Well, go to Old Redwood Square...
by snmred
Well, go to Old Redwood Square located on the West side of HWY 101. There's some great antique shops and a great coffee spot where I used to work. Way back when. You could not trip on any given Saturday morning in the fall without falling on a youth soccer game. I played in Rincon Valley for 12 years. Every Saturday from September till December was soccer and it was a lot of fun.
Wedding receptions at vineyards
by jessicadf
Luckily, my mother's got the great house and vineyard for just such an occassion! We had a lovely reception, with plenty of parking for the guests between the rows in the vineyard. Ahhh, a perfect party!
Find a family who's throwing a party
by jessicadf
If you're lucky (and my friend), you might get invited to a party at my mother's home. Here she is, with our friend Michael, getting an "egg-toss" event going on Easter 2003. She throws a *terrific* party, no matter the ocassion!
Really Great Pizza
by WulfstanTraveller about Mombo's
This is a small place that has great thin-crust pizza. There is some room to eat in, but for the most part the place serves take away. You can buy pizza by the slice or as a whole pizza and it often serves the student crowd since Santa Rosa Junior College is practically right across the street.
This is our favourite pizza place anywhere in Sonoma County (aside from Rosso which, as a classy restaurant cnetred on creative wood-fired pizzas is not really comparable), and there are some good pizza places around here.
The Mombo's website (see below) has information, deals, and printable coupons, as well.
Aside from the original one here in Santa Rosa, there is also a newer one in nearby Sebastopol. Pesto (wow); mushroom and red onion, Greek. It's all great.
Great, Fresh Cooking for Breakfast and Lunch
by WulfstanTraveller about Dierk's Parkside Cafe
This is a great little funky place just south of downtown that serves breakfast and lunch. It has a cozy, slightly funky, very friendly and fun atmosphere. There's a small counter around the kitchen area, practically to the front door, and none of the mugs match, giving a great homey feel. The food is essentially a different and fresh, imaginitive take on standard diner-type American food. Breakfast consists of pancakes, omelettes & other egg dishes, biscuits and gravy, etc., but it is all utterly excellent, different & more imaginitive than what normally finds, made with great care, subtlety, & fresh, local ingredients. Examples of the different dishes are duck confit; warm poached egg salad with bacon, potato, etc., on baby greens and romaine with a light vinaigrette; wondeful hash with sharp cheddar, sauteed cherry tomatoes, spinach, and basil, and topped with egg. The service is also fast and very friendly.
Notably, everything is homemade, too, and they use fresh, seasonal ingredients. As a result, the menu changes seasonally.
On top of the quality, it is not at all expensive, either. It's comparable to Mac's (another great place downtown) and if anything less expensive than inferior chain places like IHOP. The biscuits and gravy are simply the best we've ever had anywhere. The warm poached-egg salad is also wonderful and the pancakes, while essentially basic buttermilk pancakes, are excellent, made the way one always wants but rarely finds. The breakfast sandwich is also great.
Excellent specials sometimes available include wonderful gazpacho & a salad of greens with fresh mango, freshly-fried chicken pieces, and a light vinaigrette.
The Country Benedict is a wondeful variation on Eggs Benedict, with hash browns, dried tomatoes, mushrooms & spniach with the eggs, bacon, and Hollandiase on a toasted baguette.
The pull-aparts, freshly made fried leavened dough covered in sugar & cinnamon, are excellent as well.