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Santa Rosa, the urban center of Sonoma County, may not be the first item on Wine Country itineraries but, to the savvy visitor, this North Bay city offers more than meets the eye. Click through the gallery to explore (some of) the best Santa Rosa has to offer.
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Start your day, the SOFA way: “Not far from downtown Santa Rosa, there’s a portal to another time and place. But it doesn’t look like some mad scientist’s time machine. It looks more like a miniature hometown scene from the last century.” This is SOFA, or the South of A Street district, in the words of arts and culture connoisseur Dan Taylor, staff writer at The Press Democrat. (Christopher Chung)
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Home to a cluster of independently owned shops, galleries and restaurants, SOFA embodies the kind of artsy edge you may have encountered in Brooklyn or London’s East End, albeit on a smaller scale. At the center of this avant-garde enclave is your breakfast destination: The Spinster Sisters, a “modern, new American” restaurant that embraces traditions and flavors from all over the world and exhibits local artists. (John Burgess)
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Spinster Sisters Chef Liza Hinman, an artist in her own culinary right, creates an evolving menu of original dishes, breakfast through dinner. Breakfast/brunch menu stars include “Brown Butter Mascarpone Crepes Meyer” with lemon curd, blackberry sauce, whipped cream and ginger crumble, and “Joe’s Benedict” with poached Wise Acre Farms eggs, prosciutto, red onion, arugula, avocado and herb hollandaise on Downtown Bakery challah. (Alvin Jornada)
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The Spinster Sisters interior is “concrete chic,” complete with exposed stone walls and ventilation pipes, tall windows, a wrap around bar and a bookcase-lined wall. The coffee, from local Flying Goat Coffee, packs a punch — and so does the Kimchi Bloody Mary. (Charlie Gesell)
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After breakfast/brunch, explore SOFA art studios and independent shops. The studios, open to the public every first Friday of the month during the SOFA art walk, regularly host exhibits and events. At recently opened Cafe Frida Gallery, you can pair art with sweet treats and coffee. (John Burgess)
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The SOFA district is also home to The Imaginists, an experimental theater company that trains and collaborates with people often excluded from the stage: day laborers, undocumented youth, immigrant rights groups, environmental nonprofits, and community members with little or no acting experience. In the summer, they put on a free, bilingual, and bicycle-powered theater performance; the “Art is Medicine Show/El Show el Arte es Medicina.” (John Burgess)
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Time travel in Railroad Square: The turn-of-the-century Railroad Square neighborhood, aka Santa Rosa’s “Old Town,” is a vintage-lover's mecca. Trains began running here in the 1870s and turned a previously neglected part of Sonoma County into a hub for agricultural commerce. Italian immigrants settled in the area, drawn to this part of California by farm jobs and a climate and landscape similar to the “old country.” The Railroad Square district soon became known as “Little Italy.” (Kent Porter)
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The basalt buildings that now serve as the architectural centerpieces of Railroad Square were constructed by Italian stonemasons. Today, the historic buildings (many rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake, and later restored) house a variety of restaurants and independent antique and vintage shops. The old Northwestern Pacific Railroad train depot, which starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s "Shadow of a Doubt," saw the arrival of SMART in 2017; the first passenger train traveling these tracks in over 50 years. (Alvin Jornada)
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On your visit to Railroad Square, browse vintage outfits at Hot Couture. Owner Martha Koehne (center) has been in the vintage clothes business since 1976. At Hot Couture, she specializes in men’s and women’s vintage wear, 30-years old and counting, and costumes for every occasion. The costumes are stocked in a back storage area which, like the closet of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, opens a passage through time and space to a previously unexplored fantasy world.
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If you prefer to make your own clothes, head to Cast Away Yarn Shop. Located just across from the depot, this textile based craft shop carries a wide range of supplies sourced from independent designers, including organic and natural fabrics, heirloom sewing tools, designer kits and patterns — and a whole lot of yarn. The shop is own and run by Justine Malone and her daughter Cleo, a recent art school graduate (and then there's Olive, the dog!). There's enough expertise here to make even the most crafts-challenged person feel confident in picking up the knitting needle (and there are classes, too).
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For antiques and vintage furniture shopping, visit Whistlestop Antiques. Run by Dee Richardson since the mid '90s, this two-story gem is filled to the brim with a magical mix of fine design pieces and whimsical finds. Spend a dreamy, lazy afternoon here; browsing through the 20th century's decades in the Life Magazine collection and examining a wide variety of collectibles. Chat with any of the friendly knowledgeable vendors. And then, when you least expect it, you'll spot just what you've been looking for: an immaculate mid century modern rosewood coffee table, hidden under a gnome and a stack of faded 50s photographs. (Christopher Chung)
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Get all your vintage finds into the trunk before crossing the street to Jackson's Bar & Oven, for a late lunch of oysters on the half shell and wood-fired pizza to celebrate your successful antiques adventures. (Crista Jeremiason)
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The Italian Sausage Pizza at Jackson's Bar and Oven in Santa Rosa will not disappoint. (Crista Jeremiason)
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Don't dismiss downtown: At first glance, downtown Santa Rosa does not impress. Gray concrete corporate buildings loom over a recently upgraded courthouse square while a suburban mall sprawls in the west. But don’t dismiss it - a stroll down 4th Street will make you change your mind. (Photo courtesy of Dave Levart, Dave's Travel Corner)
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On 4th Street, bookworms will enjoy the collection of secondhand fiction and non-fiction at Treehorn Books (you can pick books off the shelf randomly, and walk home with a selection you never knew you had to read, but now cannot live without); eco- and socially conscious shoppers will appreciate handmade treasures from all over the world at Kindred Fair Trade (leaving the shop without a colorful scarf, a fringe felt purse and a pair of turquoise earrings is pretty much impossible) and anyone looking to spice up their life should include a stop at the Savory Spice Shop. (Erik Castro)
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Hungry in the middle of your downtown escapade? Tasty and decently priced bites can be found at Mac’s Deli (run by the Soltani family since 1970, this is the real retro down-home deal, complete with the best Reuben in town, counter-dining and vinyl booths); 4th Street Deli (another family-run business, this is a popular lunch spot for downtown workers offering fantastic Middle Eastern fare — tabbouleh and falafel — and a wide range of salads and sandwiches) or try El Coqui (a Puerto Rican restaurant, one block behind 4th Street, which serves authentic dishes to the sound of salsa tunes - order their signature dish Pollo al Horno, with no culinary regrets).
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Make a brew-o'clock pit stop: If Santa Rosa is included on an out-of-towner’s Wine Country itinerary, it’s usually thanks to Pliny the Younger or Elder. These beloved beers, brewed by Russian River Brewing Company (RRBC), have put Santa Rosa on the map for beer lovers worldwide. During the yearly limited release of triple IPA Pliny the Younger, the line circles blocks surrounding the local brewpub. If you want a taste of the hype, plan your trip around the first Friday in February (this is when Pliny Jr is released), or taste his “uncle,” double IPA Pliny the Elder, available on tap year round. (John Burgess)
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There are more brews to Santa Rosa than Pliny: for alternative hoppy delights, swing by Henhouse, Fogbelt, Cooperage, or Moonlight. And then there’s Brew, the cool corner coffeeshop that turns into a hot nightspot with local beers on tap and live music several nights a week. This is the kind of place where creative types and local entrepreneurs (sans office) start the day with a pour-over and end it with a pint. (Beth Schlanker)
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Spend a few hours at the local "Central Park:" The Howarth Park, Spring Lake, Annadel State Park area in eastern Santa Rosa is the Central Park of Sonoma County. There are three lakes (Lake Ralphine, Spring Lake, and Lake Ilsanjo) and a reservoir (well, officially, it’s a “lagoon”), paths for hiking, biking and riding, tennis and softball courses, a parcourse fitness circuit, boating rentals, a climbing wall, an animal barn, pony rides, a carousel, a jump house, a simulated 1863 C.P. Huntington steam train, and — best of all — “The Land of Imagination,” a play area that “highlights various time periods in Santa Rosa history.”
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On sunny weekends, the Spring Lake recreational area gets busy with locals and visitors alike — grownups, teenagers, kids, dogs, walkers, joggers, runners, riders, bikers, skateboarders, people chatting, people silently staring at their phones; they’re all there, enjoying some of the best outdoor activities Sonoma County has to offer.
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Have a farm-to-table feast: Craving a combination of Jewish comfort foods, Southern classics and Korean fare? While it might seem an unlikely menu mashup, The Bird & The Bottle on 4th Street pulls it off splendidly. The restaurant, located in a refurbished Victorian in a residential neighborhood, resembles a British gastropub with three dining rooms, wingback leather chairs, large wood tables, open kitchen and a well-stocked bar that opens to an outdoor lounge. (Heather Irwin)
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"The Bird & The Bottle" derives from a pre-World War I double entendre — “Hot Bird and a Cold Bottle” — used to describe late-night pleasures sought out by young men-about-town. The “hot bird” was a warm dish, “the cold bottle” would usually be champagne. In this photo, the Revolver Cocktail. (Heather Irwin)
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For a fancy dinner alternative, plug John Ash & Co into your GPS and head a few miles up the road from downtown Santa Rosa. This deluxe dining destination, a.k.a. the “cradle of California cuisine,” stays true to tradition with fresh farm-to-table food mostly sourced from onsite culinary gardens. (Courtesy photo)
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Stay in retro style: The 34-room Astro Motel, located next to the SOFA district, is the latest creation from the team that brought Sonoma County the Spinster Sisters restaurant. Once a 1960s motor lodge that descended into neglect, the building recently got revamped to its former mid-century glory. The motel features 1960's era furnishings with a special perk: they are available for guests to purchase. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
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A Herman Miller Eames desk is featured in a room of the Astro Motel, in Santa Rosa. (Photo by Christopher Chung)
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The Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa opened in 1957 and soon became the place to stay in the North Bay for Hollywood celebrities - Jayne Mansfield stayed here and is pictured, alongside other movie stars, on the hotel walls. A historic landmark since 1996, the family-friendly Flamingo has retained its '60s vibe and now welcomes visitors to wine country and latin music lovers - on Thursday and Sunday nights, there's salsa and bachata dancing to live music at the lounge. There's a pool, too. (Courtesy of Flamingo Resort)
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Poolside dining at Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. (Courtesy of Flamingo Resort)
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Guest room at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa. (Flamingo Resort)
