Northern California's
Applewood Inn offers world-class fine dining in their delightfully
upscale restaurant. This Sonoma / Russian River Restaurant
is highly regarded for its exquisite cuisine, soothing atmosphere,
polished guest services, and its mellow earthy ambiance. The cozy
restaurant was built to recall a French barn, yet gives one the
feeling of being at a fine Italian villa. The restaurant is part
of Applewood Inn, a Sonoma Bed and Breakfast boutique hotel. Both
the inn and the restaurant have been touted by over 40 newspapers,
magazines and public television shows. In the words of Food
& Wine Magazine: "Applewood Inn &
Restaurant is an oasis of luxe!"
"Fine Cusine
among the redwoods: Set your GPS for this backwoods dinner destination.
It’s actually not hard to find, just over the river from the
town of Guerneville, but it feels off the map, tucked into the secluded
and peaceful Applewood Inn. The upstairs dining room makes a romantic
venue, with cozy fireplaces and a solarium overlooking a trickling
fountain and courtyard below. The cuisine melds French influences
with California sensibilities, as borne out by the crab-packed profiterole
paired with refreshing citrus salad, or the buckwheat crêpe,
a delightfully square pocket with earthy duck innards with a sprig
of micro greens. A beef filet with chanterelles, shallot confit,
and endive please, though accompanying gnocchi seem superfluous.
Better still: halibut with braised artichoke and wild mushroom ragoût.
Happy endings include a sunburst of crème brûlée
with cranberry or a simple chocolate ganache crêpe. Rather
than chance a foggy drive on the windy road back to civilization,
plan ahead and book a room at the inn --- otherwise, you’ll
envy those strolling off under the stars for a nightcap." -
Gayot 2007 |
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