Sonoma restaurants

We will be staying in Sonoma for 3 nights at the Fairmont Mission Inn at the beginning of July and are looking for some restaurant and wineries recommendations. In addition, is it worthwhile to drive to Napa for dinner one night or are there 3 great experiences to be had in Sonoma?

Sonoma restaurants

Sonoma:

Fig and the Girl; Deuce,

for brunch or dinner John Ash and company in Santa Rosa area...lots of great eating. For lunch of course Sonoma Cheese Factory (excellent!). Definitely include Benzinger, Viansa, and several of the Glen Ellen wineries (choose based on the wines you like to drink.) Of course if you get to Napa, Celadon, Julia%26#39;s or Don Giovani are all excellent choices...and given 3 nights may be worth the drive over. all 3 are close to Napa so about an hour drive from Sonoma. You%26#39;ll have a great time...enjoy and bon appetit!

Sonoma restaurants

There are so many excellent choices for dining right in the Sonoma Valley that there%26#39;s absolutely no need to go elsewhere unless you wish to. For dinner, Sante Restaurant in the Sonoma Mission Inn would be the perfect choice or either your 1st or last nite there. In the town of Sonoma I would highly recommend the girl and the fig, and the General鈥檚 Daughter. A relatively new small restaurant, Harvest Moon Cafe, is located on the west side of the Plaza (487 First St. West)--it%26#39;s in one of the historic adobe bldgs that dates from 1842, and a small window in the wall reveals the original structure. It has a couple of small dining rooms, a wine bar and outdoor patio area. Ambience is casual yet sophisticated. Presently, they%26#39;re open for dinner only.

There are several tasting rooms that you%26#39;ll discover if you walk the perimeter of the Sonoma Plaza. A very short driving distance, just NE of the Plaza are some very worthwhile wineries. Ravenswood Winery (specializing in Zins) is loc%26#39;d in a very pretty area of oaks off Gehricke Rd., just N/E of the Sonoma Plaza. Buena Vista Winery off Old Winery Rd. merits a stop just to be able to taste in their beautiful old stone building. The historic Bartholomew Park Winery at 1000 Vineland Ln. has 3 miles of well-marked trails thru woodlands and meadow areas and is a lovely place to visit and wine taste.

If you drive no. to the Glen Ellen area, you can stop at B.R. Cohn (premium olive oils, local products and wine tasting), Imagery (pretty views and interesting art gallery), Benziger Family Winery (excellent tour), and in the Kenwood area are Chateau St. Jean (beautiful, landscaped grounds) and Ledson (a gothic-style castle). Recommended places to have lunch in Glen Ellen: Fig Cafe, Saffron, Wolf House Restaurant, Jack鈥檚 Bistro %26amp; Wine Bar and the Glen Ellen Inn. For a casual gourmet deli lunch: Caffe Citti in the Kenwood area. For many more ideas and suggestions, do a Forum search of previous postings, and also check www.sonomavalley.com. Have a great time exploring!

No need to travel to Napa! The Harmony Club at Ledson Hotel in the Sonoma square is fabulous. They had a great piano player there, too. We also enjoyed Della Santina Trattoria. They have a pretty garden area to enjoy in the back if the weather permits.

You will love the Sonoma Mission Inn! Right in Sonoma there are many nice placs to dine. The General%26#39;s Daugther is excellent. We dined there last month. The Harmony Club is also very good and Cafe La Haye, right around the corner from the Harmony Club is also not to miss. These could be your 3 great dining venues. Right at your hotel, Sante may be another consideration. Forestvillain, are they finished with the remodel there yet? :)

The suggestions above are all great ones -- with one exception. We don%26#39;t understand the attraction about Steve Ledson%26#39;s place, the Harmony Club. Although he did a terrific job with the design and construction of the building, the place is pretentious and over-priced, and features only Ledson wines on the wine list. That doesn%26#39;t sit well with us locals... and we live in a Ledson-built house, and love the quality and craftmanship evident in everything he builds. He should stick to what he knows...

We had a terrific dinner this week at the new Harvest Moon Cafe. Our preferences, in order, are: Swiss Hotel (not because the food is the best in town, but because of the ';whole experience,'; including the bar); Girl and the Fig; EDK; General%26#39;s Daughter; Deuce; Cafe La Haye (great food but the tables are jammed in -- no privacy, and no elbow room); Della Santina%26#39;s.

You%26#39;ll have a wonderful time, and want to return ASAP!

I agree with SnomaPete. I am local and we are appalled at the prices at Harmony Club -- the wine doesn%26#39;t even enter into the picture. We have a great time at Girl and the Fig (we like just eating at the bar). Also the pasta and caesar at Della Santina%26#39;s is delicious. Cafe LaHaye is nice but noisy. Just make sure you make a reservation -- better to be safe than sorry. Also, if weather permits, you really should think about a picnic lunch at a winery: Benziger, Landmark and St. Francis are great options but there are many. And don%26#39;t forget to go to Vella Cheese Factory to taste and buy -- even send home. It%26#39;s authentic, locally made cheese. My East Coast friends ask for it when I visit.

We had a wonderful lunch at The Swiss Hotel out in the courtyard. Great service, good food and a very good price too.

For great picnic lunches and food on the go.....try the Village Market in Glen Ellen. My wife and I loved their deli and everything sold there. Best of all are their sandwiches made to order.

Another thought is the El Dorado Kitchen at the El Dorado Hotel. I have a review posted here with a couple of photos. Also, don%26#39;t miss Gundlach-Bundschu in Sonoma. I also have a review of our recent visit with some photos of this gorgeous winery! Cheers! :)

...';and over-priced, and features only Ledson wines on the wine list.';

Although there are mostly Ledson wines on the list, there are several others available as well.