.
SingleThread has done it again.
For the third consecutive year, the Healdsburg restaurant has cracked the prestigious “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, a curated collection of outstanding global dining experiences.
Sonoma County’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant fell from No. 50 to No. 69 in 2023, landing it on the extended 51-100 list rather than the Top 50 after peaking at No. 37 in 2021.
SingleThread also won in 2019. The awards were canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual list of the world’s finest restaurants, published since 2002, is a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences and a barometer for global gastronomic trends, according to organizers.
A panel of more than 1,000 international restaurant industry experts — food writers and critics, chefs, restaurateurs and well-traveled gourmets — selects the restaurants for each year’s list.
The awards were announced June 20 in Valencia, Spain.
“It’s always an honor to be recognized among great restaurants around the world, many of whom we are very close with and collaborate with regularly (we just had Odette #14 here in May to cook two nights at SingleThread),” said Chef Kyle Connaughton, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Katina.
“The restaurants on the list (are) so different and unique, so we are very proud to represent Sonoma County with our focus on our agriculture and local artisans.”
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants lauded the Japanese-inspired SingleThread on its website.
The organization said: “The well-loved culinary dream team of chef Kyle Connaughton and farmer Katina Connaughton run this destination restaurant with rooms in the Sonoma wine region. Katina’s farm produce meets her husband’s unique Japanese cuisine in a kaiseki-style 11-course menu that begins with an array of small snacks and runs through dishes like Wagyu beef with shiso and potato — plus a strong wine selection, of course.
“If possible, stay in one of the luxurious rooms inspired by ancient Japanese ryokans, or inns, and enjoy a breakfast of cedar-roasted salmon, tamago, donabe rice and other delicacies.”
Only two American restaurants made the Top 50: New York’s Atomix at No. 8, followed by fellow New York legend Le Bernardin at No. 44.
SingleThread came in ahead of the only other Bay Area restaurant, Saison, ranked No. 98.
Over the five years, the list has moved away from its intense focus on Europe, America and Japan to include top-rated eateries in South America (Peru’s Central in Lima took the No. one spot in 2023), Mexico City (Pujol was No. 13) and Southeast Asia (Singapore’s Odette was No. 14 and Bangkok’s Le Du was No. 15).
To see the complete list of winners, go to theworlds50best.com.
It’s been a long time since I’ve laughed out loud at the pure joy and silliness of a restaurant dessert.
With the mountain of troubles restaurants have faced since 2017’s wildfires, through COVID and beyond, there’s been a sober-mindedness about dining out.
Instead, the last six years have been about comfort, predictability and guaranteed winners like fried chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes and carefully curated vegetable-forward dishes cooked over coal. There’s little room for silliness when restaurant margins are slim and diners fickle.
Menus certainly haven’t had the unbridled joie de vivre of, say, sparkling edible glitter sliding down a mound of melted chocolate and gooey cake or a cereal-milk panna-cotta trio topped with Cocoa Puffs and Fruity Pebbles at the newly opened 19Ten restaurant in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square.
It also hasn’t had the little kid thrill of playing with the 39-tap self-serve wall of beer, cider and cocktails at Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails in Windsor. Just try not to snicker at taps labeled The Snozberries Taste Like Snozberries sour beer or Dad Pants Pilsner.
Sonoma County is ready to enjoy a little eater-tainment again, and 19Ten co-owner Brad Barmore thinks his twinkling Princess Cake was a fun idea worth trying. So did I.
We couldn’t stop laughing when the cake arrived at the table because, while delicious, it gave the overall impression of something a magical unicorn might have left behind on the forest floor. Our snort-worthy question: Does the glitter dissolve after you eat it, or will it reappear?
Fact: Edible glitter dissolves in the digestive system.
19Ten, opened in the former Jack & Tony’s, is already a Railroad Square destination. JC Adams and Barmore have expanded their portfolio (they also own KIN Windsor and KIN Smoke in Healdsburg).
The cavernous space has been opened up, lightened up and given a new chance at life. Even on the second day of service, the restaurant produced American classics with fun and flair.
The 19Ten menu is a mix of new concepts and inspirations from both their KIN restaurants. There are ideas Barmore has long wanted to try, like the glittery cake or Beet Fries with togarashi-mayonnaise dipping sauce. There’s plenty to love on the menu and nothing stuffy or plain here. It’s a celebration of food and fun.
Start with one of their craft cocktails and Smoked Brisket Elote Tacos ($18) with tender Texas-style smoked brisket, roasted corn, cotija cheese and pickled red onion. Or order the sweet-savory Eight Hour Pork Belly ($16) with gochujang honey glaze, chicharron and chile dust. The Beet Fries ($12) are divisive, with large chunks of red beet flash-fried and fairly beet-forward in taste. They’re great if you like beets, which I do.
Scallop Crudo ($16) is a great plate to share, with thin slices of fresh scallops marinated in a tart-spicy chile-oil vinaigrette.
Entrees are harder to choose. Here you’ll want to invest in hearty dishes like the Beef Duo ($40) with a hangar steak and beef cheeks or the Smoked Baby Back Ribs covered in a bourbon Dijon glaze. Our favorite was the simple 19Ten Burger ($19) with a crisp Parmesan skirt around two burger patties. Ten-inch brick-oven pizzas are nicely cooked, but we learned too late that Clam Pizza ($22) isn’t a personal favorite because clams on pizza are weird unless you’re from Connecticut.
Do save some room for the Princess Cake. 19Ten is at 115 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, 707-791-7494, 19Ten.com.
Barrel Brothers Kitchen & Cocktails is equally amusing, if for no other reason than you can pour 1-ounce samples from cocktail taps or full pours from their beer taps. How much you pour is up to you.
The food is equally playful, with simple but well-executed nibbles, bowls, skewers and baskets. The Moroccan Spiced Lamb skewer ($5) is perfectly seasoned and served with a pool of tart tzatziki. The Grilled Halloumi skewer ($5), or “stick” as it’s called on the menu, has squeaky grilled Greek cheese with layers of naan and an Indian-inspired spinach sauce.
Ceviche ($15) was less impressive, with more vegetables than fish. But the absolute winners of the day were pupusas ($14) filled with roasted pork, cheese, black beans and potatoes. It’s a shareable dish with richness from the fried El Salvadoran griddle cakes and freshness from the pile of cabbage salad and salsa on top. Southern Fried Chicken ($17) is also excellent, served with sweet pickles and a creamy ranch dip.
The outdoor patio is a top spot for people-watching, and don’t miss the Sasquatch wallpaper in the bathroom.
And remember to have some fun. Barrel Brothers Brewing Kitchen and Cocktails is at 9238 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 128, Windsor, barrelbrothersbrewing.com.
I’ve always been a proponent for confidently traveling alone and sitting at a table for one. There’s something so satisfying about eating what you want, taking the necessary time to contemplate each bite, talking to others (or not) and focusing on the meal. You don’t get that kind of solitude with an entourage.
Recently, I took a solo trip to Bodega Bay, bound for the headlands and a soul-cleansing trip to the ocean. Alone. I was craving a crab sandwich and some oysters, and Fishetarian Fish Market (599 Highway 1, Bodega Bay, 707-875-9092, fishetarianfishmarket.com) fit the bill.
I’ve long been a fan of the sandos at Spud Point Crab Co., Fisherman’s Cove and Ginochio’s Kitchen (all on Westshore Road), which all have slightly different variations on the same themes.
But huge props to Fishetarian for its large, plump raw oysters and mignonette served on a bed of ice. A plate of six is $19.99, and when eaten alone, a moment unto itself. Suck ’em down, pour the sour mignonette on top, slurp as loudly as you want and savor the experience without anyone ruining it by pointing out the dribble of lemon running down your chin.
The crab sandwich wasn’t as impressive. June is the bitter end of Dungeness crab season in Northern California, so it’s not always the ripest time to get huge sweet chunks of crab stuffed between slices of bread. But my $21.99 crab sandwich at Fishetarian had too much bread, cheese and veggies and not enough crab to really satisfy my craving. Maybe it’s my fault for eating Dungeness in late June.
The Boston chowder, local rock cod fish and chips or grilled fish tacos are better choices. There are also great kid-friendly options (grilled cheese or PB&J) and fun souvenirs, T-shirts and other goodies to bring home from your trip.
I’m a fan of the locally owned Fishetarian Fish Market overall, and my solo dining experience fueled my hike up the headland bluffs and back. I’m still dreaming of eating those fat oysters on a sunny picnic table for one.
