The Neighborhood
The city of Sonoma and Lovall Valley Road are some of the most charming and emblematic wine country retreats in the country. Not yet tainted by the tour-bus hordes of Napa, Sonoma proper, and Lovall Valley specifically, offer a stunning, quiet, local wine country experience. Lovall Valley is a private, beautiful, high valley, box canyon reminiscent of the hills of Tuscany. It is a 2.5 mile dead-end loop so all the traffic is local and bikers who climb the hill for the famous “Loop” ride. Take a right out of the Barboshi Farms driveway to circle the loop. We highly recommend a walk or bike ride around The Loop.
The City of Sonoma centers around a centuries old Spanish square and has the perfect mix of unique local shops, wineries and restaurants as well large grocers and hardware stores for convenience. Some of our favorites are listed below.
The Basics
Sonoma Market
Look no further. Sonoma Market is one of the best grocery stores in the state. Locally owned with locally sourced produce and meats. They have a ten-yard-long fresh fish counter and a twenty-yard-long meat counter with delicious marinades. The selection and quality of this market is unparalleled in Sonoma.
Sonoma’s Best
We talk a lot about this little wine store, deli and convenience store at the bottom of the hill. It’s well worth a stop and the closest mini-market. You can find a small selection staples like milk and butter as well as fantastic soups and sandwiches, delicious premade pasta, potato and fresh vegetable salads. There is a café and a very diverse cheese cabinet. To cap it all off the wine curator there, Todd, has assembled one of the greatest selections of local wines in the county. We often go in and just say, “I’d love a full-bodied red at $30” and he always has something unique to share. He also has high-end wines and they run a great tasting counter.
Broadway Market
For convenience, the Broadway Market offers a great location at the corner of Broadway and Napa Road. They have a good deli and selection of basic items, produce and meats and a very friendly staff.
Instacart
If you use Instacart, they will deliver to the house. Very convenient.
Other options
There is also a Safeway which is a good choice for low-cost bulks items such as beer and soda. There is a Whole Foods, but don’t bother. Sonoma Market is twice as good for the same and sometimes lower price.
Wineries and Tasting
You wouldn’t be here if not for the wine industry and our very local wineries do not disappoint. Below are some of our favorites and some tips for getting the best out of each of them. Each winery has unique, fun and special characteristics. They all have good to excellent wine, so often tasting is more about the experience you want.
Gundlach Bundshu
I put this winery first because it is one of the main reasons we bought this property. GunBun as it’s affectionally known, has some of the best music in the Valley. They attract national acts to their outdoor amphitheater and Barn Stage. These are magical events if you’re lucky enough to be in town during a show. Picture outdoor music with food trucks and of course wine. Concert goers wander the grounds all holding a glass and a bottle of their great Zin, Cab, Chard and Rose. The tasting room is fairly small and bustling. We prefer to just buy a bottle and wander their beautiful grounds or sit on the picnic tables and drink in the view. Jeff Bundchu can frequently be seen riding his four-wheeler around the property. He is a great guy if you get a chance to meet him. https://www.gunbun.com/
Scribe
Scribe is a newer and lovely winery. Andrew and Adam Mariani are fantastic folks who not only produce consistently good wines but also a great experience at the winery. They serve snacks and lunch. The food is great and sitting on the giant house porch, drinking in the view and enjoying their wine and food is one of our favorite things. Reservations are required and it does fill up fast. http://scribewinery.com/
Buena Vista
Two words “Hedge Maze!” Super fun for kids and of course great wine to back up the experience. Buena Vista is the oldest commercial winery in California and produces some of the best wine in the area. Their Vinicultural Society wines are some of the best of the very local region. We love the Revenge cab franc blend and the Sheriff. The tasting room is reasonably sized and doesn’t feel too crowded. The outdoor area is enclosed enough to let kids run around while parents taste. https://buenavistawinery.com/
Bartholomew Estate Winery
The original site of Buena Vista this is the oldest site of commercially produced wines in California. The sprawling estate is known more for its hiking trails than its wine, though the Cab is very good. The property has miles of trails guests can hike for free and a fun wine history museum the shows the local history of vineyards and wineries.
Larson Family Winery
Family is right! Their tag line is, “Bring a Picnic, make a memory.” While the wines aren’t the best in the region they are good and the experience with kids is unmatched in the area. There is a giant flat play area with toys surrounded by picnic tables. You can bring your own food and drink their wine as the kids go bonkers safely twenty yards away. It’s a bucolic setting and guests can walk down into the vineyard in plain view of the picnic area. Reservations are recommended. UPDATE: The winery suffered a catastrophic fire March 3rd 2022. Check for reopening status before visiting. http://www.larsonfamilywinery.com/
Viansa
The Viansa winery has spectacular views and on Saturdays, delicious pizza baked to order in the patio stone oven. The tasting room is large and easy to get service. A great place for lunch. https://www.viansa.com/
Sebastiani
This seminal winery is a great spot to start or end a Sonoma Square day. It’s walking distance from the square and on weekends frequently has live music and a lovely lawn scene. https://www.sebastiani.com/
Sonoma Square Tasting
Another fun winery afternoon is to simply wander the Sonoma Square to taste either before or after lunch or dinner. There are 23 tasting rooms on the Square and, as mentioned above, walking distance from Sebastiani.
Sonoma’s Best Tasting
If you really want to experience the best wine and tasting Sonoma has to offer, we highly recommend doing a tasting at Sonoma’s Best. The nice thing about tasting there is you’re not tied to one winery. Todd, has assembled one of the greatest selections of local wines in the county and they will structure a tasting across regions, fruit type, years, etc. It really is the best place to get a true view of all the wines Sonoma has to offer. Todd is also available for private tastings at our vineyard if that’s your wish. https://sonomas-best.com/
Eateries
Where to start? There is so much good food in Sonoma it’s hard to decide what to enjoy. Mostly our favorites are based on the quality of the food, but sometimes are favorites are simply because of the style, setting or service. We do favor local owned and operated. There are also a few restaurants listed that we do not recommend.
Our Favorites
Valley
If you only eat one place in the Square, make it Valley. This is the first full time restaurant collaboration from wife and husband Lauren Feldman and Tanner Walle along with other Scribe winery food alums Emma Lipp and Stephanie Reagor. This bistro is a little secret that won’t stay secret long with an inventive menu, superb wine list and wonderful outdoor seating setting. https://www.valleybarandbottle.com/
Valley Swim Club
Another collaboration from wife and husband Lauren Feldman and Tanner Walle, Valley Swim Club is a fun fast casual take on a Cap Cod fish shack with local Sonoma ingredients. It’s super fun, low key and delicious. Our favorites lists tends toward the excellent and eclectic with strong local ties. Valley Swim Club delivers. The menu changes all the time but we loved the steelhead with kimchi and lettuce cups, the shrimp po-boy and fried rice. Also don’t forget the delicious handmade soft serve ice cream.
https://www.valleyswim.club/
Girl and the Fig
“The Fig” as it’s affectionately known, is the most talked about restaurant in the City of Sonoma and for good reason. The food is flavorful and inventive. The outdoor seating is sunny and funky and the indoor seating is lively and fun with a great bar. https://www.thegirlandthefig.com/
La Salette
This hidden gem is tucked on an east alley off the Square. Specializing in “New Portuguese” cuisine the menu is exotic comfort food. Fresh, flavorful and varied. You will find something for everyone here. Our favorite thing is to sit on the patio and sip Vino Verde while enjoying southern European treats. https://www.lasaletterestaurant.com
Layla at McArthur’s Place
Layla and The Bar at McArthur’s Place are wonderfully designed higher-end eateries that deliver great food, in a great atmosphere. There is bar seating, main dining room and outdoor seating. The menu says “Mediterranean” but is really far more diverse and local. It’s one of our clear favorites. Also walking the grounds at this luxurious resort is fun pre and post dinner. https://www.macarthurplace.com/food-drink
Ovello
This sulmeria opened by Michelin star chef Andrea Marino from Barbaresco is a gift to the valley. Andrea is an inspired chef with a warm heart making the best salume, on site, in all of northern California. Everything is delicious from the salami to the sopressata and capicola, and our favorite is hands down the Porchetta. He offers handmade pastas and weekly meals for take-out. No sit-down eating but truly a special spot for grabbing some of the most delicious food in Sonoma for a picnic or eating at home. https://www.ovellosonoma.com/
Baker & Cook
Started by wife and husband team Jen Demarest (the baker) and Nick Demarest (the cook) this is hands down the best place for breakfast and pastries in Sonoma. Both are exceptionally talented and prior to starting this amazing collaboration Nick was the chef-owner of Harvest Vine, the best restaurant in the Square in our opinion, now taken over as Valley (one of our new favorites!) When you go to Baker & Cook you will not want to leave. Deciding on what to have either for breakfast or lunch is the only thing you’ll hate about this place. Worth the fifteen-minute drive. https://bakerandcooksonoma.com/
El Molino Central
Probably the best Mexican food you’ll ever have. Boyes Hot Springs is the center of the Latin community in Sonoma and El Molino has fresh, house made tortillas, incredible soups and an elevated take on the standards. Definitely worth the trip. http://www.elmolinocentral.com/
The Sunflower Café
Great breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh, flavorful and inexpensive counter service with a large comfortable back patio. http://www.sonomasunflower.com
Glen Ellen Star
It’s a 20 minute drive, but a great destination especially if you’re up-county anyway. The Star has a distinctive, very California-style in a relaxed atmosphere. We actually like it better than The Fig but it is a bit of a drive. https://glenellenstar.com/
Single Tread Farms
With the exception of Single Thread we don’t chronical all the fantastic restaurants up-county and in Napa. There are really a ton of great eateries. We mention Single Thread, started by our friends Kyle and Katina Connaughton, because it is a truly transformative dining experience and the county’s only three Michelin star restaurant. It is expensive, but for a once in a lifetime experience it’s worth it. https://www.singlethreadfarms.com/
For kids!
Mary’s Pizza
Great spot and they deliver to the house! The pizza is good and this is a great place to get a quick, no-frills meal with the kids. I love the Eggplant and Chicken Parmigiana.
https://www.maryspizzashack.com/
Reel & Brand
The food is good and the back patio has an enclosed play area for littles. It’s great to be able to sit at the picnic benches and enjoy lunch or dinner and let the kids make new friends. They have music often and the bar has large acts on the main stage. https://www.thereelfishshop.com/
Pretty darn good
Eldorado Kitchen
This is a great place for big groups and classic California fare. It can sometimes feel like a cookie-cutter hotel restaurant, but the food is truly great and the patio is absolutely lovely. It would be in our favorites list if they did more of a local Sonoma menu but alas they don’t. The food and service are excellent though.
Wit & Wisdom
We’re fans of pretty much everything Michael Mina does and Wit & Wisdom is no exception. A diverse and excellently executed menu, modern and comfortable setting with outdoor firepits and professional service. The only reason this is not in our “favorites” is we tend to prefer local owned and operated venues. https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/wit-wisdom/
Golden Bear Station
We’ve not eaten here yet but we hear great things about this new eatery and it’s the new restaurant from one of our favorite restaurant couples, Michelin Star chef Joshua Smookler and his wife Heidy. Their previous eatery Animo was sublime so we believe the great things we hear about Golden Bear are true.
https://goldenbearstation.com/
Tapa Tasca
This light fare eatery is perfect for a quick or late bite. It’s the latest open restaurant on the Square staying open until midnight. Very affordable and always delicious. Our one complaint is the TVs that always seem to be tuned to some sporting event. Drag, on an otherwise charming experience. https://www.tascatasca.com/
Café La Haye
The only classic French restaurant on the Square. A nice atmosphere.
Lou’s Luncheonette
Fried Chicken! The best in the county. Here you’ll find casual outdoor seating overlooking vineyards and a few things very well done. Enjoy stick to your rib sides, sumptuous burgers and a great fired oyster sandwich. https://lousluncheonette.com/
Della Santina or Swiss Hotel
There are two good Italian restaurants on the Square, Della Santina and The Swiss Hotel. Both are good but we prefer Della Santina for its authentic freshly made pasta and regional dishes. The setting at The Swiss Hotel is a little nicer. One annoying thing about Della is the chef refuses to make any, even minor, menu modifications.
Private Chefs
Many guests have booked private chefs at Barboshi. It’s a great way to enjoy the setting and a grand meal at the Vineyard table. We, however, have not done it that much so we don’t have many recommendations to make. We do however LOVE Travis Gee at Wine Country Culinary. An incredible, down to earth guy with a masterful range of many cuisines focused on rich depth of flavor and wine and drink pairings. https://know-wine.com/
Restaurants to avoid
The Plaza Bistro
We’ve eaten there twice and each time the pasta has been overcooked, the sauce watery and bland. If you have a different experience, we’d love to hear it. There are just far better Italian options on the Square including Della Santina and the Swiss Hotel.
Sonoma Grill and Bar
Over-priced, over-cooked and cramped. We’ve eaten there twice and each time the fish and chicken were dry and over-cooked. To top it off the dining room is cramped and loud. El Dorado is a much better choice if you want grill style dishes.
Activities For Kids!
Train Town
One of our favorite kids’ things to do is Train Town. It's a really fun take. One step above a carnival, but not quite Six Flags with a very fun train ride, petting zoo and rides for kids from two to twenty. It’s also free to enter so you can go in and check it out before buying ride tickets. One hack is if there is a long ticket line, the concession stand inside also sells tickets. Don’t forget to bring quarters on the train ride for the Petting Zoo feed vending machine.
Howarth Park
Howarth Park in Santa Rosa is a bit of a drive but well worth it. This incredible city park has horse rides, a carousel, paddle boats, petting zoo, a train ride and a huge playground. https://srcity.org/1271/Howarth-Park
The Charles Shultz Peanuts Museum
Charles Shultz lived in Santa Rosa and the town has claimed him as their hero. There is a fun museum and an ice-skating rink, Snoopy’s Ice Home, next to each other in Santa Rosa. Both are great rainy-day activities.
https://www.snoopyshomeice.com/
Charlie’s Acres Farm Animal Rescue
This is wonderful place for kids to walk, explore and meet farm animal friends. The guided tours are fun in a beautiful setting just ten minutes from Barboshi Farms. The farm was built with the dual mission to first, rescue farm animals from fire, mistreatment and poor conditions, and second, promote veganism. They are however not at all heavy handed about the promoting veganism so it remains a fun place for parents and kids alike.
https://www.charliesacres.org/
Kid Friendly Wineries
Our hands down favorite kid-friendly winery is Larson Family Vineyards. There is a giant flat play area with toys surrounded by picnic tables. You can bring your own food and drink their wine as the kids go bonkers safely twenty yards away. Bartholomew Park is another great kid-friendly winery with miles of hiking trails, open fields, a stream and lots of places to explore. Lastly Buena Vista has a Hedge Maze that is pretty fun. Both of these though require a little more adult supervision. Larson is really the place adults can relax.
Walk and Shop
Sonoma Square
The Square has some good shops though it’s primarily for eating and tasting. The best thing about the square is about every weekend in the Spring, Summer and Fall seasons there is some activity going on in the square. Check out the plaza schedule for your visit time. https://sonomaplaza.com/
Cornerstone
We love Cornerstone. There are some amazing shops and beautiful artistic gardens that are fun to roam with kids. They also have events year-round and every weekend in peak season, from cooking demonstrations to the Circus. There is always something fun going on at Cornerstone. http://www.cornerstonesonoma.com/
Harvest Home
If you’re looking for fun, funky farmhouse modern inexpensive gifts, Harvest Home on Broadway is an excellent stop. https://www.harvesthomestores.com/
Williams Sonoma
If you're a cook and in a shopping or classroom mood it's fun to go to the FIRST Williams Sonoma, still operating today. Right on Broadway just off the square the store offers cooking classes and a few nostalgic pictures presentations on the history of Williams Sonoma. See where Chuck Williams started it all.
https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/return-to-sonoma-were-reopening-our-first-store/
Napa
Barboshi Farms is surprising close to downtown Napa and there is a lot going on there. The parking is easy and strolling the grid streets you’ll find wonderful shops and of course great restaurants and wineries. One of our favorites, though it can get crowded, is the OxBow market. Lots of distinctive food and merchants make for a fun lunch.
Nightlife
Sonoma is a great center for nightlife and after hours fun.
The Starling
This is our favorite place. The starling is a funky music bar that attracts national acts with great outdoor seating and chill vibe. Check out the music calendar.
http://www.starlingsonoma.com/
Town Square Bar
This is the local spot. Hang with the folks who keep the county together. Complete with pints of whiskey to go!
https://sonomaplaza.com/restaurants/pub-bar/the-town-square/
Speakeasy
This is a wonderful little jazz bar. And by little, we mean little. Get there early if you want a close seat on some of the fantastic music acts they get.
http://www.sonomaspeakeasymusic.com/
Steiners
An all-around pub with a DJ on Friday and Saturday nights. The dancing can get pretty athletic.
http://www.steinerstavern.com/
B&V Whiskey Bar & Grille
Great sports bar, eatery to watch the game. Food is OK and the screens are big. The lobster claw Bloody Mary is ridiculous. http://bvsonoma.com
Reel & Brand
The biggest regular stage in Sonoma “The Reel” attracts great music, cover bands and comedians. Their website is not up yet so just Google “reel & brand events” to find out what’s going on. Good food to so you can eat at 8 and enjoy the acts that start at 9.
Parks and Hikes
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Our favorite hiking is the State Park on Sugarloaf ridge. There are twenty-five miles of trails and everything from strong elevation to kid-friendly flat loops. Our favorite with our six-year-old is the mile-long Waterfall Loop. There is an observatory at the top of the mountain and, though we’ve note done it yet, people rave about the night hike to the top for star gazing with the park astronomer. https://sugarloafpark.org/
Bartholomew Park
Just minutes from Barboshi Farms, the park at Bartholomew Winery has miles of trails and great vistas of the valley. It's also nice to hike and end up in the tasting room for some of their delicious rosè. http://www.bartholomewpark.org/
Westwood Hills Park
The city park in Napa on Browns Valley Road is a great quick hike to amazing views of Napa and even San Francisco. https://www.visitnapavalley.com/listing/westwood-hills-park/328/
Transportation
Lyft and Uber are not very reliable for pick-ups at the house. They are OK for pick-ups in town and trips to the house. We recommend having a rental car on-hand and/or booking through Sonoma Taxi ((707) 889-1266, http://www.sonomataxi.net/), especially for time-sensitive travel like airport runs.
Wine Tour Transportation
For wine tasting transportation there are two good options: to get a black car, SUV or ten-person bus for about $100-$150/hour + tip. The nice thing about the luxury tours is that the drivers frequently have good relations with the wineries and can sometimes get private tastings otherwise unavailable to visitors.
Rose Wine Tours is a great local option for parties of 6 or fewer. Luke who runs it is a great guy https://rosewinetours.com/
Beau Limo is another good luxury option, and you can Google others. https://www.beauwinetours.com
If you want to go all out on romance, we love Classic Convertible Wine Tours. Imagine driving through Sonoma and Napa with the top down in a 1947 Packard. I believe it can seat up to 6. https://www.ccwinetours.com/
Exploring Northern Sonoma County
While we obviously love the City of Sonoma and southern Sonoma we’re incredibly fond of the northern part of the county as well. Some of our favorite wineries and eateries are up past Santa Rosa and even through it’s an hour drive, you may want to explore it yourself. If you do we’ve compiled an ideal daily itinerary below. Most of our favorite wineries up there require reservations so please plan ahead and enjoy.
Get a mid-morning start and stop for breakfast at Baker & Cook. A cute little local place that turns out the best breakfast in the valley IMO.
Head first to Reeve for a late morning sparkling tasting. Reeve is a quintessential Sonoma winery. I always say Sonoma is more cowboy boots and Napa is more Jimmy Choos and Reeve is a great cowboy boot stop. Small, intimate gorgeous setting and wonderful sparkling wines. All their wines are great but we usually go late morning and stick to the sparkling and whites. They have served pizza and food in the past but the website is not showing that currently. They may have changed their offerings. If they are serving, their pizza is fantastic. Many a time we’ve shown up for a late morning tasting and stayed through 2pm lounging around for lunch.
If Reeve is not serving food, an alternate lunch spot is Dry Creek Grocery. It will be crowded but the food and sandwiches are great. You can pre-order and get them to go and proceed to a winery to eat.
We love Lambert Bridge. It’s a wine you’ve likely never had and not many people have heard about as their wines are exclusively available to members. But anyone can do a tasting. It’s a lovely intimate little winery with adventurous full-bodied reds. It’s fun to try a pure Petit Merle, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and their signature cab sauv or even their Pomerol.
Unti is a super interesting winery, making Italian style wines in Sonoma. It’s so unique I think it’s worth a stop as during your whole trip you’re going to start getting sick of the sauv, chard, cab ladder. I might go there before Lambert Bridge as Lambert’s full, rich reds will hammer your pallet.
And perhaps end the day at Preston a super fun setting with bocce and walkable gardens, sheep, food and olive oil tastings.
You might want to head home before dinner or just stay up there and roll into dinner. Dinner in Healdsburg Square is a wonderful experience. We highly recommend Single Thread. It’s a splurge as a three-star Michelin, but it is one of the most unique dining experiences you’ll ever have. It’s a long commitment though so I’d suggest a nap prior. Maybe on the lawn at Preston. If you just want a delicious and quick dinner we love Spoonbar and Dry Creek Kitchen. And The Matheson gets high marks from friends we trust but we’ve never been there.