Dining

A former employee of ours, Mike Lee, who use to work at our Quality Inn, is now a professional photographer and soon-to-be-med student. Besides having a thriving graphic design/photography business, www.Focus97, he gives his time to Operation Rainbow, www.operationrainbow.org, serving as their documentarian.

In the last week Mike has been serving with Operation Rainbow in Haiti bringing some relief to everyone who needs medical attention. Mike has blogged and posted photos of the tragedy and resilency of the Haitians. Please visit either http://blog.focus97.com or www.operationrainbow.org to see what’s happening real time and help financially if you are able. Thank you

For those of you who didn’t know, the Lagunitas IPA you’ve been drinking is manufactured in our little town of Petaluma. Yep, right here just down from our Quality Inn about a block or so. And they’ve just opened  their TapRoom and Beer Sanctuary, closed Monday and Tuesday, with live music. So forget about winetasting too foo foo, come check-out the brewskis, take a tour, have a bite to eat. Yo ho ho and a bottle of Pale Ale. . .

www.lagunitas.com

Lagunitas Brewing Company

For those of you who knew of the short lived West County Grill located in downtown Sebastopol, a new restaurant has opened from the same people only this time their emphasing a simple menu - Pizza Vino 707, is the name.

I haven’t tried it yet but I will, right along with Peter Lowell’s on Healdsburg Ave.  I never tire of a menu based on what’s in season and grown locally. I’ll give you my review as soon as I try the place. Hopefully, Michael Bauer will hold off his review for a bit.

http://www.pizzavino707.com/

We were driving back from Guerneville last Friday early evening and decided to try out the Willow Wood Cafe in Graton. If you can believe it, over the years a few people have stayed at our Sebastopol hotel and have asked specifically where this place was.

Willow Wood started out as a market way back when, so it has retained its provincial charm. The food is as good as any california-centric, whats-in-season restaurant in the Bay Area with prices in the not too shabby area. 

Graton is a one-horse town, similiar to Penngrove, but it seems that great food can be found in small, charming out of the way places.  They have a website, http://www.willowwoodgraton.com/

Recognized as one of the best Thai restaurants in the Petaluma area, Sea Modern Thai Cuisine features an extensive menu of traditional Thai dishes and modern adaptations. Best of Petaluma voters have named Sea Modern Thai Cuisine the Best Asian Restaurant in Petaluma.

Volpi’s Ristorante & Bar has been satisfying hungry appetites in downtown Petaluma since 1925. This family-run Italian restaurant serves up piping hot, hearty dishes made from age-old recipes. Full bar and live music.

Della Fattoria in downtown Petaluma is the quintessential corner bakery whose aroma of fresh-baked breads pulled warm from the oven wafts down the street. Savor delicious homemade breads, artful cakes, gourmet sandwiches, and more.

French Garden Restaurant and Bistro in Sebastopol is noted for its artful cuisine paired with farm-fresh ingredients pulled directly from the restaurant’s own farm. The menu changes seasonally based on the local harvest.