Hoffman House

Chef Danny Nooris says when he first visited Sonoma County five years ago (he’s originally from San Diego), he “fell in love with the place.” Today, he sources local ingredients to create dishes that have won accolades at the Harvest Fair and among the restaurant’s local and visiting clientele.

We visited for lunch but wanted to try some breakfast fare as well (the restaurant only serves dinner for special events). So why not start out with a refreshing mimosa and a spicy, well-garnished bloody mary? These accompanied our first course of a sampler plate, which featured bruléed goat cheese (with caramelized tops), thin-sliced, dry-aged salami, prosciutto-wrapped honeydew melon, creamy blue cambozola cheese, a sweet, whole fig compote and toasted crostini. The earthy, sweet and salty dish was beautifully presented and a fun way to tantalize our taste buds.

Next came a breakfast burrito, wrapped in a spinach and herb tortilla and packed with eggs, potatoes, avocado, bacon, house-made chorizo, and cheddar and jack cheese. Served with delicious house-made guacamole and salsa and a dollop of sour cream, it was both filling and easy to eat.

I’m a huge grilled cheese fan (yes, even as an adult!), so I went for the grilled bacon and cheese sandwich, which was piled high with apple and pancetta bacon, tomato and avocado. It came with jack cheese on thick-cut bread and a choice of house-made potato chips, house salad, chef’s special salad of the day, garlic fries or soup. I went for the house salad, which was mixed greens with grated d’anjou pear, dried cranberries, thick chunks of crumbled blue cheese and a light, mildly sweet and flavor-packed apple vinaigrette.

The local crab cake Reuben sandwich was a North Bay twist on more traditional crab cakes and Reubens. It included a large, house-made crab cake, red onion relish, melted Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, all served on grilled rye bread. Another sandwich we tried was the “dunked” roasted beef, which had tender, thin-sliced beef piled high on a toasted roll with pickled horseradish and melted cheddar. It was served with an excellent au jus for dipping.

Dessert was the restaurant’s award-winning flan, which was of ideal consistency and caramel-rich in flavor, with fresh whipped cream and a sliced strawberry on top, surrounded by caramel sauce—a sweet way to finish our stay.