Now in its third year, Sonoma County Restaurant Week 2013 (March 18-24, 2013) has become a truly fork-worthy event, showcasing more than 100 area restaurants. Three course fixed-price menus start at a thrifty $19, increasing to $29 or $39 for fancier fare.
The biggest question isn’t whether to go, but where to go.
With just seven nights, BiteClub’s sifted through all the menus and starred a few stand-outs. Throughout the next week, I’ll continue to highlight my menu favorites, so check back…
Keep in mind that the restaurants will serve their usual menus throughout the week if you’re not hot on their Restaurant Week menu.
Not What You Were Expecting: La Vera Pizza, K&L Bistro
More than just a slice, Santa Rosa’s La Vera serves up slow roasted pork with cauliflower mascarpone mash, pan-seared sea bass and cannoli for $29. Sebastopol’s K&L Bistro forgoes its usual bistro fare for soy-glazed pork belly, seared ahi tuna and ginger panna cotta ($29).
Foraged Fare: Backyard
Forestville’s new bistro sources most of its food from West County, and the restaurant week menu features a wild foraged mushroom soup along with Shepherd’s pie and one of the few gluten-free/vegan dishes on RW menus, a truly indulgent gnocchi with foraged mushrooms and hemp oil. $29
Go Haute: Dry Creek Kitchen, John Ash & Co.
Here’s your chance for the bling without the cha-ching. Dry Creek Kitchen features a wild mushroom veloute (a fancy word for soup), lardo-wrapped pork loin and walnut mousse with candied bacon on their $39 menu. John Ash & Co. has a 63 degree egg with bacon lardons, pomegranate glazed beef cheeks or King Salmon with a warm chocolate truffle cake or lemon mousse dome for dessert ($39.)
Off the beaten path: Although chef Domenica Catelli’s Rolodex is filled with A-list fans, her approachable Geyserville restaurant Catelli’s the Rex doesn’t advertise with flash and pomp. Instead the food does the talking. For restaurant week, she’ll be featuring an organic kale and blood orange salad with locally harvested walnuts, handmade 10-layer lasagna with braised rabbit, and her legendary warm sourdough bread pudding for $39. 21047 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville, 707-857-3471. If you’re coast-bound, Rocker Oysterfeller’s in Valley Ford is a Southern-fried stop that’s serving up crispy okra with Tabasco ketchup, andouille sausage gumbo, 18-hour smoked beef brisket, and buttermilk fried chicken with Lagunitas ale gravy, $29. 14415 Highway One, Valley Ford, 707-876-1983.
Here’s the he full list of participating restaurants for Sonoma County Restaurant Week 2013…
$19 Menu
Barbeque Smokehouse Bistro
Barley and Hops Tavern
Bear Republic Brewing Company
Big 3 at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
Breakaway Café
Café Citti
Café Europe Restaurant & Catering
Dempsey’s Restaurant & Brewery
El Coqui Puerto Rican Cuisine
Flipside Bar and Burger
Jacksons Bar & Oven
Legends
Luma
McNear’s Saloon & Dining House
Palms Grill
Petaluma Pie Company
Rosso Pizzeria + Mozzarella Bar
Rosso Pizzeria, Santa Rosa
Sally Tomatoes Café/Bar * Catering
Sizzling Tandoor (Healdsburg)
Sizzling Tandoor (Santa Rosa)
The Fig Café & Winebar
Three Squares Café
Union Hotel Restaurant (Santa Rosa – Mission)
Village Inn & Restaurant
$29 Menu
Alexander’s at Timber Cove Inn
Andy’s Kitchen & Sushi Bar
Bacchus Wine Bar & Restaurant
Backyard
Bay View Restaurant at the Inn at the Tides
Bistro 29
Bistro Des Copains
Bruno’s On Fourth
Ca’Bianca
Café Claudio
Caffe Portofino
Campo Fina
Cattlemens (Montgomery Village)
Cattlemens (Petaluma)
Centre du Vin
Charlie’s
Della Santina’s Trattoria
DeSchmire Restaurant
Equus Restaurant and Loungebar
Fabiani’s Ristorante
Glen Ellen Inn
GTO’s Seafood House, Inc
HopMonk Tavern (Sebastopol)
HopMonk Tavern (Sonoma)
Italian Affair
Jack and Tony’s Whisky Bar
La Gare French Restaurant
La Rosa Tequileria & Grille
La Vera Pizza
Nectar Restaurant
Nonni’s Ristorante Italiano
Occidental Union Hotel
Olive & Vine
Peter Lowell’s
Piacere Ristorante Italiano
Pub Republic
Relish Culinary Adventures
Rendez Vous Bistro
Risibisi Restaurant
Riviera Restaurant
Roberto’s Trattoria Lupo
Rocker Oysterfeller’s
Saddles Steakhouse at MacArthur Place
Sazon Peruvian Cuisine
SEA Thai Bistro
Social Club
Sonoma Meritage Restaurant
Sonoma Wine Shop & La Bodega Kitchen
Speakeasy
Spork
Starlight Wine Bar & Restaurant
Sweet T’s Restaurant & Bar
THAI TIME Asian Bistro
The Brasserie Restaurant & Lounge
The Epicurean Connection
The Girl & The Fig
The Villa Restaurant
Tides Wharf Restaurant
Tolay
Tomi Thai Restaurant
Ume Japanese Bistro
Vineyards Inn Spanish Bar & Grill
Viola
Willow Wood Market Café
Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar
$39 Menu
Baci Café & Wine Bar
Barndiva
Café La Haye
Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar
Catelli’s the Rex
Central Market
Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen
Corks Restaurant at Russian River Vineyards
Duck Club Restaurant and Drake’s Fireside Lounge
French Garden Restaurant
John Ash & Co
Kenwood Restaurant
Mateo’s Cocina Latina
Rustic Francis’s Favorites
Stark’s Steak and Seafood
Taverna Sofia
The Restaurant at Applewood
The Spinster Sisters
Underwood Bar & Bistro
Zazu Restaurant & Farm
Cricklewood
Forchetta/Bastoni