Essential Sonoma County Restaurants

  Essential restaurants, theirs and mine though I'm not even sure what an "essential" restaurant is. Sonoma Magazine put out their 25 essential restaurants of Sonoma County. I've been to eight of those they selected. Some I haven't made it to because they're far away for a dinner out (Sonoma is a big county). A couple are a bit expensive for my taste; others because it's generally not a type of cuisine I'll spend money on.

  The Sonomamag.com list. 

  Then there are my essentials. They may not all be restaurants I go to very often, they all certainly don't qualify as the best food in the county, but I'll call them restaurants you should try at least once because they are a piece of Sonoma County.

  From their list I agree with Barndiva, Spinster Sisters, Bird and the Bottle, Catelli's, El Molino Central, Glen Ellen Star, Sweet T's, and Rocker Oysterfellers   Probably Valette and Boon, too, from all I've read, just haven't been there yet. Hey, there's been a Pandemic! Diavola's pizza has been around awhile, but it's kind of far away to go for pizza. Still,  I'm a bit embarrassed I haven't made it yet. I'm in Santa Rosa so most of my eating is done there or close by.

From Hitchcock's The Birds, filmed at The Tides Wharf

   Other essentials:

Tides Wharf, Bodega Bay. The view and the Hitchcock connection.

Underwood, Graton. Great restaurant seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Dry Creek Kitchen, Healdsburg. The first fancy eats in Healdsburg.

Campo Fina, Healdsburg. Because they are great cooks.

Willi's Seafood, Healdsburg. If you're a seafood lover, this is your spot.

River's End, Jenner. Sunset over the Pacific.

Negri's, Occidental. Because it's old. Negri's in definitely essential Sonoma County.

Union Hotel, Occidental. Because it's old, too.

Washoe House, Petaluma. Because it's really old (a former stage coach stop).

East West Cafe, Santa Rosa. Catering to all diets with excellent food.

John Ash, Santa Rosa. An original fancy restaurant in Santa Rosa. Award-winning.

Mac's Deli & Cafe, Santa Rosa. A downtown institution.

Willie's Wine Bar, Santa Rosa. Great wine and small plates.

Gravenstein Grill, Sebastopol. A wine country bar and grill if there ever was one.

Creekside Cafe, Sonoma. Breakfast, lunch, brunch. Where the locals go.

The Girl & The Fig, Sonoma. One of the best for many years.

Swiss Hotel, Sonoma. Historic Sonoma.

Swiss Hotel, a state historical landmark