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    Urban Bliss Life ยป Travel ยป California ยป Where to Eat in Sonoma, California Wine Country Travel Guide

    Published: February 11, 2014 / Updated: May 28, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland ยท This post may contain affiliate links.

    Where to Eat in Sonoma, California Wine Country Travel Guide

    5 shares

    Traveling to Sonoma California Wine Country? Here are some of our favorite places to eat in Sonoma County!

    Where to Eat in Sonoma California
    Jump to:
    • Where to Eat in Sonoma, California
    • Barndiva
    • The Girl and The Fig
    • El Dorado Kitchen
    • Crisp Bakeshop
    • More Wine Travel guides

    Where to Eat in Sonoma, California

    Be sure to read Part One: Travel, Hotel, and General Info on Visiting Sonoma County, California.

    While visiting Sonoma County, California, wine tasting is definitely at the top of the vacation agenda, and I'll be featuring select vineyards starting next week for Wine Wednesdays. However, be prepared to fall in love with some of the local eateries as well.

    There are more than 600 restaurants and cafes throughout Sonoma County, offering almost every type of cuisine, price range, and dining experience imaginable. Whether you love quaint cafes, quirky pit stops, or haute cuisine, you're sure to find at least one or two restaurants that strike your fancy.

    Barndiva

    Barndiva
    231 Center St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
    (707) 431-0100
    www.barndiva.com

    Situated right off of the main square in adorable Healdsburg, Barndiva is, as the name suggests, a restaurant that opened in a barn. The owners have also added on a gallery and event space, and on warm days, there is pleasant outdoor seating. It's casual and hip, with a touch of modern country. The service is fantastic, and the food is AMAZING.

    If they are on the menu when you happen to dine here for lunch or dinner, start with the ricotta balls drizzled with lavender honey.

    OH. MY. WORD. The lavender honey. To die for delicious. I can't even... it was SO good.

    Barndiva Risotto Balls

    If you love sandwiches, try the Dungeness crab BLT with crispy bacon, butter lettuce, avocado, frites, and beets. An interesting combination that worked well, with applause-worthy sandwich ingredients-to-bread ratio.

    Barndiva sandwich

    I also suggest the lobster risotto with melted leeks, watercress, lemon zest, crème fraîche.  It was light, fluffy, and topped with thin potato crisps that added a nice crunch.

    Barndiva Risotto.

    With dishes like a Dark Chocolate Bavarian and a Passionfruit Lemonbar (with bourbon vanilla bean ice cream), you can't go wrong ordering any of their desserts at Barndiva.

    The Girl and The Fig

    110 W Spain Street
    Sonoma, CA 95476
    707.938.3634
    www.thegirlandthefig.com

    There's something special about The Girl and The Fig. We dined here on our first night in Sonoma to celebrate our 20th anniversary, and I am so very glad we did. It was the perfect restaurant to kick off our Sonoma wine country experience, and if it will be your first time in Sonoma as well, I highly recommend adding The Girl and The Fig to your itinerary. You won't be sorry.

    Start with the charcuterie plate. You get three meats and your selection of three cheeses from their impressive Fromage menu. We chose one cow's milk cheese (the Les 3 Comtois Comte), one goat's milk cheese (the Laura Chenel Chèvre), and one sheep's milk cheese (the Petite Agour). While I enjoyed them all, the Laura Chenel  Chèvre was my favorite: creamy, delicate, full of flavor. Cheese selections vary, so be sure to ask your server for some assistance in choosing -- they are more than happy to help you make the right selection based on your personal tastes.

    The Girl and The Fig Charcuterie Plate.

    My husband can't resist steak frites when they are on the menu, and the photo below really doesn't do the steak frites at The Girl & The Fig justice (lighting was dimmed for dinner). The steak was tender and flavorful, while the frites were perfectly sized, with just-right crispness on the outside, and well-seasoned.

    The Girl and The Fig

    If the pan-seared scallops with ham fricasse happens to be on the menu as one of the specials of the night, I highly suggest ordering this dish. The scallops were expertly seared to lock in the fresh flavor and the portion was just right.

    The Girl and The Fig Scallops

    Dessert is something you can't miss at The Girl & The Fig, and we were treated to a special anniversary dessert. The chocolate & salted fig caramel trifle cannot be missed, and the lavender creme brulee with wildflower honey? Yes, please!

    GirlandFigCharcuteriedessert

      

    El Dorado Kitchen

    405 First Street W
    Sonoma, California 95476
    www.ElDoradoSonoma.com/restaurant

    Also located right on the Sonoma square is El Dorado Kitchen, housed in the first floor of the El Dorado Hotel.

    Sleek and modern, I fell in love with the clean lines and stark contrasts of this space. It feels chic and upscale, yet still Sonoma-casual.

    To start, you must order their famous truffle fries.

    The Girl and The Fig Charcuterie Plate. Sonoma County Wine Country Travel Guide by Marlynn Schotland, Portland Oregon Travel Writer for Urban Bliss Life

    For your main course, try the Housemade Butternut Squash Ravioli with root vegetables, pomegranates, fried sage, parmesan. Unlike traditional butternut squash ravioli dishes made with gorgonzola cheese and browned butter sauce, the root vegetables and pomegranates add lots of texture to this version. I have to say, the fried sage is what makes this dish: crispy and fragrant, it makes the butternut squash ravioli just melt in your mouth.

    El Dorado Kitchen Pasta

    For a dessert that is also a little different, try the Baked Chocolate Mousse: chocolate shortbread crumble,‎ creme fraiche froth, garden mint chocolate chip ice cream. This is nothing like a traditional creamy chocolate mousse. The shortbread crumble was a surprise, but the mint chocolate chip ice cream was so delicious, with just the right amount of chocolate chip shavings. 

    El Dorado Kitchen Dessert

    Crisp Bakeshop

    720 West Napa Street
    Sonoma, California 95476
    www.crispbakeshop.com

    If you're out and about before your day & night of wine tasting in Sonoma County, California, start your day off with a sweet or savory homemade pastry and espresso drink from Crisp Bakeshop. They have an excellent assortment of croissants, muffins, scones, cupcakes, cookies, and coffee drinks to fill your bellies before you head out to the vineyards. If you stop by during lunchtime, they also offer a nice selection of tartines (open-faced sandwiches on country bread).

    Crisp Bakeshop Sonoma California

      

    With the exception of a couple of misses (which I don't write about, since I like to keep this space positive!), we really enjoyed dining out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Sonoma County, California. There are so many fantastic options in Sonoma and Healdsburg, especially, including a few great breweries and many more cafes. These are the top ones that I would recommend for your first visit.

    Have you been to Sonoma County, California? What are your favorite restaurants and cafes in the area? 

    Looking for more on visiting Sonoma County, California? Check out Travel, Hotel, and General Info on Visiting Sonoma County, California

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Rhianon says

        November 09, 2016 at 4:41 pm

        Hi, this is a great list, thanks for posting it! There's so many places here that I've never tried! I really like going to Sally Tomatoes in Rohnert Park; they have great food really fun comedy shows.

        Reply
      2. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

        February 16, 2014 at 2:07 pm

        Thanks - it's all more amazing than it looks! :)

        Reply
      3. MryJhnsn (@mryjhnsn) says

        February 15, 2014 at 7:04 pm

        Holy cow all of that food looks amazing.

        Reply
      4. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

        February 13, 2014 at 10:20 pm

        Mercedes - I hope you do get to go to Cali, and Sonoma is a great spot to visit!

        Reply
      5. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

        February 13, 2014 at 10:20 pm

        Pech - November is a GREAT time to go! There are more big events in Sept, Oct, and the first week of November, but it's really beautiful still as everything is changing color. And, it's a lot warmer than Portland then! :)

        Reply
      6. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

        February 13, 2014 at 10:19 pm

        Thanks, Loren! It's always a good time to eat! ;)

        Reply
      7. Mercedes {Beyond Beauty Lounge} says

        February 13, 2014 at 8:28 pm

        I'm hoping to make a trip to Cali by the end of this year. Definitely need to check out some of these spots, the food looks amazing.

        Reply
      8. Pech says

        February 13, 2014 at 7:32 pm

        Wow, definitely bookmarking this! We're thinking about going to Sonoma for the first time in November!

        Reply
      9. loren says

        February 13, 2014 at 9:34 am

        I just love the food! Its early in the morning but I need to go eat now! hehe

        Reply
      10. Marlynn Jayme Schotland says

        February 12, 2014 at 9:48 pm

        So many people I know from California have said that, Michelle! But, it is a big state :) Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply
      11. Marcie Peterson says

        February 12, 2014 at 6:08 pm

        It all looks good but I would love to try the crab BLT!

        Reply
      12. Michelle @ Tales of a Fit Kitty Mama says

        February 12, 2014 at 9:02 pm

        I grew up in California, but I've never been to Sonoma. Everything looks amazing... my mouth started watering when I saw the Dungeness crab BLT!

        Reply
      13. Melissa Valmonte says

        February 12, 2014 at 8:42 pm

        I've never been to Sonoma! What a great guide :)

        Reply
      14. Meg Kra says

        February 12, 2014 at 5:40 pm

        I love all your food pictures. They are making me hungry. And now I have another reason to visit CA. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from SITS.

        Reply
      15. Lora @ Crazy Running Girl says

        February 12, 2014 at 8:22 pm

        Great recommendations and amazing pictures!!!

        #SITSBlogging

        Reply
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      Hi! If you're looking for easy, fast, delicious family-friendly recipes, wine pairings, and travel tips, you've come to the right place! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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