Village Inn & Restaurant 
20822 River Blvd.
Monte Rio
(707) 865-2304
American Classic Cuisine
Dinner Wed.-Sun
Entrées: $22-$30
Full bar; great wine list
The Village Inn & Restaurant has a long history in Monte Rio. First built as a private residence in 1906, it quickly became a vacation destination for visitors, and an adjacent building was added two years later. In 1942, it was the location for several scenes in the film “Holiday Inn” with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Current owner Mark Belhumeur purchased the property in 2001. Recently renovated, it’s located right alongside the Russian River, is surrounded by redwoods and has 10 rooms and beautiful grounds that are popular for parties, weddings and retreats.
Its restaurant features a full bar and lounge (the bar opens at 3 p.m.), a main dining area and outdoor seating—all of which overlook the river. The feeling is warm and friendly, and the ambiance maintains a historic feel yet with today’s top amenities.
We started with cocktails and enjoyed them with the pickled vegetables and fresh bread placed on the table. An appetizer of smoked salmon rolled with capers, cream cheese red onion and surrounded with a thin slice of cucumber was crunchy, creamy and salty, presented beautifully and a great way to begin. Next we had the crab rangoons, which were fried won tons filled with crab, cheese and scallions with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.
Entrées are served with soup or salad, and you can “upgrade” to a specialty salad. So we opted for the roasted beets with goat cheese salad (layered on greens and drizzled with vinaigrette, the beets were sweet and there was plenty of cheese) and the delicious soup of the day, which was a texture-rich, creamy tomato chicken with shallots.
The entrées themselves were generous in size. The New York steak was perfectly cooked, topped with Madeira mushrooms that added a touch of earthy sweetness. Roasted red potatoes with grilled onions were a tasty accompaniment. It went great with a lush Balletto Vineyards Syrah that had hints of leather and spice.
Rodney Strong Chardonnay (crisp) went well with the special of whole trout (yes, the head is included unless you say you don’t want it), which was fresh and tender, served with creamy, rich polenta. Both entrées also included sautéed vegetables.
A side of “not momma’s mac and cheese” was made with penne and had a rich, creamy cheese sauce and plenty of bacon and panko sprinkled on top, then baked golden brown—very rich and comforting.
For dessert, we went for warm pound cake bread pudding, topped with whipped cream, which was an absolute delight. Thanks to Chef de Cuisine Amanda Jacobs and Sous Chef Allen Miller, as well as our server, Lana, for a lovely meal.
