From the best burgers in Sonoma County to favorite kid-friendly wineries, food and wine continue to be popular topics. But the most-read article of the year had nothing to do with dining.
25. Biggest Sonoma County Restaurant Closures in 2019: In 2019, already-suffering eateries were devastated by floods, multiple power outages and the Kincade fire. Among the most devastating losses were nationally-known gems like the Jimtown Store, Zazu and Lowell’s. Read the article here. (Courtesy photo)
24. Best Restaurants for Comfort Food in Sonoma County: Whenever you’re down and out, sick and tired, too pooped to party or simply missing home, comfort food is what picks up the pieces of our lives. Whatever makes you feel all warm and cozy inside, we’ve probably found it at a Sonoma County restaurant. Read the article here. (Erik Castro)
23. The Best Happy Hours in Sonoma County, 2019 Edition: Throughout Sonoma County, you can find just about any kind of happy hour — from dives that reek of beer and despair to clubby enclaves serving trophy wines and caviar. But that’s not what’s on this list of 20 favorite spots to score a drink on the cheap. Read the article here. (Crista Jeremiason)
22. 50 Things to Eat in Sonoma County Before You Die: Fifty Sonoma County dishes may seem like a lot, but to be honest, it wasn’t easy to whittle down our list from the hundreds of incredible and iconic meals we’ve had from Cloverdale to Cotati. Read the article here. (Christopher Chung)
21. New Sonoma Restaurants You Need to Check Out, Summer 2019: During the dog days of summer, cooking is about the last thing anyone wants to do. That’s why we’re so lucky here in Sonoma County to have an ever-evolving dining scene. Read the article here. (Heather Irwin)
20. Stunning Waterfalls in Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino: With its abundance of public parkland and open space, the North Coast is too full of gushing streams and cascading creek flows to mention them all. Here are a few favorites. (Chris Hardy)
19. The Best Cheap Eats in Sonoma County: We get hassled (almost daily) about how expensive restaurants can be in Sonoma County. Sometimes it’s justified, because, well, good ingredients aren’t cheap. Neither is good help or a good location. But that’s beside the point of this story. Read the article here. (Heather Irwin)
18. Things to Do by The Russian River: The pace of the Russian River sets the leisurely tempo of west Sonoma County life. In this laid-back enclave of eccentric cabins nestled in redwood- and fir-covered hills, you are bound to find your own rhythm. Read the article here. (Kent Porter)
17. Hot Lunch: Santa Rosa’s Top Weekday Lunch Spots: Oh, the dreaded weekday lunch grind. Packing your lunch is so uninspiring, but where to grab a quick, inexpensive repast when you’re on the clock? Read the article here. (Heather Irwin)
16. Best Pizza in Sonoma County: 20 Favorite Restaurants for Tasty Pies: To satisfy your pizza cravings, we’ve gone through some of our favorites from the past and picked out a few standout restaurants for tasty pies. Read the article here. (Christopher Chung)
15. Burgers in Paradise: Our 25 Favorite Cheeseburgers in Sonoma County: We're truly sorry to do this to you. Especially if you’re reading this hungry. Or on a diet. Or on a desert island. But you’re about to see so much cheeseburger porn that you may just pass out. Read the article here. (Chris Hardy)
14. Don’t Take It Off the Menu: 50 Sonoma County Dishes Locals Can’t Live Without: If they ever took the truffle fries with aioli off the menu at Jackson’s restaurant in Santa Rosa, we'd lose our minds. We asked our readers what local dishes they can’t live without. Here’s what they said. (Heather Irwin)
13. The Best Burritos in Sonoma County, 2019 Edition: Everyone has a favorite taco truck or hole-in-the-wall taqueria they’re convinced has the secret sauce for making the world’s best burrito. With the help of dozens of foodies, we’ve come up with a list of favorite burritos spots in Sonoma County. (Photo courtesy of El Patio restaurant)
12. New and Coming-Soon Restaurants in Sonoma County: We’ve gathered some of our favorite new(ish) spots, along with yet-to-open restaurants on the horizon. Read the article here. (John Burgess)
11. Where to Eat Outside: The Best Restaurant Patios in Sonoma County, 2019: It’s rare to find a restaurant in sunny Sonoma County that doesn’t have an umbrella or two for alfresco dining, but not all patios are created equal. Here is a list of favorite options with shaded patios, prime sidewalk people-watching and sun-dappled gardens. (Photo courtesy of Rustic at Francis Ford Coppola Winery)
10. Best Breakfast in Santa Rosa: 25 Favorite Restaurants and Cafes: It’s a given that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why not have it be the most delicious? Start your morning with a kick of flavor at some of the best Santa Rosa restaurants and cafes. (Photo courtesy of River Vine Cafe)
9. Historic Sonoma County Restaurants That Are Still Going Strong: In the restaurant business, it’s saying something to make it through the first year, and rare to last more than ten. But in Sonoma County, there are more than a dozen that have survived well past their 30th year, and a handful which have outlasted generations of diners. Read the article here. (Kent Porter)
8. Kid-Friendly Wineries in Sonoma & Napa: There was a time when kids and Wine Country was not a great pairing. But that is changing. A new breed of family-friendly wineries are now welcoming wine-loving parents and their (well-behaved) offspring for some fun in the vineyard. Read the article here. (Photo courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola Winery)
7. Guy Fieri’s Favorite Sonoma County Restaurants: Guy Fieri may be a household name around the country, but he’ll always be Santa Rosa’s native son. Home to his first restaurants and the beneficiaries of his philanthropy, Fieri still lives and works in Sonoma County and loves giving extra props to his fellow restaurateurs. That’s why we’re calling out all of the local restaurants he’s featured on his hit Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.” Read the article here. (John Burgess)
6. Locals’ Favorites: 12 Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants to Try in Sonoma County: You know that one place that sells donuts and pho? Or that sandwich place with Tibetan dumplings on Monday your friend keeps talking about? Like most serious eaters, we love finding the weirdly wonderful, usually-ethnic strip mall joints and hidden culinary gems that offer up interesting and delish food for super cheap(ish). Read article here. (Heather Irwin)
5. The Best Hidden Gem Restaurants in Every Sonoma County Town: When talking about the Sonoma County dining scene, there are the famous restaurants we brag about to fancy out-of-town friends, and then there are these treasured little spots we like to keep secret: the diners, delis, convenience stores and under-the-radar eateries that rarely get the accolades they deserve but somehow still remain popular with neighborhood regulars. Read the article here. (Alvin Jornada)
4. 20 Sonoma County Restaurants Only Locals Know About: Even in tourist destinations like Sonoma Wine Country, there are plenty of off-the-map eateries where locals congregate. Chances are you won’t hear about them in the guidebooks, but locals know where to find the tasty stuff. Read the article here. (John Burgess)
3. Best Sonoma Wineries for First-Time Visitors: The most important part of planning a first trip to Sonoma County, aside from finding a place to stay, is figuring out where to drink. Always eager to help a fellow wine lover, we've lined up a few favorite tasting experiences that will guarantee a memorable first visit. Read the article here. (Photo courtesy of Jordan Winery)
2. Best Napa Wineries for First-Time Visitors: For many wine lovers, Napa is the introduction to California wine country and, with over 400 wineries to choose from, it can be overwhelming to plan a visit. To aid explorers of Napa Valley, we’ve put together a list of the best wineries to visit during a first trip. (Photo courtesy of Domaine Carneros)
1. The Kincade Fire in 50 Photos: As the Kincade fire raged in Sonoma County, The Press Democrat's photographers captured the destruction, the courageous fight against the flames, the flight of evacuees and the plight of the community. See their photos here. (Kent Porter)
When we review the readership of our articles, one thing becomes apparent: our readers like to eat and drink. From the best burgers in Sonoma County to favorite kid-friendly wineries, food and wine continue to be incredibly popular topics. But the most-read article of the year had nothing to do with dining. Click through the above gallery to see our top stories of 2019.
