Sonoma Coast Travel

Sonoma is a vast county with rolling hillsides where happy cows graze, grids of wine grapes, orchards a plenty and a rugged, rich, boulder strewn coastline. Dining in this region, whether you stop at bakery and coffee shop, choose an oyster venue or pop-up in a dive bar or fine dining with a view, it's a culinary wonderland. We hope when you travel to one of our wild food camps you make some stops along your journey.

If you’re driving west to the Sonoma Coast on Valley Ford Road, a great stop is Bodega Bay Oyster Company. They have several types of local oysters – Marin Miyagis, Kumamotos and even our native Olympia oysters. These are tiny bivalves with a mild coppery tang to them. They often have Manilla clams as well. You can order them on the half-shell and sit at a picnic table under a tree. You can also buy them by the dozen to-go and they are half the price of oysters you’ll find at a grocery store and much fresher, higher quality.

If you are heading through Occidental, Wild Flour Bread is the place to stop. The hearth breads are excellent, the scones ($5.75) superb and the fougasse ($10.00) with mushrooms, caramelized onions, jack and smoked gouda might just change your life. (On weekends, plan for lines).

Another stop along the way is Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery. The scenery while traveling out Valley Ford Road is a bucolic vision of happy cows grazing on rolling hills damp from morning fog. If you want to see how cheeses taste from this area, you can pick- up some local cheese to go, or stop for a cheese-centric nosh including sandwiches and cheese boards with local wines and beer. There are also pastries and soft-serve ice cream.

In Bodega Bay, one of our favorite stops is Fishetarian Fish Market. It’s a casual atmosphere – outdoor tables under a tent. But the seafood is mostly local, fresh and delicious. It’s exactly what should be served up not far from the Bodega Bay fishing fleet.  Local rock cod fish & chips ($18.00-22.00) Clam Chowder and Cioppino (Cup $7.00 – 2 Quart $42.00) Crab, oysters, poke – it’s all good. And there’s a kids menu. Beer & cider on tap and bottles of Pliny the Elder. Along with wines by the glass. Expect lines on weekends.

Just next door Rocker Oysterfellers is a great place for oysters raw and broiled -like the New Orleans Oysters with Lemon-butter cream sauce, estero gold cheese ($16.00) and local seafood like their Remoulade Louis salad with Dungeness crab ($36.00). They have a full bar and some nice mocktails.

In the town of Bodega, look for a pop-up restaurant at Casino Bar & Grill. This dive bar is a taxidermy dream or nightmare, depending on where you fall on taxidermy enthusiasm. It used to have a weekend pop-up restaurant with Mark Malaki but it seems like there’s one during the week with The Holly and Talis Show featuring creatively prepared local bounty.

If you want to go upscale, drop by the Fireside Lounge at Drakes Sonoma Coast for fancy drink and nosh Manilla clams in a chardonnay/chorizo sauce. ($32.00)

If you’re heading up through Jenner, Café Aquatica is a favorite stop. For a savory breakfast, you can get the fancy eggs & toasts ($18.00) – which is toasted focaccia bread with two poached eggs, aioli, arugula and everything seeds. (Add avocado $2 or smoked salmon $7 extra.) Scratch-made pastries and coffee are always great there. I love to get a local Dungeness crab roll ($22.00) to-go when I’m passing through to go north for mushrooms, mussels or sea urchins.

One of my hacks while working north of Jenner is that I will often camp at Salt Point State Park ($35.00 a night) or if it’s too cold, stay at The Fort Ross Lodge ($281.00-320.00 a night). This roadside motel has fabulous views, hot tubs on patios for some of the rooms, and a communal hot tub and sauna. It also has a general store with good coffee. A lovely spot is Timber Cove Resort ($269.00- 896.00) They have a great dog-friendly bar with a big roaring fire with creative cocktails and a menu that features local seafood. I remember a halibut-seaweed stew that was wonderful. And a very good burger.

Just north of Salt Point is Stewards Point Store that houses Two Fish Bakery Eatery. It’s so good. Breakfast burritos are just about my favorite things in the world, and theirs are a delight. They also have savory biscuit sandwiches along with espresso drinks and freshly made bakery items. They serve lunch, though I’ve only had an egg salad sandwich because I was too late to get breakfast, but it was impressive- inches thick of deep yellow eggs on homemade wheat bread. They have soup, calzones, pizza and really good bread to go.

If you have a favorite place in this area, let us know and we’ll add it to the list!