Mendocino and Shasta counties
We visited Mendocino twice in 2010, May and October, staying several days each time. It's not close enough for a day trip, especially with the allure of Napa and Sonoma in-between our home and the town/county of Mendocino. We love dining in the town of Mendocino, and also discovered an excellent restaurant off I-5 on the way to Oregon.
A stunningly beautiful area in any weather, it rewards those who have at least three days, preferably more, to leisurely drive down the scenic roads. Our travelogue and photos of this area are posted on my http://notares.yolasite.com/ website.
Double-click the active links to access the full review, then use the back-arrow to return:
Eureka
Not perfect, but we liked a lot:
Brick & Fire Bistro - Their heart is in the right place, and given a bit of time is capable of reaching the top level
Kyoto Japanese - Very good Japanese fare overcomes an awkward layout; food is beautifully presented and high quality
Skip - do not pass go, and save yourself $200:
301 at Carter House Inn - We can't remember ever having such a bad meal at a place claiming to be an upscale hotel. They were even worse than Carneros (Sonoma, May 2010). Terrible quality ingredients and sloppy execution to boot.
Mendocino and Fort Bragg
Hard times have hit here, and the restaurants dropped a level. None are destination restaurants for us any longer:
Cafe Beaujolais, Mendocino - We were stunned when a return 2013 visit gave us an over-rich, sloppy meal. Prices went down, and so did the quality. It is average now at best.
Fort Bragg Steakhouse, Ft. Bragg - A plain dining room to match good basic diner food. The turkey burger was humongous and actually tasty.
Garden Bakery, Mendocino - A loser, in every way. Don't even bother: Yelpers like it because it's cheap.
Laurel Deli, Ft. Bragg - Good enough for a cup of coffee and a quickie snack. Just steps from Skunk Train's ticket office.
Le Petit Rive, Mendocino - CLOSED
MacCallum House, Mendocino - Unlike Cafe Beaujolais, MH kept their quality but also raised prices. Breakfast and dinner were well executed and good, with only minor errors. But they are seriously expensive now, up in the big-city range.
Mendocino Hotel, Mendocino - A cut below its competition, but reassuring in a retro-traditional way.
Rendezvous, Ft. Bragg - CLOSED
Elsewhere in the far northern end of California, Shasta County
We loved:
Los Mariachis, Red Bluff - A stunning surprise. The meat dishes are good, but what amazed us was the seafood. Generous portions of beautiful fresh seafood, including sublimely tender baby octopus, at dirt cheap prices. And the seafood broth on the soup was phenomenal! Absolutely should not be missed for anyone driving up/down I-5.
