Get out the stretchy pants and clear your calendar, because more than 100 restaurants are setting their tables for the 17th annual Sonoma County Restaurant Week (Feb. 23 through March 1).
With an eye toward approachable prices — from $6 sweet treats and $15 lunches to $30-$60 prix fixe dinners — you can usually score a delicious deal while supporting local restaurants during the slow winter season.
After perusing the listings at socorestaurantweek.org (yes, all 109), I’ve picked the 10 best bets based on the available menu previews.
Keep in mind regular menus are typically available throughout the event, and reservations are highly recommended. No tickets are required and the event is free, so eat, drink and be deliciously Sonoma County this week.
$6 Sweet Perk
Semla, Stockhome: It doesn’t get sweeter than this holiday and pre-Lent treat made from a cardamom-spiced bun, filled with almond paste and whipped cream. 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomepetaluma.com
$15 Breakfast
Enfrijoladas, Bubbles & Delights Cafe: A brand-new breakfast and brunch spot is all about global flavors, with its housemade Oaxacan enfrijoladas (corn tortillas in black bean sauce, topped with queso fresco and crema), along with Caribbean huevos Motuleño (eggs, tortillas, sweet plantains) or biscuits and gravy, all featured on the Restaurant Week menu. 359 E. Washington St., Petaluma, 707-243-3245, instagram.com/bubblespetaluma
$25 Breakfast
Short Rib Hash, Costeaux Bakery: Meaty short ribs, onions, green peppers and piles of potatoes are a bakery specialty. On the way out, grab some sweets for later. 417 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-364-8663, costeaux.com
$15 Lunch
Bad Bunny Bowl, El Coqui: You’ve seen the Super Bowl performance, now meet the bowl. Yellow rice, pork belly, sweet plantains and an avocado on top? Tastier than a halftime salsa. 400 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-542-8868, elcoqui2eat.com
$25 Lunch
Crab sandwich and chowder, Ginochio’s Kitchen: Take a ride out to Bodega Bay to celebrate Dungeness season with this buttery, over-the-top grilled crab sandwich served with their clam and scallop chowder (one of my top chowder picks). 1410 Bay Flat Road, Bodega Bay, 707-377-4359, ginochioskitchen.com
$50 shared lunch for 4
Soup, pakora, curry and naan, Himalayan Restaurant: Food for a crowd includes three courses, with a family-sized vegetable and chicken curry, naan, rice and chutneys. 810 McClelland Drive, Windsor, 707-838-6746, himalayanrestaurantwindsor.com
$30 Dinner
Pizza, salad and cookies, Acre Pizza: A steal of a deal includes a 16-inch pizza (cheese, pepperoni or mushroom), arugula salad and two chocolate chip cookies. 6761 McKinley St., Suite 150, Sebastopol; 1080 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma; and 8175 Highway 116, Cotati, acrepizza.com
$40 Dinner
Gumbo, fried chicken and beignets, Parish Cafe: Plenty of choices for your Cajun cravings, but here’s what you’re after — gumbo (or jambalaya), the famous double-brined fried chicken plate, and beignets (or pecan pie) for dessert. 60 Mill St., Healdsburg, 707-431-8474, theparishcafe.com
$60 Dinner
3-course prix fixe, Songbird Parlour: Elegant but unstuffy dining with hyperlocal ingredients. Choose from a beet-and-blue-cheese salad, pan-seared duck breast and chocolate cake with whipped coffee ganache, cocoa-nib streusel and warm caramel. A vegetarian-friendly option includes a salad, hand-rolled ricotta-and-lemon gnudi, and vanilla ice cream with olive oil and fennel pollen. 14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 3, Glen Ellen, 707-343-1308, songbirdparlour.com
$70 shared meal for 4
3-course family-style meal, Saucy Mama’s Jook Joint: Treat your friends (or family) to a soulful meal of boudin dip, gumbo and Cajun pasta with blackened chicken. 16632 Highway 116, Guerneville, 707-604-7184, saucymamasjookjoint.com