On the eve of The Junction’s May 11 opening, the sprawling hilltop beer garden already felt like the neighborhood gathering place Santa Rosa didn’t know it was missing. Friends and family filled the expansive patio for a preview night while children swarmed the playground slide in gleeful chaos and adults clustered around pizzas, fried cheese curds and spicy chicken wings. Craft beer and espresso martinis flowed as dogs circled hopefully beneath the tables, waiting for stray crumbs.

Among the crowd was Gaspare Bernardo, who operated The Villa for more than four decades. Sitting with his family over pizza, Bernardo — now in his 80s — watched the transformation of the longtime restaurant space that had been dormant for years. According to co-owner Liz Fiedler, he was simply happy to see life return to the building.

Fiedler, her husband Dez Fiedler and business partner Jimmy Simpson saw possibility in the shuttered property when few others did.

The reopening marks a fitting second act for the former Villa restaurant, which had been vacant for more than three years, slowly deteriorating above Montgomery Drive. After a year of renovations and a top-to-bottom reimagining of the decades-old Italian landmark, the original doors were finally ready to open again.

“We feel so lucky that we got to inherit this iconic spot,” Fiedler said. “We really didn’t realize how much the space means to the community.”

Now in its second week of business, The Junction already hums with the confidence of a seasoned neighborhood restaurant. The owners, veteran restaurateurs who also operate a sister beer garden in Mill Valley, have tapped into a familiar formula: approachable food, ample outdoor seating and an atmosphere designed equally for families, groups of friends and lingering afternoons.

Even during the dinner rush, blistered pizzas move steadily from the kitchen and the restaurant’s 30 beer taps rarely sit idle.

The vibe is the draw

The Junction leans fully into its role as a family- and dog-friendly gathering space, pairing casual counter service with sweeping views toward Trione-Annadel State Park. The menu sticks to familiar crowd-pleasers at approachable prices, positioning the restaurant as an easy choice for midweek dinners, post-soccer-practice meals and weekend brunches.

Inside, the 150-seat dining room and bar can feel cavernous and a little loud during peak hours. Outside, the mood softens beneath oversized umbrellas on the palm-lined patio, where fire pits encourage diners to settle in for another round.

Nearly every inch of the former restaurant has been reworked. Gone is much of the faded 1970s aesthetic, replaced by clean lines, soaring open-panel windows and more than 4,000 square feet of outdoor lounge space.

Near the entrance, a screen-free arcade features shuffleboard, foosball, vintage Skee-Ball machines and a photo booth — thoughtful additions clearly intended to keep children occupied long enough for parents to enjoy a leisurely meal.

Parking remains one of the few challenges. During busy hours, cars line the steep driveway and some diners opt to park below and walk up. A nearby overflow lot helps ease congestion, but consider the climb an excuse for that extra beer and side of cheese curds.

What was once an empty shell with an uncertain future now feels firmly restored as a lively communal space — one poised for another half-century of neighborhood memories.

“Not many places get a fully packed house the first weekend they open, and that’s saying a lot since we have over 500 seats,” Fiedler said. “We are so honored to be a part of its history.”

Best bets

Margherita Pizza, $22: The 14-inch pies land somewhere between New York and California styles, with blistered edges, thin crusts and restrained toppings. The Margherita combines fresh and dry-aged mozzarella with tomato sauce, basil, smoked salt and Parmesan. The generously sized pizzas are meant to be shared. Also worth trying: the Forbidden Fruit ($26), topped with roasted pineapple, capicola and red onion, and the Shroomer ($28), a white pie layered with mushrooms, Taleggio, mozzarella and sunflower-seed pesto. For children, the Kid’s Cheese Pizza ($20) arrives lightly baked with extra cheese and, as the menu promises, “Nothing Green,” proving the kitchen fully understands the very specific tastes of a 5-year-old.

Mozzarella Cheese Curds, $10: Bite-sized fried curds from Valley Ford Creamery arrive crisp and chewy, paired with marinara and housemade Ranch. Their neatly uniform shape also eliminates the perennial cheese-curd complaint: nobody gets stuck with the tiny pieces.

Fried Brussels Sprouts, $10: You can almost tell yourself you’re eating healthy cruciferous vegetables, aside from the hot honey and hazelnut crumble that tops these sprouts. I mean, it’s not like they’re French fries, right?

Korean Wings, $12: Buffalo wings with an Asian twist. Crisp whole wings coated in sticky gochujang sauce deliver a lingering sweet heat. They may be too spicy for younger diners, which simply leaves more for everyone else.

Italian Chop Salad, $14: A hearty mix of greens topped with soppressata, provolone, pepperoncini and Champagne vinaigrette — a classic chopped salad that remains surprisingly difficult to find locally.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, $5: Two warm chocolate chip cookies sprinkled with sea salt arrive soft and just underbaked. Valley Ford Creamery soft serve, with a texture closer to gelato than traditional soft serve, is also available.

The Junction is at 3901 Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa, 707-800-7631, thejunc.com. Open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

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After making their mark on Sonoma County’s food-truck circuit with three bright red taco trucks, brothers Omar and Ivan Galvan opened their first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Cotati in early January. Galvan’s Beer Garden quickly settled into the role as game-day hangout, with multiple large-screen TVs and a menu designed for lingering, anchored by the popular quesabirria and fully loaded carne asada fries.

With March Madness approaching, the outdoor-only beer garden is leaning into its home-away-from-home appeal. Communal picnic tables, cozy high-tops and bar seating create an easygoing setup for fans who want a clear view of the screens and quick access to the drinks. The beer list is largely on tap, with local standouts like Parliament and Cooperage, alongside a small selection of wine and nonalcoholic options for the less-hoppy crowd.

Housed in the former Jaded Toad space, the beer garden is family-friendly and hosts a Monday-night cornhole league, with additional programming planned.

The Galvans purchased their first food truck in 2020, rolling up to breweries like Shady Oak, Old Caz, Cooperage and HenHouse. The menu blended Mexican staples — burritos, street tacos — with crowd-pleasers like grilled cheese for the little ones. Frequent social media updates and easy rapport with regulars helped build a loyal following.

As the transition from truck to fixed location continues, the kitchen is still settling in. On a recent visit, the al pastor taco and quesabirria didn’t quite hit the same high notes I remember from the trucks, but the foundation is there and the care behind the cooking comes through. I’ll be back, game day or not.

Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. 500 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati. instagram.com/galvanseatery

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Summer is for beer gardens. Fortunately, Sonoma County has them in abundance, with the Wine Country bonus of excellent beer and top-notch food. Here are some favorites if you’re craving an afternoon of brews with your crew.

Twin Oaks Roadhouse

In continuous operation since 1926, this ramshackle-looking roadhouse and watering hole is one of Sonoma County’s best-kept secrets. Owned by HopMonk Tavern, well-known for its beer gardens in Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Novato, Twin Oaks has kept its historic charm while offering stellar fried chicken sandwiches and live entertainment for those who appreciate its charms. (The property is currently listed for sale.) 5745 Old Redwood Highway, Penngrove. 707-795-5118, hopmonk.com/twin-oaks

Lagunitas Taproom

Sink into the trippy scene that is Lagunitas, through and through. The tap room and “beer sanctuary” is a casual spot hidden in the shadows of the brewery complex. There’s great pub grub, a swag-filled gift shop, a small music venue, and the hoppy IPAs that have made them famous. 1280 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. 707-284-1020, lagunitas.com

Brewsters Beer Garden

The most beer-garden-y beer garden in Sonoma County. Big enough for an Oktoberfest crowd with loads of picnic tables, live music, plenty of beer (and cocktails), with kids and dogs welcome. Plus, solid eats. 229 Water St., Petaluma. 707-981-8330, brewstersbeergarden.com

Old Caz

Most breweries are bare-bones places with a funky college-dorm aesthetic and sticky tables — and we like it that way! But Old Caz has upped its game with a swanky new spot with high ceilings, matching chairs, hand-built tables, and usable bathrooms. Wow! The lunchtime bar menu and top-notch food trucks are the cherry on top. Don’t worry, the butt-kicking IPAs keep it real. 1500 Valley House Drive, Suite 110, Rohnert Park. 707-665-6668, oldcaz.com

Russian River Brewing

If there’s a heaven for beer drinkers, it’s at the 85,000-square-foot Russian River brewery in Windsor. Book a guided tour and tasting, then head to the outdoor beer garden where you can choose from roughly 20 signature brews on tap and a full pub menu. The dog- and kid-friendly patio is a great spot to hang out and dream of next year’s release of Pliny the Younger. 700 Mitchell Lane, Windsor. 707-545-2337, russianriverbrewing.com

The Block

Hidden behind an auto parts store in an industrial part of Petaluma, The Block is a tiny-but-mighty beer garden with nearly 30 taps and a full cocktail menu. Tacos Don Pepe and Jackie Boy’s Barbecue are on a rotating lineup with Fire Slice pizza served six days a week. 20 Grey St., Petaluma. 707-775-6003, theblockpetaluma.com

Tisza Bistro

Though it’s just a handful of stout wooden tables and bistro seats beneath draping twinkle lights and Weihenstephan pennants (Germany’s oldest brewery), Munich is in the air at chef Krisztian Karkus’ German and Central European eatery. Grab a Bavarian pretzel, currywurst, or a Weiner schnitzel sandwich and choose from five German beers on tap, plus cans of Stiegl Radler (grapefruit juice and lager) and malty Korbinian. Prost! 165 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 707-291-5193, tiszabistro.com

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Fire up the oompah bands and gather ‘round for schnitzel sandwiches, ice-cold Pilseners and wurst, because the Beer Garden at Tisza Bistro in Healdsburg is open.

Though it’s just a handful of stout wooden tables, bistro seats under twinkle lights and Weihenstephan pennants (Germany’s oldest brewery), Munich is in the air at chef Krisztian Karkus’ Hungarian/German eatery.

“We’re moving a little more toward German food. People really recognize it,” said Karkus of the newly launched beer garden menu.

The al fresco space is open from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday. Karkus and his wife/co-owner Alena Rebick also have a stand at the Healdsburg Farmers’ Market on Saturdays.

The small garden is bustling with diners even on a quiet Monday afternoon. Here, Karkus’ much-loved pork schnitzel comes in sandwich form between a split pretzel bun stuffed with creamy cucumber and a heavy dousing of tart lingonberry jam ($18). It’s messy through and through, which Karkus says is precisely the point: “I didn’t want it to look too perfect.” Served with a light summer salad and an easygoing Spaten Lager ($9), you’ll be fueled up for a marathon-length “Verdauungsspaziergang” (or digestion walk) around the Dry Creek Valley. Or at least to downtown Healdsburg’s Noble Folk for some ice cream.

The housemade bratwurst ($18) is a must-try, even if you’re not a huge sausage fan. Karkus’ pan-fried pork wurst puts the stuff at backyard barbecues to shame. In fact, I’ve never had a softer, more mellow brat that works perfectly with housemade sauerkraut and pillowy potato dumplings. It is served with a side of sourdough-fermented “sun pickles,” an Eastern European pickling method that uses the sun, salt, water and a slice of bread (and no vinegar) to create a tart but nonaggressive condiment.

Like a good lager or Kölsch, nothing on Karkus’ menu has to punch you in the taste buds to make an impression. However, watch out for the mustard served with the brats. It will flash flood your sinuses quicker than a desert rainstorm.

I’m also a fan of the currywurst ($18), made with the same bratwurst, sliced into pieces and laid over beer-battered fries and caramelized onions with a curry-spiked ketchup. This classic German street food can easily stand up to darker beers or even an IPA. Living up to its name, the beer garden has five German beers on tap, plus cans of Stiegl Radler (grapefruit juice and lager) and malty Korbinian.

You will, of course, need to order the fresh pretzels ($6), soft and chewy twists of dough with fat seeds of coarse salt. Karkus whispers an aside, “You don’t ever put mustard on pretzels.” He almost seems offended that anyone would suggest such a thing. Though, he points out they’re served in the beer garden with whole grain mustard and a ramekin of soft butter — the preferred condiment.

The menu also includes a cheeseburger ($20), grilled ham and cheese on sourdough ($17) or a simple chicken club ($19). There’s also an iceberg wedge salad ($16), fries doused in porcini mushroom sauce ($9) and German-style cheesecake with a pretzel graham crust ($10). Smoked salmon latkes ($17) from the dinner menu are also a winner.

The new beer garden is a quiet respite and a friendly spot where you’ll likely overhear local gossip (I hear a Healdsburg bakery is expanding just nearby). Or have a solitary moment with your thoughts and a cold beer. Either way, “Prost!” to Tisza Bistro’s tasty new outdoor offerings. Stay tuned for details on Tisza’s official Oktoberfest plans this fall.

165 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-291-5193, tiszabistro.com

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Wine Country is also beer country — with plenty of local brews and outdoor patios to park your caboose and sip an IPA or two. Click through the above gallery for six of our favorite beer gardens in Sonoma County.

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With so many high-quality breweries, taprooms and beer venues to choose from in Sonoma County, a beer lover can easily get overwhelmed. To help our fellow beer geeks out, we’ve decided to pick out a few of our favorite local spots – town by town. First out is Petaluma – click through the gallery for all the sudsy details.

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Harvest time in Wine Country has traditionally meant grape picking and winemaking but with the growing popularity of craft beers, hops are becoming our region’s “other” hot crop. As hop varieties and flavor profiles proliferate in beers, brewers have begun to follow the lead of grape vintners and wine bottlers before them by planting their own hop farms to gain more control of their ingredients and finished products. And it’s no surprise that some of the brewers who are taking hop harvesting the most seriously are those who started with grapes. Here are nine Sonoma brewers who swapped wine for beer.

Barrel Brothers Brewing Company, Windsor: Wesley Deal and Daniel Weber
Brothers-in-law Wesley Deal and Daniel Weber both previously worked in wine. Deal worked as assistant winemaker for two years at a winery in Healdsburg before becoming inspired by his father-in-law’s love for home-brewing. He then decided to study brewing science at U.C Davis. Weber worked in sales and marketing in the wine industry and took an equal liking to the beer world when likewise inspired by the same father-in-law, Tom Sather.

Deal’s and Weber’s love for the brewing craft led them to take their hobby to the next level when they opened Barrel Brothers Brewing Company in Windsor. Recently they have begun working with fellow brewer Steve Doty of Shady Oak Barrel House to bring the characteristics of the Sonoma terroir to beer. On their two acre hop farm north of Windsor, the partners plan to create a spontaneously fermented lambic series to share with local beer lovers and travelers alike.

Barrel Brother’s Brewing, 399 Business Park Ct, #506, Windsor 95492, 707-696-9487, barrelbrothersbrewing.com, @BarrelBrothersBrewing

Carneros Brewing Company, Sonoma: Armando, Jesus and Pedro Ceja
Brothers Armando, Pedro and Jesus Ceja grew up in Napa Valley working for their father in the vineyards and learning the wine trade. After paying homage to their father by building a successful winery, the brothers are now tapping into beer at their Sonoma Valley microbrewery Carneros Brewing Company, located near the Ceja Family Vineyards. Head-brewmaster Jesus Ceja graduated from the brewery science program at U.C Davis, and previously worked at Coors in Golden, Colorado, AB-inBev, and Red Star Yeast Company.

The brothers have planted their own hops on the brewery property so that they can obtain nothing but the best ingredients for their beers. Guests of the brewery can enjoy views of Carneros Valley, picnic in the beer garden by the pond and sip on handcrafted ice cold beers.

Carneros Brewing, 22985 Burndale Road, Sonoma, CA 95476, 707-938-1880, carnerosbrewing.com @CarnerosBrewing

Fogbelt Brewing Company, Santa Rosa: Paul Hawley and Remy Martin
Co-owners and co-brewers Remy Martin and Paul Hawley grew up working in the wine business – Martin worked grape harvests in California and abroad; Hawley worked at his family’s winery, Hawley Wines in Dry Creek Valley. The two began brewing together during a trip to New Zealand’s wine country, where they were working the harvest. Martin then studied brewing at U.C Davis while Hawley continued to work at his family’s winery.

Four years ago, just before opening Fogbelt Brewing, Hawley planted a quarter acre of hops on his family vineyard in Healdsburg. With farming in his blood, he knew this was the best way to both understand and control the quality and variety of hops for the brewery. Fogbelt Brewing now hosts the “Wet Hop Fest,” an event that features beers brewed with locally harvested hops.

Hawley continues to help out at the family winery. He is constantly reminded that the two industries, wine and beer, have different challenges, “With wine, the main production period is once a year during harvest. With beer, we are always in production-mode, allowing for more experimentation and perfecting of the process and beers, but a lot more scrubbing tanks. After a while, brewing twice a day, you wish you could just have a couple months of heavy production and make enough to last a year. Beer has a shelf life though and wine just gets better with age. I love making barrel-aged sour beers because it feels more like wine-making than brewing…”

Fogbelt Brewing, 1305 Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa 95401, (707) 978-3400, fogbeltbrewing.com, @FogbeltBrewing

Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa: Vinnie Cilurzo
Russian River Brewing Company co-owner, brewmaster and Pliny creator Vinnie Cilurzo grew up in Temecula, CA, working in the barrel room at his family’s winery, Cilurzo Family Cellars. After realizing he had more passion for hops than grapes, Cilurzo made the leap to beer and, after acquiring investors, opened Blind Pig Brewing in Temecula, in 1994. It was at this time that he perfected the original recipe for what was to become the famous Blind Pig IPA.

Cilurzo then moved to Northern California where he became head brewer at Korbel Cellars’s Russian River Brewing Company. When Korbel bowed out of the brewing business, Cilurzo accepted rights to the Russian River Brewing Company (RRBC) name and all of the recipes in lieu of a severance package. In 2004, Vinnie and his wife Natalie opened the RRBC brewpub on 4th Street in downtown Santa Rosa. Natalie, who left a job in the wine industry after the pub’s opening, now oversees the business side of the brewery and brewpub while Vinnie oversees brewing and distribution. A new brewery in Windsor is slated to open in the fall of 2018.

Russian River Brewing Co., 725 4th St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404, (707) 545-2337, russianriverbrewing.com, @RussianRiverOfficial

Seismic Brewing Company, Santa Rosa: Christopher Jackson
Christopher Jackson, son of philanthropist Barbara Banke and the late Jess Jackson (founder of Kendall Jackson), has adopted his parents’s love for a grape-to-glass approach in wine and applied the concept to his grain-to-glass philosophy at Seismic Brewing.

In partnership with friends Patrick Delves and Andy Hooper, Jackson’s dream to build a sustainable brewery, operating on a clean and green scale to produce the highest quality beers, has come to fruition. Jackson’s custom-brew house is built with energy efficiency and a “clean to can” approach. The brewery emphasizes the three “P’s” of sustainability: “people” (by paying and treating employees fairly while providing a healthy work environment), “planet” (by maximizing energy and water efficiency), and “prosperity” (by adopting a policy to partner with the community and local businesses). While the brewery does not currently have a taproom, Seismic beers can be found on draft at Confluence Taproom in Santa Rosa, Brewsters Beer Garden in Petaluma, and other establishments throughout the Bay Area.

Seismic Brewing, 2870 Duke Court, Santa Rosa, California, CA 95407, 707-230-5014, seismicbrewingco.com, @SeismicBrewingCo

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For as long as people have been drinking beer and wine, beer has been regarded the inferior beverage. Wine is “classy,” it takes time to craft and age, a refined palate to appreciate, and is often paired with fine food. Beer is less expensive, often comes in a can, and you can find it anywhere. But, with craft beer now taking the center stage – even in Wine Country – many connoisseurs are heading out to explore hoppy drinks. However, there are still a few wine lovers who aren’t quite ready to make the leap to beer – it’s not fruity or oaky enough, it’s too bitter. If you happen to be one of those people, we’re here to change your mind. Click through the gallery above for five Sonoma breweries that will leave wine lovers begging for more. 

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For the past 15 years, the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) has polled readers of Zymurgy magazine (a publication by AHA) to compile the annual cult list “Best Beers in America.” For the last eight of those fifteen years, Pliny the Elder from Santa Rosa’s Russian River Brewing Company (RRBC) has been voted the number one beer in America.

This year, however, a Michigan beer has managed to impress the 4,000 voters enough to knock Pliny into second place. Two Hearted Ale from Bell’s Brewery in Galesburg, MI, took the top spot on AHA’s 2017 list. The Michigan brew had been voted the number two brew for the last two years and, this year, Bell’s Brewery also made the number five spot with Hopslam, a triple IPA that is now available in cans.

Bell’s founder Larry Bell started as a homebrewer in the 1970’s in the Michigan town of Kalamazoo. In 2001, the company expanded and built a new brewery and larger production facility in Comstock, MI. Since then, the brewery has increased distribution, including California in 2015, making Bell’s beers readily available to beer drinkers across the U.S.

Russian River brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo first brewed Pliny the Elder in 2000, for the first double IPA festival in Hayward, CA. The beer, brewed with Amarillo, Centennial, CTZ and Simcoe Hops, is named after Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder – the uncle of Pliny the Younger). The beer is sold at the Santa Rosa brewpub, both on draft and by the bottle and is produced in limited quantities. Because of the limited production, the beer is only available for purchase in select states and cities including California, Philadelphia, PA, Colorado and Oregon. Pliny the Elder is smooth, clean and well balanced with floral aromas and notes of pine and citrus.

Here are the top 10 beers in America, according to AHA (the “T” indicates a tie):

1. Bell’s Two Hearted Ale (Comstock, MI)
2. Russian River Pliny the Elder (Santa Rosa, CA)
3. Founders Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, MI)
4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust (Munster, IN)
5. Bell’s Hopslam (Comstock, MI)
6. T6. Founders KBS, Kentucky Breakfast Stout (Grand Rapids, MI)
7. T6. The Alchemist Heady Topper (Stowe, VT)
8. T8. Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA (Bend, OR)
9. T8. Sierra Nevada Celebration (Chico, CA)
10. Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (San Diego, CA)

To see the full Best Beers in America list, click here.

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Father’s Day can be a tough gift-buying holiday. What do you get for the dad who has everything – from all the power tools he’ll ever need to the perfect “man’s” grill? A fine leather wallet or gift card might suffice, but nothing says “I love you Dad” like a day spent with family – beer in hand. Click through the gallery above for Sonoma beer venues to take your Dad for some barbecue, live music and – of course – great beer this Sunday.

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