The Spice Route was the original global trade network and we’re all richer for it. Freshly ground, bloomed in oil or toasted over fire, spices build flavor in vibrant layers shaping dishes from all over the world, and there’s plenty here to savor.
Quesabirria, Jalapeño Grill
You always remember your first time — a gas station, a taco truck and a cup of consommé. Jalapeño Grill’s golden, cheese-laced, meat-filled quesabirria tacos set the standard against which all others are measured and so good it earned them a brick-and-mortar location. Dally with others, but you’ll always come back for the crisp, drippy, gloriously messy tacos that beg for one more dunk in the chile-infused broth that’s good enough to sip on its own. 1630 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa. Trucks are at 1720 Piner Road and 921 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa. instagram.com/jalapenomexicangrills
Shakshuka, Pearl
Chef Brian Leitner whirls around his tiny Petaluma kitchen with intense precision, keeping the wood-fired stove stoked for his lineup of savory Levantine and North African dishes, from lamb meatball tagines to the restaurant’s showstopping shakshuka. It remains one the most popular picks for good reason: a vivid tomato stew filled with chickpeas, fresh fava, baked eggs and grilled sheep’s-milk cheese. Add the warm pita for optimal sopping. 500 First St., Petaluma. 707-559-5187, pearlpetaluma.com
Pollo al Horno, El Coqui
You don’t have to be from Puerto Rico for this grandma-style chicken and rice dish to make you homesick. Comfort transcends culture, and these sofrito-infused chicken thighs with seasoned yellow rice, sweet plantains, red beans and a few shakes of vinegary pique de piña are soul-satisfying. It’s the restaurant’s signature dish for a reason. 400 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-542-8868, elcoqui2eat.com
Beef Combination Pho, VN Flavor
Cambodian-born Sovandy Kien and her husband, Nouly Chhem, have built their lives around food. In their tiny Rohnert Park kitchen, Chhem tends the fire, fanning coals for barbecued ribs while keeping a close eye on a pot of beef bone broth that simmers for hours. The result is a clear, richly flavored stock, fragrant with warm spices. Poured over rice noodles, flank steak, brisket, meatballs and tripe, it’s deeply satisfying for both stomach and soul. 90 Raley’s Towne Center, Rohnert Park. 707-843-7585, vnflavorvietnamese.com
Turmeric Chicken Wrap, Spread Kitchen
Levantine street food turns into a full-blown obsession at chef Cristina Topham’s cozy Mediterranean kitchen tucked into a Boyes Hot Springs neighborhood. Her grilled turmeric chicken, rubbed with warm shawarma spices, is swaddled in a garlicky sauce called toum (order extra), layered with pickled vegetables, mint, parsley and cabbage on griddled lavash. Get it “local style” with hummus and harissa for an extra hit of flavor. Go with friends and add za’atar fries, saffron rice and a dip platter, then settle into the tucked-away patio that feels a world away from Wine Country. 18375 Highway 12, Sonoma. 707-721-1256, spreadkitchensonoma.com
Crispy Rice, Valley Bar & Bottle
With crisp, browned edges and a soft interior, crispy rice is one of the happiest kitchen accidents to ever happen to inattentive cooks. Valley Bar & Bottle has made it an evergreen item on their menu, with a gentle pour of scallion and ginger sauce, sliced green onions and a twist of cracked black pepper. It’s more side dish than entrée and the ideal partner for their charred miso cabbage or braised greens. 487 First St. W., Sonoma. 707-934-8403, valleybarandbottle.com
Khao Soi, Khaosoi Thai Zen
Time is the key ingredient in this deeply aromatic Northern Thai curry soup. A stock simmered for hours is infused with mild yellow curry, coconut milk, then ladled over rich egg noodles piled high with pickled mustard greens, lime and fried onion. Pork spareribs or chicken are the obvious choice for this hard-to-find regional favorite. 1169 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-843-7682, khaosoithaizensantarosa.com
Kashke Bademjan, Viva Mexicana
In a taqueria plot twist, the Iranian-born owner of Sebastopol’s Viva Mexicana flips from burritos to bademjan every night at 5 p.m. when you can feast on the Persian dishes that shaped Sima Mohamadian’s life long before she began rolling burritos in Sonoma County. Kashke bademjan is a cousin to baba ghanoush, but includes caramelized onion, garlic herbs and kashk (whey). The sweet and savory appetizer tends to disappear faster than a flying carpet. 841 Gravenstein Highway S., Sebastopol. 707-823-5555, vivamexicana.com
Chef’s choice: Lamb Vindaloo at Bollywood Kitchen
Jason Pringle of Juju’s
After leaving his longtime gig at the tony Montage resort, chef Jason Pringle has struck out on his own with a Moroccan-French inspired pop-up in a borrowed space at Acorn Café in Healdsburg. Cooking dishes inspired by his grandmother’s recipes, the flavors of North Africa and the Levant shine. That passion for flavor translates to his off-duty must-have of lamb vindaloo in a hot and sour sauce featured at Healdsburg’s Bollywood Kitchen restaurant, another dish packed with spice and heat. 1047 Vine St., Healdsburg. 707-395-0023, bollywoodkitchenca.com
This article was excerpted from our guide on 50 Essential Dishes To Try in Sonoma County, originally published in the May/June 2026 issue of Sonoma Magazine.
