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Style Asian |
Wine Country | |||||||||
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Affronti The town of Healdsburg surrounded by over 100 wineries is a great Wine Country destination for both dining and shopping. Some of the best restaurants in the Bay Area are located here, as well as some of the most interesting specialty shops. |
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Auberge du Soleil We loved the Verjus Roasted Apricots, lemon brioche, pistachio frangipane with noyau ice cream. Superior service, excellent cuisine with lovely presentation and a spectacular view makes Auberge du Soleil a must for dining. |
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Bardessono Restaurant Yountville in the Napa Valley continues to be the center of the universe for fine dining in California. A new contender for world class wine country cuisine, Bardessono, opened in 2008 with talented veteran Executive ChefSean O’Toole and Sous Chef Roger Eggleston. They use the best fresh, sustainable, organic ingredients most of which comes from their own garden, local purveyors, and the farmers market where they go twice weekly. |
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Bayview Grilled Sea Scallop-puree of eggplant, endive-leek-watercress salad, and lemon lime butter-the scallops were tender and the puree accented it perfectly. |
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Bottega Ristorante was an instant success which we discovered when we were unable to get seated on our first visit without a reservation. Undaunted, a few weeks later we did make a reservation for a late lunch and are glad we did. The wine country décor with brick walls, beamed ceiling and an open exhibition kitchen is fresh and inviting. |
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Brasserie Pea soup is a great test of how all soups at a restaurant will be. We found this to have a great consistency and delicious especially because of the duck. |
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Brassica Brassica has a large open dining room with comfortable well-spaced seating, a large bar area for cocktails and dining and offers outdoor patio dining weather permitting. The décor features large whimsical poster art and windows all around overlooking the lovely Napa Valley as well as a beautiful antique marble topped bar. We ordered Pellegrino Italian Sparkling Water and enjoyed marinated olives, as we reviewed the menu. |
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Brix Roasted Chioggia Beets with Carmelized Belgian Endive, Crisp Ginger & Walnut Vinaigrette. This salad was truly unique and just wonderful! We highly recommend it! |
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Café Citti Italian Trattoria Special Soup: " Raviolini in Brodo." Luca’s homemade raviolini filled with meat, Swiss chard and fresh herbs served in a chicken broth with fresh tomatoes and Parmesan.-just delicious. |
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Copita Taquileria Y Comida |
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Cucina Paradiso Homemade Ravioli filled with roasted duck in a sundried tomato, pine nut and basil sauce. A light ravioli filled with duck that tasted terrific. |
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Café Europe The Tastes of Bavaria Freshly grated Potatoes, with onions and herbs. Served with applesauce and sour cream –Crisp and light- Absolutely perfect! |
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Central Market We really loved the Organic Red Jewel Beets with Shaved Onions and Ricotta Salata Cheese. This was an amazing starter as the beets were sweet and the combination of vegetables and cheese worked well together. |
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De Schmire Restaurant De Schmire Restaurant has been pleasing diners in Petaluma for over two decades. We started our dining experience by ordering Michel Servin Brut Champagne from Vallet in France. |
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E & O Trading Co. |
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Eldorado Kitchen Our overall favorite was the Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut. It was served with fingerling potatoes, fennel, calamari, nicoise olives and roasted peppers. The fish was moist and perfectly prepared. It was a very healthy meal that was also tasty. |
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Everest Indian Restaurant Everest is unique in that there are menu items from India, Nepal and Tibet. Manager Manu Pun Subedi and Chef Gopal Gauchan are both originally from Nepal and have worked in a number of other Indian restaurants in the area before realizing their dream of owning their own place. |
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Flavor Napa Valley We were pleased to attend the second annual Flavor! Napa Valley Appellation Trail Tasting at the historic Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. The Sold Out event was attended by 1500 wine and food lovers. It showcased more than 100 Napa Valley wineries and 25 Napa Valley restaurants, many with Michelin Stars. |
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Glen Ellen Inn Restaurant Where Food and Wine Are Truly Beautiful Things Fire – Roasted Rack of Sonoma Lamb in Rosemary- Cabernet Reduction With garlic flan, and vegetable confetti- This is a large meal; even the heartiest of eaters will be pleased. |
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Goose & Gander Restaurant |
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Gott’s Roadside We always enjoy the breathtaking ride north on Highway 29 through the Napa Valley Wine Country and frequently go to Saint Helena to dine and shop. We have driven by Gott’s Roadside Tray Gourmet which was formerly known as Taylor’s AutomaticRefresher and seen people lined up to order and dining at picnic tables but had never stopped to eat. |
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Graffiti We had Blue Point Oysters with chive and rice wine Mignionette. The diced red peppers in the Mignonette were a great addition. The Mulligatawny with grilled lobster tails was also excellent! Another crowd-pleaser was Dungeness Crab Cakes with micro greens and Crème Fraiche over white corn liqueur. They were entirely crab with no filler, which put them a “cut above” |
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Guaymas Restaurant Tiburon has always been one of our favorite towns. The spectacular views of The City and Angel Island are incredible. Sailboats, power boats and ferries coming in and out make it quite an active harbor. The shops in Tiburon have become more upscale in the last year, which adds to the overall charm of the town. |
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Hana Prepares and Presents great Cuisine - From Sushi to Steak. Tataki of Filet Mignon- Thin slices of seared filet mignon with Ken’s miso dressing on a bed of mixed greens. For the non Sushi eater this is a must. Prepared perfectly, pink in the middle and sliced thinly, it doesn’t get better than this. |
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Hawk’s Tavern- Mill Valley Hawk’s Tavern in Mill Valley is quickly approaching their one year anniversary. They started out with a small plate menu but found that their clientele preferred the traditional Starter Entrée Dessert format and recently hired a new Executive Chef Safir Rezzoug to make the change. Don’t let the name Tavern fool you, as this not a Bar but actually a very comfortable and inviting Restaurant with a local neighborhood feel. |
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Hiros Shrimp tempura with unagi, avocado and tobiko on the outside, drizzled with sweet unagi sauce. This dish had a lovely presentation and a superior taste and freshness. It was Food Art. |
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Jeromes Jerome’s Mesquite Style BBQ is Texas Style as per new owner Brian Kaplowitz. Jerome’s has been a successful restaurant for 18 years. The food we tasted included BBQ Pulled Pork, BBQ Ribs, sliced beef Tri-Tip and potato salad. Jerome’s BBQ Pulled Pork was a crowd pleaser. |
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John Ash & Co. At Vintners Inn Elegant Setting-Classy Atmosphere-World Class Cuisine and Wine Sonoma Duck Confit—with scallion pancakes, green onions, arugula and an Asian dipping sauce. |
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Kabuki The Petaluma Roll which included Yellow tail, Tuna, green onions and carrot which was deep fried and rolled –tobiko. A Roll which was worthy of its name. It was very fresh and tasty. |
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Last Day Saloon Our favorite was definitely the Chicken Marsala. This entrée was served piping hot. The skinless, boneless chicken breast was prepared with fresh basil, shallots in a Marsala and mushroom wine sauce. |
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Latitude
The most impressive of the Starters was the Goat Cheese Fritters with “Andate” Goat Cheese, Phyllo, Watercress and Pistachio Dressing. The presentation and flavors were superior, so we knew this was just the beginning of a Fine Dining experience. |
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Left Bank The Left Bank Brasserie has been in Larkspur for over 15 years serving French Bistro fare. As restaurants mature local tastes change those that adapt evolve and grow. Bay Area residents love French cuisine but are also drawn to other European Style Fare. Owner Roland Passot knew it was time for some changes. |
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Luma Restaurant The Petaluma dining scene continues to evolve to accommodate the seemingly never ending appetite for quality cuisine. Luma Restaurant in the Riverfront Warehouse District at the corner of First and G. Streets was recently opened by Restaurateurs Timand Kate Tatum to be a local friendly neighborhood dining destination. |
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Maguire’s Irish Pub- Petaluma |
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Marin Joe’s A North Bay Tradition The Della Santina family, originally from Lucca in Tuscany, has owned and operated the restaurant for half a century, serving great steaks, pasta and Italian specialties in a pleasing upbeat atmosphere. This is a great place to dine! Read the review for all the details. |
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Meadowood Meadowood is a World Class Resort which exudes casual sophistication, nestled in the hills of St. Helena just off the Silverado Trail It is very woodsy and secluded and our dining experience was much like being on a country estate. We enjoyed an exquisite perfectly paced fine dining experience at The Restaurant at Meadowood. |
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Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge We took an overnight trip to Healdsburg and asked around to find out where we should dine. Mosaic in nearby Forestville, which has been open since 2005, was the choice of almost everyone we spoke with. So, we were sure that we were in for a great dining experience. Chef / Owner Tai Olesky is quietly becoming famous for his Global Cuisine. |
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Nick’s Cove Nick’s Cove is located on the beautiful shores of Tomales Bay in Marshall which has been a scenic coastal fishing community for over a century. This hundred year old restaurant was a cornerstone of the community and now has been totally renovated. |
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Olema Inn Delicious California Mediterranean Cuisine The Olema Inn is an historic landmark that first opened on July 4, 1876. The Inn has been meticulously and lovingly restored with 6 luxurious Guest Rooms upstairs and a comfortable Bar and lovely Dining Room downstairs. |
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Olema Farm House The Starters that we really enjoyed included the fresh, local Oysters. We had all types including Hog Island Oysters served three ways , grilled with herbed garlic butter, tangy citrus Barbeque sauce and fried with tarter sauce and Marin Miyagi Oysters from the Cove Mussel Company served raw on the half shell with classic cucumber mignonette. |
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Ondine The Best Restaurant In Marin Ondine is a World-Class Restaurant with a spectacular view of the Bay and San Francisco. Engstram Design and To Design have created a wonderful atmosphere with an eclectic modern, yet Asian influence. |
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Opus One Winery We are always asked by friends and associates who come to San Francisco , where they should go on their day trip to the Wine Country? We always say drive north on Highway 29 and go to Opus One Winery because Opus One produces great wine, is architecturally stunning and when you go home, people will know where you went and will be impressed. |
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Osake Japanese Restaurant-Sushi Bar & Grill Osake Prawns-Lightly Battered Prawns served in a mildly spicy sauce with onions, green and red bell peppers. Another good choice for the non ‘RAW" diners. The next time I’ll ask for a hotter sauce but that’s just our preference. |
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| Papa’s Taverna It was a warm October Saturday night and The San Francisco Giants were in the process of winning the 2010 World Series. Even though they had just lost to Texas , we decided to go out to dinner and took a short ten minute drive down Lakeville Highway to Papa’s Taverna which is on the shores of the Petaluma River in Gilardi’s Marina. |
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Poggio We lived in Sausalito for many years and always love coming back to dine. We have enjoyed both lunch and dinner many times at Poggio and consider it to be the heart and soul of Sausalito, as it is friendly, lively and exudes neighborhood charm. It is a Classic Italian Trattoria with a changing daily menu. |
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Pazzo Our favorite was the Gorgonzola Crusted Duckling. It’s a braised half duckling which is deboned, crisped, encrusted with warm gorgonzola cheese, and served with a roasted garlic and herb Marsala cream sauce. The flavor is fabulous! We also loved the Chicken Marrakech. The Moroccan spices infused in the half young chicken with garlic, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and almonds made it a delicious entrée. |
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Risibisi Partners Marco Palmieri and Chef Fabio Flagiello -- both originally from Trieste, Italy-- have created a fabulous new destination restaurant in Petaluma.? The cuisine features modern interpretations of Mediterranean, French, Italian, Californian and Spanish dishes.
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Riverside Bistro There are great views from the dining room and their covered patio overlooking the Petaluma River. The dinner menu features just enough choices for everyone and the prices are very reasonable with entrees all under $20.00 and a $5.95 Kids Menu. We were seated on the patio right next to the river and settled in for an evening of river watching and dining. |
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Rocker Oysterfeller's The whimsical oversized teak rocking chairs on the front porch of the Valley Ford Hotel were a good indicator of the sweet and sincere hospitality that we were about to experience at Rocker Oysterfeller’s Kitchen & Saloon. |
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Salito’s -Sausalito’s Crab House & Prime Rib Restaurant We lived in Sausalito for many years and particularly enjoy it on all those warm sunny days. We also love to dine where there are fabulous Bay Views, so we were excited to try Salito’s Crab House & Prime Rib. The restaurant, which is now three years old, is very inviting as there are multiple levels and bar areas for Dining and Drinks including an outdoor deck overlooking Richardson Bay. This beautiful view can be seen from almost every angle in the restaurant. |
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Sassafras Restaurant & Wine Bar Fresh and Sassy Modern American Cuisine The tomatoes were luscious and the Goat cheese was milder than any we had ever tasted. These were definitely some of the best appetizers and salads we’ve had all year! |
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Shree Indian Restaurant We ordered Taj Mahal 22 oz. Indian Beers and started out with Appetizers which were served with three tasty chutneys, Tamarind, Green Spicy Mint, and Red Hot. Try the Papadum crispy clay oven roasted spiced lentil wafers which were fresh and delicious. We loved the tender Chicken Pakora which was battered, deep fried chicken breast pieces served mild. You must have the Vegetable Samosa which is homemade crisp hot pockets, stuffed with spicy peas and potatoes |
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Siena Restaurant at TheMeritage Resort and Spa |
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Social Club Restaurant & Bar |
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Southern Pacific Smokehouse- Excellent BBQ The Starters are all generous servings and well priced. We loved the Garlic and Herb Flatbread which was finished with parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. The Crab & Shrimp Cakes with fennel and arugula salad and lemon-cayenne emulsion were tasty too. You must have the New Orleans style Shrimp and Grits with glazed shallot cream sauce. |
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Seared Steak & Seafood-Petaluma’s Premier Steakhouse Petaluma’s Historic 165 year old Wickersham Building on Petaluma Boulevard North has started a new chapter in its long storied history. It has housed restaurants, retail shops, banks, storage facilities and some say it was once a Speakeasy. We are big fans of Steak Houses and when we heard that local Petaluma residents Ken O’Donnell, Jeff Inglin and Kent Armbright had opened Seared Steak & Seafood we knew we had to see what it was all about. |
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Stormys Our choices for entrees included a beautiful house cut of Prime Rib with a light Au Jus and Creamed Horseradish. It was perfectly prepared rare as ordered. The vegetables which included delicious broccoli and carrots and the mashed potatoes were topped with red and green pieces of peppers |
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Sugo The Bombay Pakoras, which are rock shrimp deep-fried in a Taj beer batter, were our favorite. They were spicy and had a light delicious papadon crust. We also enjoyed the Samosa. These crispy vegetable turnovers were filled with special potatoes and peas and had a thin flakey crust. |
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Taste of Petaluma - Sept 26, 2009
The streets of downtown Petaluma will be filled with food fanciers on a culinary journey to sample the best cuisine this river town has to offer – and that’s saying something. |
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Tavola Italian Kitchen We love Italian Cuisine and are continually amazed that there are so many unique offerings at Italian Restaurants in The Bay Area. We had heard that East Coast Restaurateur Jon Paul Pirraglia had recently opened Tavola Italian Kitchen in Novato and knew we had to taste their take on Modern Italian Cuisine. |
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Terrapin Crossroads San Rafael feels like it is really happening again with the addition of Terrapin Crossroads. They offer a fun varied menu featuring fresh seasonal ingredients and daily specials plus have a Taproom and Lounge and a new Music venue. The owner is Phil Lesh who is one of the founders of The Grateful Dead and you will see great photos of Jerry Garcia and The Dead on the walls from “back in the day”. |
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Toast Our favorite Entrée was the Grilled Marinated Lamb Chops with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, lamb jus and fried onions. They were prepared rare as ordered and a huge portion. The wines we enjoyed were the Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene and the 2007 Haraszky Solus Sto Amador County Zinfandel paired well with the lamb chops. |
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Tolay The table was elegantly set with stylish floral arrangements and the room with softly lit. Executive Chef Wayne Van Akin has designed a menu to reflect the bounty of Sonoma County. |
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Trattoria Vino Grigio The entrée menu focuses on classic Italian dishes, and there was something interest- ing for everyone. Our favorite was the Scaloppini al Limone -- Veal Scaloppini sautéed in white wine, capers, lemon and butter. |
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Tuscany Fantastic Flavors of Italy Baked flatbread with herbs, garlic and cambozola cheese. This came with one of our favorites- A baked garlic- It worked perfectly with the tasty flatbread and the soft cambozola cheese. |
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Victorian Dining Room Restaurant We really enjoyed their signature starter which was the Crab and Oysters Mendocino which is their rendition of Oysters Rockefeller but made with Dungeness Crab, local oysters, scallop, rock shrimp, smoked prosciutto, spinach and Grana Padano Pernod cream. |
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Waterfront We were especially happy that we decided to try the Fish Special of the Day. It was mouth-watering Potato Pesto Crusted Baked Halibut topped with a tomato basil cream sauce. |
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William Tell House The Shrimp Cocktail was our favorite and is as pleasing to the palate as it is to the eye. We also enjoyed the Deep Fried Coconut Shrimp, perfectly crispy and accompanied by a tasty mango sweet chili sauce. |
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Wolfhouse The Starters included a fabulous Soup of the Day. It was a Red Curry Squash with lentils, coriander, tarragon and scallions on top. This was a great way to begin our meal and with its unique taste we knew we were in the right place. |
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