We like to think that we are positive people. This article may seem negative, however, look at it as we are being realistic, so please read on.

On a recent trip to Latitude Island Grill in Rohnert Park, we were thoroughly disappointed in the food. It seemed like all of their recipes had changed. The portions were smaller, the food tasted different (not in a good way), and it was just a big letdown as we were excited to go.

The meal started with a disappointing appetizer of calamari. The calamari was substandard, small pieces, and not many of them. Even though the plate was not even full, it seemed like half of the “pieces” were fried batter and not even actual calamari. They should consider changing the name to “fried things with some calamari mixed in.”

The main courses were not much better. Small portions, the taste left a lot to be desired, and the vegetables were overcooked, and appeared to be boiled as opposed to steamed, and the presentation of the food was, well…”dinerish”. We always find you can tell the quality of a restaurant by their appetizers…this is not good news for Latitude. If we had skipped the appetizers we would have come to the same conclusion about the recent changes at Latitude.

The ambience of Latitude is still great. The lakeside setting, outside dining if you so choose, the tiki torches, the cabanas, dining room, the tall ceilings, etc. Unfortunately, the ambience does not outweigh the recent shortcomings of the food however. I am not sure if we will be back until they are under new management, new ownership, or if someone we know says they had a better dining experience there. I would have attached a picture to this article, but there was nothing at Latitude worth taking a picture of.

I really think that Latitude should change back to the way it was. A few months ago I wrote about the change in the Seafood Salad at Latitude, and now it seems like they have made changes across the menu. Was this a few bad trips in a row for us, or is this a trend? I doubt we will be back to find out, again, unless we hear otherwise from friends and acquaintances.

If anyone has a suggestion of a great Sonoma County Restaurant, we would love to hear it.

Graziano’s is not only the best italian restaurant we can find in Petaluma, but is likely one of the best in all of Sonoma County!

Graziano’s offers amazing italian food that is made to order. From chicken parmigiana to veal scallopini, to linguine with clam sauce, we have never had a bad meal at Graziano’s. Graziano’s has also been known to make special dishes for you if you can articulate exactly what you want…their chefs are true food artisans. Just make sure you do not wear a white shirt…or I should take that advice…I always seem to get some tomato sauce on my shirt whenever I eat italian food.

So where is Graziano’s? If you are a Petaluma local you already know…however if you are not, Graziano’s is located right across the street from World Of Stereo, Sonoma County’s Best DJ Shop near the corner of East Washington and Petaluma Boulevard.

Grazianos Italian Restaurant is located at:

170 Petaluma Boulevard
Petaluma, CA 94952

We will see you there!

This unique restaurant is just walking distance from Petaluma’s downtown historic center and the Petaluma Theatre District. The location is convenient, the ambiance is cool and relaxing, the food is amazing and the staff is very friendly. 

SEA Modern Thai Restaurant - Petaluma California

Be sure to check out all of SEA Thai’s Sonoma County locations:

Petaluma: 500 Petaluma Blvd, Petaluma Ca, 707.766.6633

Santa Rosa: 2323 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa Ca, 707.528.8333

Sea Thai Curry Chicken - Petaluma California

Aren’t the colors beautiful? The chefs at SEA Modern Thai will adjust the level of spice to your liking.

Sea Thai Sea Food Salad - Petaluma California

Just look at the presentation…not a detail is missed…

See You At SEA Modern Thai Restaurant!

No matter what time of day you want to eat, In N Out is probably open. If you eat an early lunch, they are open at 10:30 AM. If you are a night owl, they are open until 1:00 AM Sunday through Thursday and they are open until 1:30 AM on Friday and Saturday.

What is the best thing to get at In N Out? The Double Double of course. Yes it is called a Double Double, not just a Double…got that! 2 beef paties, 2 slices of cheese, and amazing taste. I also get fries and a vanilla milkshake…but I am a pretty simple guy. The fries are made in 100% vegetable oil, and the shakes are made from real ice cream and real milk. The milkshakes are a little small for me, but this isn’t a best milkshake article.

We know that there are people who are fans of Jack In The Box, White Castle (Back East), and even Fatburger (SoCal), however we think that In N Out will soon be your favorite if it is not already. After all…In-N-Out is Quality You Can Taste!

Another indication…I have never seen anyone wearing a Jack In The Box T Shirt, and I see In-N-Out T Shirts all the time.

In N Out Rohnert Park is located at: (easily visible from U.S. 101)
5145 Redwood Drive
Rohnert Park, CA 94928

In N Out in Rohnert Park is Open Late. Their hours are:
Sunday to Thursday 10:30 A.M.-1:00 A.M.
Friday and Saturday 10:30 A.M.-1:30 A.M.

It seems like each time someone talks about a restaurant, they say it is the best restaurant they have eaten at…then later another article is published with the same general message about a different restaurant. How can this be? Every restaurant cannot be the best! I give these articles little credence, and treat this as mere barbershop talk. 

I like to think we offer an unbiased opinion…at least that is one of our goals here, whether discussing Real Estate, things to do, or even local restaurants.

Kyoto is the best sushi we have had in Rohnert Park, and we have been customers for quite a while. We have tried other sushi places which are also good, Boathouse Sushi, Hana, Ta-Ke Sushi, and even Honey Cuisine, the Korean BBQ place over by SSU, in the Starbucks shopping center…all are definitely good and worth a try, but Kyoto is still at the top of our list.

One thing we love about Kyoto is the fact that they will make almost anything we ask for to order. Just ask them for the MGM roll, named for one of their local regulars customers, and they will make you one. Or, you can just tell them what you want and they will certainly roll whatever you like. Also, everything always looks and tastes fresh…I think this is ultra important when eating sushi.

Kyoto is located near the corner of Expressway and Commerce (address below). Next time you are in the mood for sushi, we highly suggest Kyoto Rohnert Park.

If you know of a better sushi place in Rohnert Park…please let me know. Actually, let us know if you know of a better sushi place in all of Sonoma County! Kyoto has been a long time favorite of ours, and we are sure it will be a favorite of yours as well.

Kyoto of Rohnert Park is located in the Padre Town Center at:
5 Padre Parkway
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Kyoto Sushi can be reached by phone at 707.584.4204

If you try Kyoto, let us know what you think. If you do, you will know why we say that Kyoto offers the best sushi in Rohnert Park.

On a recent trip to Palm Beach, Florida, I ate at a place called Taverna Opa in CityPlace in downtown Palm Beach. The atmosphere is great…multi story mixed use living and shopping, with great restaurants, shops and people.

We decided to eat at Taverna Opa, a Greek restaurant, and I chose the seafood salad. It was loaded…the bowl is much bigger than it looks in the picture…just look how tiny the piece of pita looks next to it. Anyway…the salad had calamari, shrimp, octopus, red peppers, green peppers, arugula, red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc…all mixed in a citrus vinnaigrette…it was really great…I thought I was back in Sonoma County and then realized I had never had a seafood salad that was this good.

Does anyone know where to get a great seafood salad in Sonoma County? Ever since Latitude Island Grill in Rohnert Park changed their lump crab salad recipe, we are in search of Sonoma County’s best seafood salad. Any advice from readers would be much appreciated. What was Latitude thinking?

“Here’s To Your Health!”

No matter how many times we hear that, some of us neglect to do it because it takes too much time, or is inconvenient, etc. No matter what the excuse, there is an great and tasty way to get healthy right here in Rohnert Park. The JUICE SHACK!

Many Juice shack customers choose one of the popular smoothie recipes such as the Coconut Congo, Hawaiian BeeHive, the Workout Warrior or the Boysenberry Bandit. All are great choices in our opinion.

For those who are a little more daring, or a little picky, the Juice Shack also blends made to order fruit and vegetable juices for you. Whatever your taste, you can get healthy with a tasty drink. You can choose to have vegetable juice, fruit juice, add ice for a smoothie, or add whey protein for a post workout protein shake. Whatever your taste, the Juice Shack should be able to make it.

Make sure you stop by the Juice Shack and have a shot of wheatgrass for energy, or have a multi fruit or vegetable drink…a mixed drink for the health nut.

Juice Shack is located at:

447 Rohnert Park Expressway West
Rohnert Park, California 94928
707.588.9577

Juice Shack has 6 other locations in Sonoma County, from 2 Juice Shack locations in Petaluma to 1 more in Rohnert Park and 4 others located in Santa Rosa. Also, you can visit them at JuiceShack.com to view all of their smoothie recipes and all of their locations. Make sure you tell them that you saw them on SonomaCountyGrapeVine.com.

The Bay View Restaurant at the Inn At The Tides in Bodega Bay is hosting a winemaker dinner at 7:00 PM on June 19, 2009.

Hugh Chappelle, Winemaker of the Lynmar Winery, will host a 4 course dinner. Mr. Chappelle will specially select wines that will accompany each course. Lynmar Winery harvests grapes from the Quail Hill Vineyards, and specialize in Russian River Valley Pinots and Chardonnays. I also heard a rumor that one of the pairings will include Lynmar Estates 2006 Pinot Noir…the one that was voted Best Pinot Noir by North Bay Biz Magazine. Again this is a rumor, I have not been able to verify.

The cost is $79 per person (plus tax and gratuity), and reservations are a MUST! Reservations can be made by calling 800.541.7788.

Maybe we will even see you there.

When you enter the cafe you are greeted graciously by a warm and inviting environment with local Sonoma County artists paintings hanging on the wall. The espresso drinks are delicately hand crafted by friendly Barista’s, Leo-Sara (Owner) and Kendal (friendly staff member). They use only the BEST espresso machines from Florencia, Italy(Florence), La Marzocco. These machines alone are the best and made by the best and imported from Italy (a $17,000 investment!). Golden Bean makes the BEST espresso drink in town-HAND’S DOWN! Did I mention FREE Wi-Fi? You can surf the Internet for free at the Golden Bean.

After you have a nice little chat with the friendly Barista’s they will prepare you a drink that you can enjoy in the cafe or out on the chairs for some relaxing views of the golf course and local golfers. Or you can take a stroll while enjoying your espresso drink and enjoy the serene views of Roberts Lake. However you decide to enjoy your delightful espresso drink be sure to take some time out for yourself and break-away from the anxieties of the day to enjoy a little bit of Italy!