Slide 1 of 29
1. Vinoma: Authentic Argentinian (and California-inspired) empanadas at a Rohnert Park gas station, no lie. We love the flakey crusts and flavorful interiors so much we suggest buying them by the dozen. 5085 Redwood Drive, Rohnert Park, vinoma.net. (Courtesy of Vinoma)
Slide 2 of 29
3. Azalo: Fans rave about the mix of Middle Eastern charbroiled kabobs, Mexican favorites like Conchinita pibil along with charbroiled burgers and hot dogs. The menu has recently expanded to include quesabirria and tacos. 5979 Commerce Blvd Ste 8, Rohnert Park, eatatazalo.com. (Courtesy of Azalo)
Slide 3 of 29
Cheeseburger from Azalo in Rohnert Park. (Courtesy of Azalo)
Slide 4 of 29
4. The Mill at Glen Ellen: "If you are in the quaint town of Glen Ellen, spend your money here. The all-day menu is brief, but the Mediterranean-American dishes bring classy comfort food satisfaction. If the restaurant team is overworked in these crazy times, you’d never know it. The mood they share is cheerful and the meals coming from the kitchen are first rate," says restaurant writer Carey Sweet. 14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 32, Glen Ellen, themillatglenellen.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 5 of 29
Rachel on Rye with swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing from The Mill at Glen Ellen. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 6 of 29
6. Himalayan Restaurant: A neighborhood favorite with a name that says it all. Along with approachable chicken curries, this family-run South Asian restaurant also has goat curry, Nepalese momo (steamed dumplings) and extensive meat-free entrees. 810 McClelland Dr., Windsor, himalayanrestaurantwindsor.com. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
Slide 7 of 29
Chef manager Bishnu Pandey of Himalayan Restaurant of Windsor display's a Vegetable Himalayan Biryani. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat)
Slide 8 of 29
11. The Twins Restaurant: Classic American breakfasts like chicken fried steak, biscuits and gravy, Benedicts and pancakes are served hot at this cozy diner. 572 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati, thetwinsrestaurant.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Slide 9 of 29
12. Sam’s Mediterranean Deli & Cafe: You won’t stumble on this out-of-the-way deli unless you spend a lot of time cruising quiet office parks looking for hole-in-the-wall lunch spots. Thankfully, I do, and this charming little place is a Middle Eastern treasure. Their panini-style chicken shawarma wraps are a delicious entry point, with gently spiced meat and melted cheese. It comes with garlic and hot sauces and a Greek salad. 613 Martin Ave., Suite 111, Rohnert Park, samsmeddeli.com (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat)
Slide 10 of 29
13. Canevari’s Deli, Santa Rosa: A JC neighborhood classic that’s been around since, well, as long as anyone can remember. Tri-tip BBQ sandwich, meatball subs and homemade raviolis, plus…where else can you get a good gabagool? 695 Lewis Rd, Santa Rosa, facebook.com/Canevaris. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 11 of 29
The Spicy Pulled Pork Sandwich on a grilled soft roll with Calabrian chili aioli and orange fennel slaw from Canevari's Delicatessen & Catering in Santa Rosa. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 12 of 29
15. Guiso Latin Fusion: This small Healdsburg restaurant may only have a handful of tables, but its mix between Caribbean and Salvadorian cuisine provides miles of worldly flavor...and its only gotten better over the years. 117 North Street, Healdsburg, guisolatinfusion.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Slide 13 of 29
16. Eggspresso: Tasty breakfast sandwiches featuring, you guessed it, eggs. Scrambled, over hard or over easy, with ham or in a salad. 173 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, eggspressoco.com. (Henry W./Yelp)
Slide 14 of 29
17. PizzaLeah: Leah Scurto puts every bit of her soul into making dough, sauce, and cheese as perfect as possible. We love The Besto with red sauce, mozzarella, and pesto. 9240 Old Redwood Hwy., Suite 116, Windsor, pizzaleah.com. (Beth Schlanker/The Press Democrat)
Slide 15 of 29
18. Café Frida Gallery: A charming cafe and art gallery with fancy coffee drinks, croissants, avocado toast and other casual morning sweets. A quiet outdoor patio is a favorite spot to meet friends. 300 South A St., #4, Santa Rosa, cafefridagallery.com. (Christopher Chung/The Press Democrat)
Slide 16 of 29
19. Lightwave Coffee and Kitchen: This funky spot in far West County has a simple menu mostly focused on bagels, smoothies and comfort food like shakshuka and curry. 9725 Main Street, Monte Rio, lightwavecafe.square.site. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 17 of 29
24. Valette Restaurant: Chef Dustin Valette's Sonoma-centric restaurant includes his own charcuterie and wines along with carefully crafted dishes like the signature day boat scallops en croute and Kobe beef tartare. Fancy, not stuffy. 344 Center St., Healdsburg, valettehealdsburg.com. (Chris Hardy/Sonoma Magazine)
Slide 18 of 29
26. BurtoNZ Bakery: Pastries, breads and desserts inspired by the owners' New Zealand roots. Sausage rolls, meat pies, freshly baked bread and cream buns are what you came for, but you'll leave with plenty more after seeing the bakery case. 9076 Brooks Road, South, Windsor, burtonzbakery.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
Slide 19 of 29
27. What A Chicken: You’ll smell it before you see it, with a massive grill perfuming the entire block with mesquite smoke and grilling chicken. Prepare to drool a little. Once you’ve passed through the mist of sizzling poultry, it’s an order-at-the-counter affair. Choose from mixed grill plates, as well as tacos, fall-off-the-bone ribs, and so-so sides like potato salad, coleslaw and Spanish rice. Instead, get the freshly made corn tortillas and spend some time at the salsa bar. 708 E. Washington, Petaluma. (Sara T./Yelp)
Slide 21 of 29
Mochi donuts, gluten-free summer squash tartlets, left, and Earl Grey polenta olive oil cakes, right, at The Altamont General Store in Occidental. (Beth Schlanker/Sonoma Magazine)
Slide 22 of 29
39. The Oxbow: Mexican and American comfort food for brunch and dinner. Dog-friendly patio. 17132 Hwy 116, Guerneville, theoxbowrestaurant.com. (Haley H./Yelp)
Slide 23 of 29
43. Soban Korean Cuisine: Korean cuisine that's about as authentic as you'll get in Sonoma County. Bibimbap, a sizzling pot of rice that continues to cook while you eat, is a signature dish. Equally good are pan-fried Korean pancakes filled with seafood, beef and pork bulgogi (marinated meats in a spicy sweet sauce), and stir-fried glass noodles called jabchae. 255 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, sobanpetaluma.com. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 24 of 29
Mung Bean Pancake with vegetables from Soban Korean in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 25 of 29
47. Street Social: Of all the restaurants on this list, this would be our #1. Husband and wife team serve up ridiculously creative (and delicious) comfort food out of a thimble-sized restaurant. The menu changes weekly, but expect treats like chicken liver mousse with concord grape jam, crudo with elderberry capers and slow-braised short ribs with creamed pearl barley and black currant. You'll be lucky to get a seat, and if you do, it's well worth it. 29 f Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, streetsocial.social. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 26 of 29
House Made Ricotta Toast with dill pickle powder and salmon caviar from Street Social in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 27 of 29
Beet Tartare with sweet potato chips from Street Social in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 28 of 29
Kohlrabi & Scallop Chowder with fried potatoes, chorizo marmalade and chives from Street Social in Petaluma. (John Burgess/The Press Democrat)
Slide 29 of 29
50. April Pantry (closed during winter): Crave-worthy sandwiches and salads. Our favorites include the Billionaire’s BLT (pictured), with crunchy sweet bacon, juicy heirloom tomatoes and smoked tomato jam, and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Gouda and Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel cheeses on crunchy, griddled sourdough bread. We fought over the barbecue pork banh mi on a soft French roll, but it was the Aloha Plate with fresh mac salad, coconut rice and fried chicken that we really went crazy about. 1000 Clegg St., Petaluma, aprilpantry.com. (Heather Irwin/Sonoma Magazine)
