St Francis Winery & Vineyards has been a favorite stop of mine for some time. Not only do they pour a fierce glass of wine, but the landscaping, tasting room, staff & atmosphere are lovely. I had visited them in the Fall recently when the leaves are yellow and the backdrop of the mountains beyond […]
Santa Rosa’s Flipside has a Steakhouse
Being a local to Rincon Valley…I still miss the evenings when we would head down to Rincon Valley’s Rita’s and have a glass of wine served by the fun loving owner, Kevin. He now has a wonderful new spot downtown Santa Rosa, Sprenger’s Tap Room, if you have a chance , stop in and have […]
Sea Stands For ‘South East Asia’ At Sea Thai Bistro
I was introduced to Chef Tony Ounpamornchal when I joined one of his cooking classes at Sur La Table. He was demonstrating how to make his famous Chicken Galangal soup for us in an interactive cooking event. I was hooked. His chicken galangal soup in coconut milk broth with clamshell mushrooms, cherry tomato and shallots […]
Visit Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen Yes, Please.
Enjoying a glass (or two) of lovely Pinot Noir in Healdsburg on the Dry Creek Kitchen patio is a good way to start the week. Open 7 days a week, even Monday, a rarity in the foodie biz, Charlie Palmer’s restaurant is sure to please. On this particular Monday , we had opted for an […]
St Francis Knows His Food & Wine Pairings
Living only 15 minutes from the beauty of Mount Hood. Life is rough. Being able to enjoy it while sipping on a variety of lovely wines. Priceless. When walking through the mission style courtyard, a statue of St. Francis of Assisi points the way to the vineyards beyond. St Francis was a man who is […]
Osake’ Japanese Bistro Santa Rosa Dining
Ask my 9 year old where she would like to go for dinner and there is one overwhelmingly used answer for that question. The girl loves her sushi. Gary Chus Osake Japanese Bistro in Santa Rosa is a favorite of our whole family. We usually start with the Martini Prawns, another fave of my 9 yr […]
Celebrating Exquisite Local Food at Barndiva
My first visit to Barndiva was for happy hour cocktails on a Saturday afternoon. I remember someone remarking that Happy hour runs all day here on the weekends. My friend Steve & I had been wandering though the Downtown Art market that afternoon looking for a painting and had eaten tapas at Willi’s earlier that […]
Family Style Italian Dining Rocks in Occidental
In every family the children grow up with memories of traditional gatherings and for my kids, dining at Union Hotel in Occidental for Grandmas birthday, is very traditional. Grandma herself has been visiting the family style Italian restaurant since 1973. Surrounded by wooded hillsides and babbling creeks, Occidental is a small town along the Russian River […]