6 Day Itinerary for Sonoma, Napa and San Francisco, including a Wedding!
In advance, thank you for reading yet another (tedious?) itinerary. Really, the graciousness of all you San. Fran Bay Area CH folks is impressive. I'll just mention I've done my homework on CH (and consulted maps) and realize our Sonoma and Napa plans involve a lot of back and forth driving, but this is mainly related to revolving plans around the wedding (Relais du Soleil) we're attending on Sat. 8/27. In particular, I'm wondering if the drive to SF on Sun. morning from Yountville via Farmer's Market in Sebastopol, clearly adding a lot of time in the car, is worth it. We really hoped to to experience Mateo Granados and that's the only location we found that fits our schedule. His new venture in Healdsburg hasn't opened yet. :(
Critiques, suggestions, replacements and a reality check would be greatly appreciated. As far as restaurant suggestions, we're looking in moderate and up range, but not TFL or Cyrus range. You'll get a sense of our food preferences from list below. BTW, this is our first trip to CA!!! Thanks, again.
Thursday
12:00 Arrive SFO
Depart car rental place for Healdsburg
NEED Lunch on the way to Healdsburg
Check in to hotel and stroll around Healdsburg
8:00 Barndiva
Friday
8:30 ish Breakfast at Bovolo and then drive to Glen Ellen
11:15 Tour at Benziger
NEED lunch on way to Yountville from Glen Ellen
3:30 Check in to hotel in Yountville
5:00 Rehearsal "dinner" (we don't plan to eat much) in Glen Ellen (Relais du Soleil)
9:30 Bar menu at Redd (walking distance to our hotel) or Terra
Sat.
8:30 ish Breakfast at Bouchon Bakery
10:00 Tour at Round Pond
1:00 Lunch at Addendum
4:00 Wedding at Relaid du Soleil
Sun.
leave Yountville for San Fran. (staying on Nob Hill)
Grab coffee (Bouchon Bakery again???) on way to Sebastopol Farmer's Market
brunch: Mateos Granados
Drive to San Francisco via coastal route???
8:00 La Ciccia
Mon.
NEED Breakfast (between Nob Hill and Pier 39)
10:30 Alcatraz tour
1:30 Lunch at Kokkari
3:00 Presidio walk ??? Mission area walk?? Clement St.
Dinner Delfina Pizzeria (a must for my husband)
10:00 After dinner cocktail at Bourbon and Branch (walk back to Hotel in Nob HIll)
Tues.
8:30 ish NEED Breakfast
10:00 Lunch at Ferry Market maybe Il cane Rosso?
2:30 SFMOMA - expresso at Blue Bottle
Dinner? NEED suggestions: Perbacco (too much Italian after La Ciccia and Delfina?)
La Folie, Canteen? I've run out of steam with this last meal!
Wed. very early flight to NY
-----
La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
La Folie
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Bovolo
106 Matheson St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Barndiva
231 Center St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Mateo Granados
399 Business Park Dr, Windsor, CA
Blue Bottle Cafe
66 Mint St, San Francisco, CA 94103
Pier 39
, San Francisco, CA 94102
-
CarrieWas218
Aug 22, 2011 08:37 AM
I'm sorry you are having to drive between Yountville and Glen Ellen so much to be at Benziger that afternoon, drive over to Yountville to check-in to the hotel and drive BACK to Sonoma for the rehearsal dinner only to go back to Yountville for a later meal is a lot of driving: an hour each way so you had best count on being in your car for three hours.
Personally, after Benziger, I would stay in downtown Sonoma for lunch (La Salette or Girl & The Fig comes to mind) and just wander around down there until the rehearsal dinner. You could hit Gundlach Bundschu or Ravenswood. Check into the hotel late and save yourself a ton of car time.
Also, lunch at Addendum is just okay, but is probably good if you are expecting a heavy meal at the wedding.
Personally, I would try and switch hotels and stay in Sonoma since so much of what you are doing is revolving around Relais du Soleil.
-----
The Girl & The Fig
110 West Spain, Sonoma, CA 95442›8 Replies-
re: CarrieWas218
Too late to consider changing hotels, but your point is well taken. Your suggestion that we stay in Somona for lunch, visit another vineyard, go to rehearsal dinner and do a late check in in Yountville makes a lot of sense. Funny, I had The Girl & the Fig on my first list of restaurant possibilities, but crossed it off when we booked in Yountsville. Hopefully, getting a lunch reso won't be a problem. Any thoughts on bar menu at Redd or Terra for around 9:00 on Fri. night?
Thanks!-
re: shadylane
CarrieWas218
Aug 22, 2011 07:09 PM
Considering how late it will be by the time you check into your hotel, stick with Redd - then you can walk there and relax and walk back to your hotel. Terra is nice and all that, but it will involve more driving for you and an evening stroll around Yountville can be lovely...
-
re: CarrieWas218
Yes, we'll try to get seats at the bar at Redd. Walking will be a nice way to end a day of lots of driving. Do have a suggestion for a light breakfast on Sunday? We will already have been to Bouchon Bakery on Sat. Thanks.
-----
Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599-
re: shadylane
CarrieWas218
Aug 23, 2011 08:02 AM
If you are leaving Yountville early enough, I would recommend stopping at Boon Fly Cafe in Carneros before heading back into the city.
I say "early enough" because by 10:30, there is a line... It might not be as light as you want, but it is definitely the best breakfast in the valley.
If you are looking for only pastries (a la Bouchon), then I would suggest Sweetie Pies in downtown Napa before your head into the city. I like them better than Bouchon for morning fare. Sweetie Pies also does a very nice quiche and morning breakfast which would be lighter and less formal than the waiter-served Boon Fly.
-----
Boon Fly Cafe
4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa, CA 94559Sweetie Pies
520 Main St, Napa, CA 94559Bouchon
6534 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599
-
-
-
-
Tuesday dinner... La Folie is wonderful. As is Perbacco... Perbacco is different enough that it won't be too much Italian. La Folie is the better restaurant, but is far pricier, and a different kind of experience.
-----
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111La Folie
2316 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109 -
pamf
Aug 21, 2011 09:14 PM
Hello, you don't mention where you are coming from (that is, which time zone). If you arrive at SFO at noon (and if your flight is on time) you can expect an hour+ to collect baggage and get your rental car.
If you are desperate for food when you get off the plane, take a look at the offerings in the airport. Depending which terminal you are arriving at you will have a variety of options. The food at SFO ranges from typical airport fare to some very good local outposts. The next suggestion is to visit some of the restaurants that are very close to the airport, before you get on the road. There are some very good Asian restaurants in Millbrae and a few other options as well.
Since you are driving to Healdsburg, you will probably be heading north over the Golden Gate Bridge. If you can wait another hour or so, Sausalito is a very nice little town on the water, just on the north side of the GGB and it is easy to get off and back on the highway. Sausalito has many excellent restaurants.
Since all of these have been discussed before, searching for SFO airport, Millbrae and Sausalito will get you lots of recommendations.
›3 Replies
