My wife and I are going with a couple to celebrate the husband’s 70th birthday. It was supposed to be a big weekend in Santa Barbara but spiking Covid numbers got in the way of that. Glen Ellen seemed like a great option. A sleepy little rural town, relatively close by San Francisco, in a county with case numbers in relative control. We’ve staying 2 nights at Gaige House, which looks great.
The other couple loves Girl & The Fig, so the plan is to drive to Sonoma square and do the birthday dinner there. It seemed like a perfect spot with the big outdoor patio. Looking at the website though, it says “NO CORKAGE permitted for safety precautions”. Seriously? My wine is going to infect the premises? But their house, their rules. So be it, I guess. (Although maybe I could ask if I can open, pour, and take the empty bottle with me when we leave?) Browsing their wine list, it seems to be comprised of only US Rhone varietals. Is that true?
Does anyone know the current state of outdoor dinner options for our other night, assuming we’d stay put in Glen Ellen? Thanks!
John you might want to check on Sonoma County in the morning. Received this email at 6:40PM today (Sunday 7/12) from Russian River Brewing Co.
We just received the official news that Sonoma County is the latest county in California to be ordered to shut down several business operations again, including indoor drinking and dining. All bars, brewery taprooms, winery tasting rooms, restaurants and brewpubs must discontinue indoor service effective at midnight tonight, July 12th, and may only serve alcohol to patrons seated outside in conjunction with the purchase of a meal. This order has been enacted to help slow the spread of the coronavirus and will remain in place until at least August 2nd.
We have plans to spend next Saturday wine tasting to celebrate a friends birthday. Don’t know if that is happening now. Good luck.
Sean - I noted that Sonoma was the latest Bay Area county on the watch list for dialing up restrictions. This won’t affect us, as wine tastings and indoor dining were never on the agenda. (As an aside, while I’m certainly more “Covid lax” than many, I would not entertain the thought of indoor dining at this point. Marin opened indoor dining for a week before it had to shut it down again and it’s nothing I considered doing.)
So that’s really the crux of my inquiry into Glen Ellen restaurants. Not necessary what’s most recommended under normal circumstances, but what’s recommended for their specific ability to offer an outdoor dining experience.
For example, there’s a restaurant here in Mill Valley, Bungalow 44, that’s commandeered their entire parking lot as an ad hoc dining area. They have wood lattice barriers to the entrances, plants, heat lamps, and well spaced tables they bring out from inside. It’s a very comfortable experience.
And Girl & The Fig, with that nice big patio, is naturally suited for the outdoor only concept. But I still can’t wrap my head around how it’s deemed safe to operate a full kitchen and service staff with a patio full of diners but unsafe for someone to walk in with a bottle of wine!
for Glen Ellen-specific options, i’d reach out to Glen Ellen Star and Glen Ellen Inn to see if they are modifying their operations to include outdoor dining options. Up in Kenwood, there’s Salt & Stone which has outdoor seating, and Palooza Gastropub also has a patio dining available.
Thanks, Paul. Salt & Stone’s menu look fabulous - something for everybody. And the patio photo by the water looks great too. It’s only 4 miles from Glen Ellen, and I made a res their for our first night. Second night will be Girl & The Fig. I’ll report back.