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Top 3 Holiday Places to Eat
Napa Valley & Sonoma County
by Robert Farmer
1. Farm at the Carneros Inn
During winter months the grounds of the Carneros Inn resort, situated at the southern end of the Napa Valley, is slower paced, more sparsely populated, and graciously beautiful. It’s the kind of place where the family can decamp for a few days and retreat from the hustle and bustle of citified holiday madness. The property’s signature restaurant, Farm, is the ideal spot for a festive holiday repast. The expansive dining room and adjacent large covered patio centered by a huge fire pit, are the sort of environments that seem to invite spirited social gathering. The mood is casual, unfussy, but nevertheless very chic. And it doesn’t hurt that there are simply no misses on the seasonal farm-driven menu of American Wine Country dishes. Throw in a wine list that solidly reminds one of the location, and the makings of a great winter evening are all in place.
*Open for dinner 5:30-10pm Wed-Sun
FARM at Carneros Inn
4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa
(707) 299.4880
www.thecarnerosinn.com
2. Dry Creek Kitchen at the Hotel Healdsburg
Just because it seems like everybody knows each other at this always-jammed, always buzzing Wine Country outpost from chef Charlie Palmer, doesn’t necessarily mean they do. But the neighborhood feel and congeniality of the staff have a tendency to make every guest feel like a regular. My guess is that one visit won’t be enough for you anyway. Because this is the place to be in Healdsburg, and its gravitational pull only increases during the holidays. Whether you visit during one of the planned special Winter Winemaker Dinner series in December, or you make your stop a special event of your own, it’s hard to beat Palmer’s inventiveness and eagerness to please. The dining room offers many large-group options as well as intimate tables for two–all with views to the open kitchen and action at the bar up front. Tables outside are available, too, and the winter chill can be easily offset with the right vintage.
*Open for lunch Fri-Sun noon-2:30pm; Dinner Sun-Thurs 5:30-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 5:30- 10pm
Hotel Healdsburg
317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg
707-431-0330
www.hotelhealdsburg.com
3. EDK at the El Dorado Hotel
Anchoring one corner of Sonoma Plaza, this lively, friendly Sonoma spot quickly became one of my Wine Country favorites after its opening a few years ago. The large sophisticated-looking room is typically buzzing with visitors and locals alike, who stream in for executive chef Justin Everett’s “farm driven” menu. My wife and I, however, returned again and again simply for the amazing black truffle-dusted French fries. There are of course several other tempting treats on the seasonally changing menu. But the food is just part of the story. The dining room–in terms of both location and atmosphere–is the perfect spot for a festive holiday celebration. With indoor and outdoor seating options and an exhibition kitchen, it’s the sort of place where there always seems to be some kind of party taking place, no matter the season. And if you and 20 of your best friends can secure the 21-foot-long wood table in the center of the room, yours will no doubt soon be the party everyone wants to join.
EDK at the El Dorado Hotel
405 First Street West, Sonoma
707-996-3030
www.eldoradosonoma.com
by Robert Farmer
1. Farm at the Carneros InnDuring winter months the grounds of the Carneros Inn resort, situated at the southern end of the Napa Valley, is slower paced, more sparsely populated, and graciously beautiful. It’s the kind of place where the family can decamp for a few days and retreat from the hustle and bustle of citified holiday madness. The property’s signature restaurant, Farm, is the ideal spot for a festive holiday repast. The expansive dining room and adjacent large covered patio centered by a huge fire pit, are the sort of environments that seem to invite spirited social gathering. The mood is casual, unfussy, but nevertheless very chic. And it doesn’t hurt that there are simply no misses on the seasonal farm-driven menu of American Wine Country dishes. Throw in a wine list that solidly reminds one of the location, and the makings of a great winter evening are all in place.
*Open for dinner 5:30-10pm Wed-Sun
FARM at Carneros Inn
4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa
(707) 299.4880
www.thecarnerosinn.com
2. Dry Creek Kitchen at the Hotel Healdsburg
Just because it seems like everybody knows each other at this always-jammed, always buzzing Wine Country outpost from chef Charlie Palmer, doesn’t necessarily mean they do. But the neighborhood feel and congeniality of the staff have a tendency to make every guest feel like a regular. My guess is that one visit won’t be enough for you anyway. Because this is the place to be in Healdsburg, and its gravitational pull only increases during the holidays. Whether you visit during one of the planned special Winter Winemaker Dinner series in December, or you make your stop a special event of your own, it’s hard to beat Palmer’s inventiveness and eagerness to please. The dining room offers many large-group options as well as intimate tables for two–all with views to the open kitchen and action at the bar up front. Tables outside are available, too, and the winter chill can be easily offset with the right vintage.
*Open for lunch Fri-Sun noon-2:30pm; Dinner Sun-Thurs 5:30-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 5:30- 10pm
Hotel Healdsburg
317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg
707-431-0330
www.hotelhealdsburg.com
3. EDK at the El Dorado Hotel
Anchoring one corner of Sonoma Plaza, this lively, friendly Sonoma spot quickly became one of my Wine Country favorites after its opening a few years ago. The large sophisticated-looking room is typically buzzing with visitors and locals alike, who stream in for executive chef Justin Everett’s “farm driven” menu. My wife and I, however, returned again and again simply for the amazing black truffle-dusted French fries. There are of course several other tempting treats on the seasonally changing menu. But the food is just part of the story. The dining room–in terms of both location and atmosphere–is the perfect spot for a festive holiday celebration. With indoor and outdoor seating options and an exhibition kitchen, it’s the sort of place where there always seems to be some kind of party taking place, no matter the season. And if you and 20 of your best friends can secure the 21-foot-long wood table in the center of the room, yours will no doubt soon be the party everyone wants to join.
EDK at the El Dorado Hotel
405 First Street West, Sonoma
707-996-3030
www.eldoradosonoma.com
Author
WineCountry Admin
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