So.... are you talkiing about that little town between Sebastopol and Guerneville? YES! that's the place!
Forestville is a lovely and diverse spot along the Russin River in western Sonoma County. It is truly in the heart of wine country and on the way to the redwoods and the rugged northern CA coast. Today I just wanted to share a little about some of the diverse places for every day eating in this quaint little town.
You may have heard that Mosaic is a great spot and you would be correct. Some of you may have even heard about a nice meal at the Farmhouse Inn and again, you would be correct but there is way more to Forestville eating than theese2 fine dining restaraunts and as somebody whose office is in downtown Forestville, I think I am well qualified to write this article.
Roasters Espresso Bar serves great coffee and pastries and they are open from 6 AM to 5 PM. True to the name, they roast their own coffee and they sell it to many local establishments. They are located downtown next to El Molino Pharmacy and they have a shop in Sebastopol on the south side and at Andy's market as well (new location)
Off the Track Cafe is opening 3/27. They serve the morning coffee crowd and they have a more expanded breakfast and lunch fare. They are not open as I write this but they seem to know how to get a restaraunt ready and the menu in the window looks great! This is in the spot where Front Street Coffee was until last month. They are on the other block of the 2 block downtown.
Carr's Drive In for great burgers and fries and excellent shakes. located right at the entrance to town next to Forestille School and right down the street from the high school. It is a good time old fashioned burger drive in like you saw on Happy Days. The kids hang out there after school as it is the unofficial meeting spot for kids and parents and 2nd parking lot to the school when there is a play or event.
La Rosa Market and Taqueria is across from Off the Track in between the gym and the dog groomers. It seems that this is the spot for the kids from El Molino High to hang out and I have been known to eat there once or twice since it is across the street from my office. They have big burritos like I am used to getting in the mission district in San Francisco but my absolte favorite are the fish tacos. They do not use cabbage and the fish is not deep fried. The fish is a nice fresh talapia and the sauce they use is the best I have ever had.
Aioli Deli right next to the barbershop near the Forestville club is not your typical deli. You can get a nice frsh panini sandwich and choose from a plethora of fresh home made salads and specialty take out food. The owners are classically trained in the culinary arts. I don't know too many deli's where duck confit is on the daily menu. I absolutely love the food here and you can eat on the patio or take it to go.
There is a new restaraunt coming that will be right across from Ideal hardware and I understand it is to be called Sarah's restaraunt. It has been coming for a while but there is work happening daily and from what I understand it will be a breakfast/lunch spot and they won't be doing dinners. There have been some changes so this could have changed also. This one is being broought top you in part by Greg Hallinan who brought us Stella's and the El Mo Steakhouse. These other restaraunts were more of a fine dining experience so it will be interesting to see wht Greg brings us here.
Next up we have Mosaic. My goal with this post was really to highlight all of the daily spots to eat in Forestville and not the fine dining nightlife spots but Mosaic fits in both actually. It is a lovely place to go for a special evening of fine dining and it is also really nice for appetizers and wine on the back patio AND there is a really great, well priced lunch menu as well. If you want an excellent burger or fish and chips and you have the time for a sit down meal, this is the place.
At the top of the hill by the post office, we have 2 more spots for you and I will start with Andorno's Pizza. This is your basic pizza parlor and I mean that in the best way. Bring the little league team here for a team celebration or get it to go. With a full salad bar, the freshest ingredients and wine and beer, you can't go wrong. I once complimented Jim the owner about his linguica and I got a little more backgorund on linguica than I really wanted but the man is passionate about his pizza. He also owns the original Andorno's pizza in downtown Guerneville.
Tahoe Chinese is also at the top of Mirabel Road by the post office and they serve traditional chinese fare. This is a great place for lunch as it is quick and well priced lunch packages to get you in and out while still having the luxury of a sit down meal. Bing & Lisa really make you feel at home and it is really nice for take out as well.
I really wanted to focus primarily on downtown restaraunts but there area few more that deserve honorable mention.
I am ashamed to say that I have not ever eaten at the Farmhouse Inn. I have heard nothing but rave reviews from everyone I have ever spoken to. I have friends who live in Sacramento who have come back year after year to the Farmhouse Inn (I guess they lost my number). It is a local favorite and a destination as well. Maybe they will read this and send me a gift certificate so I can properly reccomend it to my friends & clients. The Farmhouse Inn is located at 7871 River Road near Wohler Road.
At the edge of town on HWY 116 just past the welcome to Forestville sign is Mom's Apple Pie and the Henweigh Cafe. Mom's serves tons of apple and other fresh pies as you might have guessed but they also have an excellent deli and I had a turkey & Bacon sandwich there this afternoon. The problem with Mom's is that I also had a piece of Pecan Pie with vanilla ice cream.
The Henweigh Cafe is currently in the spot that used to house Stella's and the the El Mo Steakhouse. This is good comfort food/fine dining and the one meal I had there was excellent. The menu was well thought out and prepared and served in an extremely confortable setting. We were there sort of in between lunch and dinner so we dined pretty much alone so we got lots of attention and we felt like we were in our dream home with servants.
Start with coffee and end with coffee..... I just have to mention Full Throttle Cafe down by the Hacienda bridge on River road on your way to Guerneville. This is a unique spot with good coffee and espresso drinks and pastries. They are only open from 6 AM to 2 or 3 in the afternoon so it is a great spot mto stop at on your way to the beach and check out their unique decor.
So......... lots of choices to eat in the little burg of Forestville. If you are passing thorugh or just need a change of pace from another little burg, stop on by and tell them that Hans sent you.
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