Sea Ranch

[DaleJ]

My wife and I are staying at SR the week of the 9th of December. As architects we am well aware of its fame but don't know whats in the vicinity. Are there wineries and good food within 50 miles or so? Help! Thanks.

[Sharon S.]

I loved my meal at the Sea Ranch Lodge, we went at sunset and it was spectacularly lovely. I suggest you look up Gualala on the California board also.

[Melanie Wong]

Here's a link to Amata's recent post with some good tips for the area.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[nja]

You'll find a lot more ideas on the California board. In short, Saint Orres and Pangaea are #1 and #2 (which is which depends on who you ask). But if you've got two nights, those should be the two dinners.

The closest winery is Annapolis Winery in Annapolis. The wines are not very good so it's certainly not worth a detour, but if you happen to be going through there anyway (i.e., if you take Skagg-Springs road from Sonoma to Sea Ranch) it couldn't hurt to stop. Otherwise your best bet is to head north past Point Arena and then take Mountain View Road to the Anderson Valley. Navarro, Roederer, and Lazy Creek are my favorite stops. As others mentioned it's a bit of a drive on long winding roads, but as I'm as passionate about driving as I am about food, that's part of the appeal.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/303314
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/88730
Or try searching the California board for: Gualala, Anderson Valley, Boonville, Mendocino.

-Nick

[Benny Choi]

Bones BBQ in Gualala is pretty good. I recall the beef brisket was quite smokey and the beef ribs were tasty.

Dinner at the Sea Ranch lodge is quite nice. Sorry I don't remember the details of the meal.

[Ian F]

My wife and I found the lodge at Sea Ranch restaurant to be quite good for dinner. We had the tasting menu which was well conceived and paired with some excellent wines.

While you can go north to get at some wineries like Roederer in the Anderson Valley, you can also go east and hit the Healdsburg area. The problem is that while the distance east does not look that great, the road has many sharp turns and is extremely rural. Not a great scenario for post winery visits, unless you allow enough time to make sure you are clear headed.

[Robert Lauriston]

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/303314

[DavidT]

Be careful driving the roads up & around Sea Ranch. It could easily take you 90 minutes (or more) to drive 50 miles north or south on Highway 1.

You might want to do a search for Gualala, as there have been posts in the past about restaurants there. For a casual lunch (fish & chips, hamburgers, etc.) the Smokehouse at the Sea Ranch Golf Links is worth a visit.

[TonyP]

Pangaea in Gualala, 5-15 north of Sea Ranch, depending upon where you're staying.

http://www.pangaeacafe.com/index.html