Sonoma County might be synonymous with wine country, but it is their gastronomic scene that is worth considering when planning a trip to California. While in Napa Valley, it is all about high-end restaurants like The French Laundry, Sonoma delivers an abundance of Michelin stars, while also effortlessly providing a vibrant street food scene.
Farm-to-table movement
Plenty of regions claim to be the birthplace of the farm-to-table movement in California, but in Sonoma County, they’ve been practising what they preach for decades. Take the Michelin-starred restaurant Cyrus, for example, where chef Douglas Keane works with the local farmers in Geyserville, and starts on the farm at 5am. He is on first-name terms with the farmers in town.
The immersive dining experience at the restaurant is truly ground-breaking. He has solved the conundrum of fine dining being a patience-sapping, backside-testing endurance challenge. Instead, you are moved through different parts of the restaurant, which was once a prune-packing factory, for unique dining experiences.
Starting at the Bubbles Lounge, it is all about activating your palate with bubbles and amuse bouche that delight your sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami senses. Next is the pièce de résistance, where you are invited to a sleek chef’s table in the kitchen to observe the theatre of creativity. What is noticeable is the calming atmosphere in their kitchen, guests are free to roam around the various stations and speak with the talented chefs.
The substantial savoury dishes are served in the main dining room, where the Alexander Valley backdrop is in full display from their floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The final room you visit is a delightful surprise right out of the playbook of Willy Wonka. The ingredients used will delight the most demanding of gastronomes, such as A5 Wagyu and bluefin tuna. You won’t be surprised to discover that most of the ingredients are sourced locally, such as the soba-wrapped black cod, which was caught further up the coast in Mendocino.
Pacific Rim cuisine
Europeans might be unfamiliar with the above term, but it refers to the cooking style and ingredients from the countries and islands around the Pacific Ocean. Two of the best places to sample this diverse cuisine are Fern Bar and Flamingo’s Lazeaway Club.
The former is situated in Sebastopol, the vibrant hub that is a gentrification success story. The Barlow, which used to be apple cannery buildings has been transformed into a collective of artisan shops, speakeasies, breweries, and restaurants.
The Fern Bar marries an extensive cocktail menu with a diverse food menu that works perfectly paired with alcohol. Their vintage cocktail list is particularly impressive with the likes of the 1895 created, Corpse Reviver #2, which shows the remarkable knowledge of their bar staff. The menu will delight your tastebuds with everything from zingy halibut crudo to heart-warming braised rabbit pappardelle.
Another hidden gem is the Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort and Spa. The menu is divided into earth, surf and turf. Korean, Japanese and American-style dishes sit happily side by side. You have to be impressed with their kitchen team, who can execute bibimbap bowl and kalua pork sliders with equal aplomb.
Hyperlocal seafood
Visitors to California don’t always associate Sonoma County with its breath-taking coastline, but it offers up an array of seafood to try. You’ll savour some of the freshest seafood in the region if you head out to Bodega Bay with the likes of Drakes. The restaurant follows the seafood watch guidelines to make sure what they are serving up is sustainable. Shellfish lovers are well-catered with the likes of Dungeness crab ‘Louie’ and steamed Tamales Bay Manila clams. They also have innovative twists on classic dishes such as the mussel cacio e pepe.
Another seafood restaurant to consider is The Tides Wharf. The restaurant famously featured in the Alfred Hitchcock classic, ‘The Birds’ in 1963. To this very day, you can still observe plenty of seabirds in the area from cormorants, pelicans, guillemots, murres, and gulls. The restaurant specialises in traditional seafood dishes, that are not overly prepped and let the ingredients speak for themselves.
Their iconic clam chowders and cioppinos set the bar for all the other seafood restaurants in the region. The latter is a smorgasbord of aquatic treasures from Dungeness crabs to other shellfish galore served up in an enriching tomato-based broth. Pacific red snapper is another main course to consider. The firm, sweet texture of the meat makes it one of the more popular dishes on the menu and if you doubt the freshness of their produce, you just need to visit their gourmet shop next door to see the exceptional seafood display to help make up your mind.
Taco Trucks
Sonoma isn’t all about fine dining and has an embarrassment of riches in terms of its street food scene. Family-owned and authentic taco trucks are found in several cities in the county – one to consider is The Guerneville Taco Truck by the Vasquez Brothers. They’ve been serving locals and tourists alike for over three decades. It is a great lunch stop before you head into the world-famous, Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. It is a mere five-minute drive away and they offer comfort food from breakfast burritos to the juiciest of carnitas tacos.
Wine tasting
Of course, wine tasting is still a must-do activity when visiting Sonoma County. The quirky wineries to visit include Korbel Winery, one of the few places outside of the Champagne appellation that can still use the word, Korbel California ‘Champagne’. They have free public winery tours daily that lets you visit the historic museum and cellars and you can try their award-winning Champagne that has been used at numerous presidential inaugurations.
The other to consider is Paradise Ridge Winery – not only do you get to sample award-winning wines, but you also get to observe the majestic natural vistas that surround the vineyards. They have numerous art sculptures dotted throughout the property, including iconic pieces from the Burning Man, such as the LOVE sculpture by Laura Kimpton. There is also a wonderful exhibition about Kanaye Nagasawa, who is often known as the Japanese Godfather of Californian winemaking.
Factbox
Direct flights are available on Norse Atlantic Airways from £354 from London to Los Angeles. During peak season, flights run every day of the week apart from Tuesdays. Norse Atlantic exclusively operates the latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, ensuring the smoothest travel experience for passengers. They also have the most competitive and upscale transatlantic premium economy product on offer. There are convenient direct flights that connect you from Los Angeles to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport.
For more details on Sonoma County attractions visit sonomacounty.com
