Fine food can be found in any capacity in Napa or Sonoma -- you just have to know where to look. But, dining alfresco at a small sandwich shop or lingering over lunch at a casual Italian trattoria can be just as memorable and a whole lot cheaper.
Blue Heron Restaurant and Tavern
Steelhead Boulevard
Duncans Mills
707-865-9135
The Blue Heron Restaurant and Tavern, a popular spot in the Russian River area, features a variety of sandwiches and entrees priced anywhere from $5 to $10.
Willi's Seafood and Raw Bar
403 Healdsburg Ave
Healdsburg
707-433-9191
Willi's Seafood and Raw Bar offers Cuban-inspired food as well as New England style "rolls" filled with lobster or clams. Prices are easy on the pocketbook, with many items available in "small plates." Most dishes can be had for $10 or less.
Taylor's Refresher
933 Main Street, St.
Helena
707-963-3486
Taylor's Refresher is a hamburger diner with outdoor appeal. In fact, all the seating is at outdoor picnic tables. Burgers, shakes and fries are great, but if you want to skip the meat, you'll find salads and other options on the menu. You can get a decent meal here for about $10.
ZuZu
829 Main Street
Napa
707-224-8555
ZuZu offers small plates of delicious foods, mostly with a Spanish flavor, at cheap prices ($2-$11). A surprisingly wide menu includes paella; fresh, clean corn soup; sizzling prawns with bread-dipping sauce; and Moroccan barbecued lamb chops with a sweet and spicy sauce.
Uva Trattoria Italiana
1040 Clinton Street
Napa
707-255-6646
Uva Trattoria Italiana, located in downtown Napa, has everything you'd expect to find in an Italian restaurant: pasta, risotto, gnocchi, pizza. But this spot also has a specialty in its homemade tagliatelle with roasted portobello mushrooms, topped with pecorino cheese. Plenty of food for about $10-$15 each.
Nation's Giant Hamburgers
1441 Third Street
Napa
707-252-8500
This is a place where the name says it all. Well, almost, because although you can certainly get a great burger here, you'll also find the menu packed with alternatives - wild salmon sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, chili, shakes, and meatless patties as well. Fill your stomach for under $10.
Tandoori Express
1880 Mendocino Ave. #D
Santa Rosa
707-543-8168
Tandoori Express offers Indian food that is reliable and affordable (most entrees are less than $7). You'll be pleased by the curries, the tandoori chicken, and other Indian treats.
Amigo's Grill & Cantina Restaurant
19315 Sonoma Hwy
Sonoma
707-939-0743
Amigo's Grill & Cantina Restaurant, in the Town Square area of Sonoma, features classic tortillas, pepitas, nachos, empanada, remolacha, soft tacos topped with grilled and marinated red snapper, beef, chicken, pork and vegetables. Two can probably eat for about $20.
Pearl's Homestyle Cooking
561 Fifth St. West
Sonoma
707-996-1783
Pearl's Homestyle Cooking carries the kind of food that Mom used to make, well, some moms anyway. Big breakfasts - eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, French toast - that will keep you coming back for more. And the lunches and dinners are equally pleasing. You can fill up for less than $10.
Murphy's Irish Pub
464 First Street
Sonoma
707- 935-0660
Murphy's Irish Pub is a place where you can go dressed as casually as you wish. The food is typical pub food - don't pass up the shepherd's pie. And wash it down with a pint. You don't have to be Irish to enjoy the comfortable atmosphere. Dinner for two for about $20.
Flatiron Grill
1440 Lincoln Avenue
Calistoga
707-942-1220
Flatiron Grill, located in the heart of Calistoga, offers everything from mussels and calamari to cheeseburgers and fries. And even with hearty appetites, a couple can come away paying only about $25.
The Red Rock Cafe
1010 Lincoln Avenue
Napa
707-226-2633
If you're hungry for barbecue and don't want to spend a lot of money, go to The Red Rock Cafe. Their Backdoor Barbecue features ribs, chicken and pork, as well as grilled hamburgers and an assortment of side dishes. Eat heartily for about $10-$15 each.
Pho Vietnam
711 Stony Point Road
Santa Rosa
707-571-7687
Pho Vietnam, located in the Food 4 Less shopping center off Stony Point Road, is the place to try out the interesting tastes of Vietnam. There's nothing fancy here, and a lot of the business is take-out, but for budget-minded diners the good news is that the most expensive item on the menu is $6. The specialty here is the noodle soup bowl, a meal in itself. And there are many different kinds.
Hank's Creekside Restaurant
2800 Fourth Street
Santa Rosa
707-575-8839
Hank's Creekside Restaurant, where the folks line up for breakfast and wait to get inside, does indeed serve great early-morning food. But don't forget the tasty sandwiches and salads for lunch and dinner. Two can eat for less than $20.
Juanita Juanita
19114 Arnold Dr.
Sonoma
707-935-3981
Juanita Juanita is a fun place with good Mexican food and very good prices. You might not even have to break a twenty dollar bill to pay for you and your dining partner. Enjoy the walls, they're covered with years worth of postcards and drawings provided by local fans.
