Hungry? Thirsty? Try these tasty new options in Wine Country.
This cozy eatery serves Russian food along the Russian River. The buffet is tasty, packed with a daily array of cold and warm salads, piroshky, shrimp-stuffed peppers, and cured meats, as well as fruit, fish, and kvass (a Slavic fermented beverage made from rye bread). Just don’t expect to pay. Owners Tatiana Ginzburg and Polina Krasikova only accept donations of both money and food. It’s a community experiment, they say, designed to spread enlightenment and consciousness along with that bowl of borscht. // 9960 Highway 1, Jenner, russian-house1.com
Owners Jim and Michele Wimborough recently took over the former Bistro des Copains cottage, changed the format from French to Cal-Med, and won our hearts with signature dishes such as scallop crudo dressed with Santa Rosa plums. Most ingredients are local, and we're truly enjoying the Valley Ford cheese with sweet corn, cherry tomato and jalapeno pizza,fresh salmon roasted in the oven with leeks, and a delicous variety of West County wines. // 3782 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental, restauranthazel.com
For the past 23-years, Ralph Tingle has welcomed guests to his rustic French-Cal bistro, Ralph's. Now, he’s freshened the tiny 13-table space and anointed it with a new name and modern menu. The bar is center stage now, with a small plaes-focused menu and cocktail table service. Dishes range from foie gras with nectarines and cauliflower steak dotted with salsa roja to pork tamales and vanilla gelato sundaes. // 109 Plaza Street, Healdsburg, ralphsmartinithouse.com
Tucked deep inside an 8,500-square-foot cave, this new Foley Food & Wine Society destination features two wine cellars and a tasting bar pouring limited production Foley Family wines. If you’re so inclined, tip your head back in between sips of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, and count the bricks lining the intricate ceiling – there are nearly 30,000 of them. // 10309 Chalk Hill Road, Healdsburg, rothwinery.com
Making its debut in the Oxbow Public Market, this gourmet grocery tempts with locally-sourced, organic fruits and vegetables, plus an array of dry goods, Hudson Vineyards wines, and beauteous flowers. How’s this for delicious?There’s a juice bar, a toast bar of breads slathered with house-made spreads, a savory selection of bone broths(!), and a deli area stocked with seasonal, farm-based, grab-n-go offerings. // 610 1st Street, Napa, oxbowpublicmarket.com
