City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 4330 Barnes Road
2. Flavor
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 573-9600
Address: 96 Old Courthouse Square
Description: You can’t go wrong with the pastas at Flavor, located in the heart of downtown Santa Rosa at the corner of Mendocino Avenue and Fourth Street. I personally like the chicken fettuccine and the butternut ravioli, but you may find your own favorite on the list. There are plenty of other options: eggplant parmesan, pork chops, flatiron steak, chicken, and so forth. The best of both worlds is to sit at a table just inside from the patio, if you can arrange it. Flavor is open daily for lunch and dinner; breakfast is served Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
3. La Gare French Restaurant
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 528-4355
Address: 208 Wilson Street
Description: La Gare has been voted “most romantic” and “best restaurant” by the Press Democrat newspaper. The North Bay Bohemian also has awarded La Gare its “best restaurant” award for the past few years. Tucked away in Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square, it’s a favorite of the locals, who come for hearty, country-style, traditional French cooking. Romantic it is, with lace curtains, soft lighting, and stained glass. It is one of the few places in Wine Country where you are offered (gasp!) French wines. La Gare (“railway station”) is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
4. Omelette Express
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 525-1690
Address: 112 Fourth Street
Description: If you happen to be walking around Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square on a weekend morning, you’ll see as many people on the sidewalk waiting to get into this restaurant as there are patrons inside. The menu lists more than 40 varieties of the humble omelet—both plain and fancy, including vegetarian and seafood. The choices for lunch include two dozen “Pullman Car” sandwiches. You might want to bite into the Hot Express Special—grilled onions, mushrooms, melted jack and cheddar cheese, served open face on dark rye. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week and most holidays.
5. Rosso
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 544-3221
Address: 53 Montgomery Drive (in the Creekside Ce
Description: Craving some good Italian food, and pizza in particular? This gem is worth seeking out in an otherwise ordinary strip center. Wood-burning ovens are used to make authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. I can recommend the Margherita or the Funghi without hesitation. Perhaps a piadine is more to your liking. It’s a flatbread with yummy salad toppings that you fold up and eat; three types are offered. Walk in the door and have a glass of your favorite red at the wine bar while waiting for a table, and take in the colorful paintings. Open daily for lunch and dinner, until 10:00 p.m.
6. The Seafood Brasserie
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 636-7388
Address: 170 Railroad Street
Description: Housed in Santa Rosa’s Vineyard Creek Hyatt Hotel, Seafood Brasserie leans toward seafood, and lots of it. There are dishes revolving around swordfish, scallops, Sacramento Delta crayfish, Dungeness crab, Alaskan halibut, and Hawaiian opah. The wine list is heavy on Sonoma County selections, with reasonable prices. The service in particular is very good.
7. Stark’S Steakhouse
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (707) 546-5100
Address: 521 Adams Street (Railroad Square vicini
Description: Get your red meat here. A longtime Italian restaurant called Michele’s was recently reincarnated into this fabulous steakhouse, another success brought to you by the owners of the two Willi’s restaurants in Sonoma County (see next listing and the Healdsburg section). Stark’s does steaks with toppers (optional), such as foie gras, roasted bone marrow, or sweetbreads. Many sauces are offered, too. Duck, chicken, and lamb selections are available for the non-steak eater. The wine list is nearly 30 pages long, so there’s sure to be a good red to go with your meaty main course. Stark’s is open daily for dinner; lunch is served Monday through Friday.
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 4404 Old Redwood Highway
City: Santa Rosa, CA
Category: Restaurants
Address: 3535 Guerneville Road