Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [245]
An impressive three-course gourmet breakfast is served in the courtyard or in the Mediterranean-style dining room. A note for traveling families: Kenwood Inn doesn’t welcome kids 17 and under.
10400 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood, CA 95452. www.kenwoodinn.com. 800/353-6966 or 707/833-1293. Fax 707/833-1247. 29 units. May–Oct from $500 double; Nov–Apr from $450 double. Rates include gourmet breakfast. 2-night minimum on weekends. AE, MC, V. No pets allowed. Children 17 and under not recommended. Amenities: Concierge; 2 outdoor hot tubs; heated outdoor pool; indoor soaking tub; full-service spa. In room: A/C, CD player, hair dryer, free high-speed Internet access.
Where to Eat in Sonoma Valley
While the majority of restaurants are clustered around downtown Sonoma’s square, there are some winners sprinkled farther out in the tiny towns to the north. However, unlike Napa, Sonoma Valley doesn’t have the kind of world-class restaurants that would inspire you to drive great distances in 100°F (38°C) weather in heavy traffic, which means you can pretty much eat anywhere near where you are and do just fine.
SONOMA
Moderate
Cafe La Haye ★★ ECLECTIC Everything about this cafelike restaurant is charming. The atmosphere within the small split-level dining room is smart and intimate. The vibe is small business—a welcome departure from Napa Valley’s big-business restaurants. The straightforward, seasonally inspired cuisine, which chefs bring forth from the tiny open kitchen, is delicious and wonderfully well-priced. Although the menu is small, it offers just enough options. Expect a risotto special; pasta such as fresh tagliarini with butternut squash, prosciutto, sage, and garlic cream; and pan-roasted chicken breast, perhaps with goat cheese–herb stuffing, caramelized shallot jus, and fennel mashed potatoes. Meat eaters are sure to be pleased with filet of beef seared with black pepper and lavender and served with Gorgonzola-potato gratin.
140 E. Napa St. 707/935-5994. www.cafelahaye.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $17–$27. AE, MC, V. Tues–Sat 5:30–9pm.
El Dorado Kitchen ★★ CALIFORNIAN Downtown Sonoma’s most hip and contemporary restaurant, which has sexy seating indoors and out, entices with a seasonal menu (“Mediterranean-inspired bistro cuisine”) of familiar items with unfamiliar twists—such as griddled prosciutto and Vermont cheddar with San Marzano tomato soup, curry fritto misto (lightly battered and fried apples, cauliflower, and fall squash served with curry salt and aioli), and a Caesar salad that pays homage to Southern France with the addition of niçoise olives. Entrees might include Pacific salmon with white bean cassoulet, prosciutto, and sage, or lamb loin with rosemary polenta, piquillo peppers, Swiss chard, and niçoise olive sauce. Don’t hesitate to order the white truffle and Parmesan french fries and one of their house drinks. In an area where dinner prices can run upwards of the cost of some people’s monthly house payments, El Dorado Kitchen’s prices are surprisingly reasonable and portions are generous.
405 First St. W. 707/996-3030. www.eldoradosonoma.com. Reservations recommended. Lunch $15–$25; dinner $12–$29; brunch $10–$20. AE, MC, V. Mon–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm and 5:30–9pm; Sun 11am–2:30pm and 5:30–9pm.
the girl & the fig ★ COUNTRY FRENCH Well established in its downtown Sonoma digs (it used to be in Glen Ellen), this modern, attractive, and cozy eatery, with lovely patio seating, is the home for Sondra Bernstein’s (the girl) beloved restaurant. Here the cuisine is nouveau country with French nuances, garden-fresh produce, and local meats, poultry, and fish whenever possible. And yes, figs are sure to be on the menu in one form or another. The wonderful fig and arugula salad contains pancetta, pecans, dried figs, Laura Chenel goat cheese, and fig-and-port vinaigrette. Other favorites include grilled pork chops or duck confit. For dessert, try the lavender crème brûlée, a glass of Botrytis Late Harvest Roussanne, and a sliver of