Wine Country Coffee: Like a Local
When traveling, I like to experience the city without visiting any chain or corporate businesses because, well, you can experience those in just about any place. When it comes to my morning coffee, I especially enjoy popping into a local café rather than a Starbucks. Here is a list of the small, family-run cafés and coffeeshops to visit while in Sonoma Valley’s beautiful Wine Country.
Stay for breakfast:
Baker and Cook, located a short drive from the Sonoma Plaza, is run by a husband-wife team that used to have a very popular, farm-to-table restaurant downtown but closed and opened a daytime café instead. The food is just as extraordinary and as if you were sitting at a nice restaurant, but the outdoor ambiance is chill and rustic and you place an order with one of the friendly gentleman at the counter. The coffee is always top-notch, but you must stay for the breakfast! The menu features things like White miso egg salad on a grilled baguette, Korean red chili and an arugula salad, $10; Smoked bacon and roasted delicata squash sandwich with arugula, mozzarella, chipotle aïoli on a ciabatta roll, $15'; and Mushroom and cabbage fried rice with ginger, basil, mint, lime, fish sauce and two fried eggs, $15. They also have a seasonal variety quiches, pastries, and donuts. 18812 CA-12, Sonoma, CA; 8am-2pm closed Monday and Tuesday
Sunflower Caffe, situated on a main corner of the downtown Plaza, this place is known for it’s long lines of customers excited to enjoy the colorful patio, mimosas, coffee, and breakfast. Your best bet is to get there early, about 8am, or in between breakfast and lunch, about 1:30pm. Their breakfast menu features hyper local ingredients and quite a few vegetarian and vegan options. Their waffle is basically famous: Chia tea poached pears, salted caramel, ginger crumble, butter, organic maple syrup, $14; Cauliflower tostada, babaganoush, roasted cauliflower, toasted walnuts, crispy corn tortilla, cumin-cashew crema, urfa chili, pomegranate seeds, $9; and my favorite: thinly sliced wagyu beef, fried egg, arugula, brioche bun, caramelized onion spread, $13. 421 1st St W, Sonoma, CA; 8am-3pm closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Coffee and a pastry
Basque Boulangerie, the perfect place to pop in for a coffee and a pastry to-go. They offer such a variety of bear claws, scones, muffins, and croissant, as well as some hot breakfast items like oatmeal with fruit, egg sandwiches, and burritos. Basque has been a staple of Sonoma since 1954 and has happily employed some of the same bakers for decades. They also serve wine, so stay for lunch if you can snatch a table out front overlooking the Plaza Park. 460 First Street East Sonoma, CA; 6am-5pm Fri-Sun; 6am-4pm Mon-Thur.
Les Pascals, an authentic French bakery in the town of Glen Ellen is worth a stop on your way out to wine taste or find breakfast. The macarons, Financiers, and Pain au chocolat croissants are a must-grab with an espresso or latte, or bring one of their fresh baked baguettes to a picnic in Jack London State Park. 13758 Arnold Drive Glen Ellen, CA; 6am-4:30; closed Wednesdays
hard to find Hidden gems
Flora Coffee, this coffee cart posts up at Flatbed Farms in Glen Ellen only on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. They’re known for high-quality pour-ver coffees, hot chocolate, and their stylish merchandise. No lattes or cappuccinos here! This is the real get-your-morning-going kind of stuff. You might as well pick up some produce, olive oil, or honey at Flatbed Farm while you’re there. It’s really beautiful produce grown right at that property. 13450 Sonoma Hwy, Glen Ellen, CA; Thur-Fri 7am-1pm; Sat 8am-3pm
Yeehaw Coffee, Get Your Giddy Up! This is cowboy-style coffee prepared over an open flame and all. To enjoy a cup of this Joe, you must visit the Sonoma Farmer’s Market Friday mornings 9-12pm. This market operates year round, rain or shine. 270 1st St. West Sonoma, CA; Fridays only 9am-12:30pm
coffee On the run
Café Scooteria, this is a drive-up coffee “cart”, which is totally awesome when you’re in a hurry. Owner Nick Grimm combined his love of coffee, vintage scooters, and customizing vehicles together in the unique coffee drive thru that has since become an icon in Sonoma. Cafe Scooteria prides itself on traditional Italian style cappuccinos and lattes made with only local ingredients. They recently renovated the side of the café to allow patrons to sit and enjoy their coffee or quick breakfast burrito on a vintage bench swing or table-for-two. 455 W Napa St, Sonoma, CA; Tues-Fri 5am-5pm; Sat-Sun 7am-2pm