We're really enjoying our stays here. Three or four times a year, we will drive out to stay three or four days, either on the Napa side or Sonoma side, to enjoy the scenery and eat great food. 

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Napa/Yountville/Rutherford/Calistoga:
Ad Lib (Thomas Keller's temp pop-up scheduled to close Oct 2015) - No, no, and no. Life is too short, the bill is too high for what comes out of the kitchen, the noise level is offensive, and we feel suckered, not sated.
Angele - In Napa's downtown, a French bistro with a pretty riverside patio and good service. Have not been back since recent change of chefs, however
Auberge du Soleil – Upscale resort with glorious food and an even more glorious view if you can snag a table on the outdoor patio. Worth every extra penny it’ll cost you. With the demise of Etoile, Auberge is our preferred choice for Napa dining.
Bistro Jeanty - Chef Jeanty won our hearts with a magnificent roasted marrow bones with real, honest-to-savory-goodness marrow in the Bordelaise sauce accompaniment. Yum! Very hearty food, good for cold weather days.
Bottega – Hearty, generous, very reasonable for this area. Have heard from others that food has suffered a recent decline, though. Interior is seriously hot under a zillion halogen lightbulbs.
Browns Valley Market - Away from downtown Napa, known for their sandwiches which are good for a picnic. Uses Boarshead and Saag charcuterie; cheese section is small but very choice and cheaper than Dean & Deluca, with better bread.
Bouchon Bakery- Croissants a little saltier than Parker-Lusseau in Monterey, but crisp and lovely. Chocolate budino dessert cakes are a winner. Baguettes are extremely neutral in flavor, excellent for a cheese tasting.
Bouchon Restaurant - Stunning sturgeon rillette is a special, don't miss it if it's on the menu. Casual French bistro decor.  Our first lunch was outstanding, but a return lunch produced so-so food. At these prices, they should be more consistent (a criticism we also level against La Toque).

Brix - Didn't like our dinner under new chef Rbt Hohmann; will not be returning. 
Calistoga Inn - Not great, but decent. If you must eat in the area, you could do worse, altho you might also do better.
Ca'Momi @Oxbow Market - Brilliant authentic Italian cuisine in a noisy, uncomfortable market hall. Try to get a patio table because the tables inside are small and smashed together. Bring a cooler and ice for those luscious pastries!
Dean  & Deluca Delicatessen/Specialty Grocery - The goose mousse pate is worth selling your soul, or more probably all your arteries, for. Come with ice packs and your cooler, and stock up!
Don Giovanni - Newer restaurateurs have passed them by. Ca'Momi and others have better food and service.
Etoile @Domaine Chandon - CLOSED (and that is a real tragedy, our favorite restaurant!)

Farmer & Fox @Cairdean Winery - Comfy gastropub with creative, amazing, hearty food. Loved it!
Farmstead - Not to be confused with Farmstead Inn in Sonoma Cty, this gave us great ham biscuits but nothing else.
Goose & Gander - Lovely patio, sloppy food - so bad I sent a dish back. Market Restaurant around the corner on Main St. is much better, if you must pick quantity over quality. However, they're looking for a new chef so we may try again someday.

The Grill @Meadowood - Better for lunch than dinner; DR is soulless and generic, odd for such a famed resort. Don't confuse this with the Michelin 3-starred Restaurant @Meadowood!
La Foret Chocolatier - Opened by the former pastry chef at the French Laundry, she makes fairly salty chocolates. But we did like the white chocolate macadamia ginger bar, which surprised us since we don't like white chocolate or ginger.
La Toque - Hidden inside an ordinary Westin hotel is a lovely dining room. But La Toque can be erratic; when it's "on" the food is superb, equal to Fifth Floor/SF and La Folie/SF, but with more consistent portion sizes. This was our best meal on our November 2011 visit, yet it was our worst on a return March 2012 visit. Ken Franks needs to tighten up his kitchen, but maybe he just doesn't care.

Lucy @Bardessono - Great outdoor patio, expensive but good restaurant inside. Could be better, though.
Market (Yountville) - Just like Mustards, below, but better. Still excessive, but just a touch over the line, instead of a whole body's length too far. 
Michael Warring (Vallejo) - Amazing Modernist for dirt-cheap. Exquisite, elegant, special.
Mustards - Great ingredients are undermined by a 'throw in the kitchen sink' mentality and erratic service. They need to learn restraint, and to pay better attention to the front of the house.
Oenotri - Still great service, but once-stunning food is now oversized and sloppy, feeding the tourist masses. Our biggest disappointment in 2013.
Redd - A Chowhounder favorite, but not ours. Service was sweet but laughably uneducated; the food the usual too-salty, over-the-top excess that impresses people who don't know any better. "Subtlety" is apparently a dirty word in Redd's eyes.
Siena  - A cut below the others, more corporate in feel and quality - but far better than Carneros was.
Solbar @Solange Resort - The heartier side of the spa menu is surprisingly carnivorous as well as generous. But don't miss the spa dishes; they aren't your usual rabbit food. A chicken pasta soup from the spa side was downright stunning.
Tarla Grill - Charming casual 'locals' place with excellent Turkish food in downtown Napa

Healdsburg/Russian River/Petaluma/Santa Rosa/Sebastopol (Sonoma County):
Afendi, Petaluma - CLOSED
Alexander's @Timber Cove Inn, Jenner - Lovely view, mediocre food and amateur service. Go to River's End; it's much better.
Backyard, Forestville - Fried chicken was good (Thurs only in summer), but otherwise average CA. And service was awful; we're not coming back.
Barndiva, Healdsburg – Beautiful modern interior, lovely outdoor dining. Our first lunch here was perfect and simple, but a second visit's dinner disappointed with complex dishes that didn't quite come off. Chef Ryan Fancher, alumni of French Laundry and Per Se, needs to focus and simplify.
Bistro 29, Santa Rosa - French food with a Breton influence. Still very good, but it faltered slightly on our last dinner. We'll be back in Fall 2014 to review again.
Bistro M, Windsor - CLOSED 
Bravas Tapas, Healdsburg - A fine tapas experience altho food is already sliding into an Americanized Spanish mode. But better than siblings Willi's, still within walking distance of the Square.

Cafe Europe, Santa Rosa - A delightful old-style Continental/German restaurant. Big portions, reasonable prices, and that schnitzel is to die for! European roast duck available on Fri/Sat is a 'destination dish' as well (call Sean to reserve 48 hrs ahead).
Cafe Lucia, Healdsburg - An identical twin to La Salette/Sonoma Square. Okay, but Bravas' patio wins hands-down.
Central Market, Petaluma - More hype than substance. Adequate, but there's better places in Petaluma to eat
Chalkboard, Healdsburg - Awful. We didn't like chef McAnelley's cooking at Va de Vi, and we don't like it any better here. This is the worst restaurant around the square. With Bravas and Spoon Bar within 2 blocks away, why bother with this place?
Chloe's French Cafe, Santa Rosa - Small, noisy, but if you're stuck in the area it's decent for a lunch of sandwiches and soup. Not as exceptional as Yelpers think it is, however.
Corks, Santa Rosa - Much hyped, lovely dining room, good service, but food is inferior overall to Bistro 29 and French Garden. Chef has just changed as of Jan 2015, however.
Costeaux Bakery, Healdsburg square - Sounds good, looks better, tastes awful. Too sweet, altho good butter in the palmiers.
Cyrus, Healdsburg – CLOSED. We were falling out of love with Keane's preoccupation with fusion (Passionfish/PacGrove does it much better) and the stuffy pretentiousness was tiresome.

Downtown Bakery and Flying Goat Coffee, Healdsburg - Great fruit galettes from Downtown and earthy espressos from Flying Goat make for a super snack while sitting down in Healdsburg's town square.
Dry Creek Kitchen – This place goes up and down. Be sure to check local foodie reviews before you chance them – best bets are OpenTable and Zagat.
Flamez, Petaluma - Just your standard bar/grill food, but the burger is pretty good and service is excellent. Low-key and casual, and sometimes that's all you need when you want to hang out alone or with friends.
Flavor Bistro, Santa Rosa - Located downtown on the Square, a modest Mediterranean bistro, a solid 2-star
Fremont Diner, Sonoma - Hearty food for breakfast but greasy and leaden at lunch.
French Garden, Santa Rosa - Lovely, stylish converted house is the best choice for any large groups. When they're "on", they're as good as anybody at the top level. We come here more often than to any other Sonoma Cty restaurant; lunch is wonderful.
Full Circle Baking (Penngrove, south of Santa Rosa) - Marvelous breads, but they close by 1p.

Glen Ellen Inn, Glen Ellen - The food is almost there, but not quite - and it's slipped a little on our return visit. There's better places for lunch elsewhere.
Gypsy Cafe, Sebastopol - Vaunted chef does lunch and dinner, but NOT breakfast, which is when we tried it. We might come back for an evening meal to give them another chance, but not for breakfast. It was sloppy and indifferent.
Hole In The Wall, Sebastopol - Wowie! An unbelievable bargain, a great chef running a simple neighborhood cafe that knocks the socks off just about every other restaurant in Sonoma County. No reservations so get there early.
Jacqueline's High Tea, Petaluma - Charming tea room, less frilly than most, with a hearty high tea. Not the equal of Lovey's/SF&Pacifica or Pardee/Oakland, but a civilized way to spend an hour.
JavAmore Cafe, Penngrove - Simple, good Fair Trade coffee just down the road from Yanni's.
John Ash & Co., Santa Rosa - Mediocre and overpriced. Newer, better chefs have passed this place by.
 
K&L Bistro, Sebastopol - This delightful French bistro downtown surprised us with some excellent food and service. Open for lunch.
La Gare, Santa Rosa - Old school French in a horrible area, but that Chateaubriand was a stunning bargain - better than any steakhouse!
Le Bistro, Petaluma - Excellent French/Continental bistro outside downtown Petaluma. Portions have shrunk and the menu hasn't changed much in two years. Being overtaken by the new kids in Sonoma Cty: Bistro 29, Walter Hansel, and even French Garden when it's "on". It's still the pick of Petaluma, though.
LoCoco's Cucina Rustica, Santa Rosa - A couple of good dishes but most sound better than they are.
Madrona Manor, Healdsburg - Expensive, showy display right out of the excess-laden 1990's. Curlicues of unidentifiable origin on the plate do not a gourmet feast make. 
Many Rivers Tea Company, Sebastopol - Hidden inside a shop of metaphysical books and tschotkes, is a marvelous tea shop with amazing blends they make themselves. They carry both herbal and regular teas - a real find for tea lovers. Now do tea tasting by appt.
Marin Cheese Factory, Petaluma - The Rouge et Noir creamery, a fun tour and they've developed some nice cheeses. Lovely picnic area, too.
Michelle Marie Patisserie, Santa Rosa - Good cookies, but pastries are poor quality dough. Espresso better than coffee. Did not try lunch items, which they are noted for.

9 Islands Bakery, Rohnert Park - A tiny Portuguese bakery with a few sweets, a lot of bread, and a rotating variety of artisanal linguicas to experiment with. Worth the stop if you've got a cooler with you, but they do close early and run out even faster.
Petaluma Pie Company - No, no, no. Terrible fillings and even worse crust.
Pullman Kitchen, Santa Rosa - We liked this much better than Syrah/Petite Syrah, which it replaced. Not cheap, but easy parking and very good food make this a worthwhile discovery.
River's End, Jenner - The Inn's restaurant (both have the same name) is terrific. This was the best food of our August 2012 trip, and the service matched the food.
The Shed, Healdsburg - Nice little deli section, a few upscale specialty foods (not limited to CA producers). Very different from The Barlow or Oxbow Market.
Sonoma Cheese Festival, Petaluma - Technically the annual CA Cheese Festival but everyone calls it Sonoma Cheese. If you love cheese and have never gone, it's fun to do it once or twice. Note that farm tours sell out super-fast, like....immediately.
Spoonbar, Healdsburg - We love chef Maldonado's cooking, but line cooks occasionally go over the top and service is stunningly mediocre for an upscale restaurant, very poorly trained. Despite these minuses, still our pick for food you can't find anywhere else.?yola-link-is-coming=true
Spud Point Crab Company, Bodega - An old fashioned road stand sells good clam chowder, decent sandwiches. Crabcakes only on weekends. Go up to Bodega Head to picnic if the weather cooperates, but bring a blanket as there's only three tables.
Starks Steakhouse, Santa Rosa - Owned by the Willi's folks, this was disappointing. The steaks are good but not great, the sides much too rich and pedestrian. Why not do something interesting with the concept of good beef instead of  being an pallid imitation of House of Prime Rib?

Tolay @Sheraton Hotel Sonoma County, Petaluma - The scallops really surprised us, they were excellent. A corporate restaurant but this is an upscale hotel, so they try hard to compete. Not cheap, but we'd eat here before we'd eat at Carneros or Madrona Manor again.
Undercover Baking Agency, Santa Rosa - Funky cute little bakery: better than Petaluma Pie, not as good as Pietisserie/Oakland.
Walter Hansel Bistro, Santa Rosa - Walter Hansel Winery took over Zazu's old space and opened a lovely French bistro. We rank this one high and will definitely be back when we swing through the area again.
Wild Goat Bistro, Petaluma - Tiny but those salads wowed us. Great little lunch place in downtown near the river.
Willi's Seafood and Raw Bar, Healdsburg - A small pretty outdoor patio adds interest, and there's a couple of very good dishes. But there's several so-so ones, also. In the small plates dining arena, there are better places now.
Willow Wood Cafe (Graton, west of Santa Rosa) - Quality creative dishes in a country casual setting, great polenta dishes. And that housemade gingerbread will make you think of a Dicken's Christmas, even in July.
Yanni's Sausage Grill (Penngrove, south of Santa Rosa) - Tiny shop does take-out sandwiches, wonderful sausages and Greek chili. On our list as a 'must stop here' whenever we're in the area. Order in advance for pick-up.


Sonoma (city):
Basque Boulangerie Cafe (pastries) - Skip the too-sweet pastries but good espresso drinks
Café la Haye – Lovely little bistro with excellent food
Carneros, Sonoma - Thumbs down on half-hearted corporate food
Doce Lunas (Kenwood, north of Sonoma) - A solid two-star bistro, good bargain if you're in the area.
Depot Hotel - Just off the Square, this is our hands-down favorite for the best food around the Square. Simple, charming, and creative without fussiness. However, we were disappointed with the Texas BBQ class we attended here. But both lunch and dinner have been delightful.
Estate - CLOSED
Girl and the Fig – A long-time favorite with locals and tourists, for good reason. Plates can be pretty small sometimes, however.
La Salette - Just off the Square, Portugese-Brazilian fare won our hearts, but a few flaws on some dishes along with too-hot plates. Very popular with locals, make a reservation ahead of time.