Savor the view at Drakes Sonoma Coast

When the Lodge at Bodega Bay named its restaurant Drakes Sonoma Coast, they weren’t kidding. The seascape from the resort is a miles-long panorama spanning the edges of Bodega Head, a sensitive salt marsh, the lengthy Doran Beach and latitudes north—as impressive a look as one’s going to find in any seaside eatery within the 707. Large, west-facing bay windows line the wall in the Drakes main dining room, so pretty much every seat has a killer view. (People.com named it one of the 10 most beautiful restaurant views in the U.S. in 2015, when the restaurant was still known as the Duck Club.)

The resort has been a Bodega mainstay for more than 50 years—the Alden family, of Woodside, opened the then-named Bodega Bay Lodge in 1972—and draws guests from around the Bay Area and beyond, whether to stay in any of its 80-plus rooms or simply for dinner following an afternoon at the popular Doran Beach down the road.

Our timing was right on a recent visit, and we landed a bright window seat during the June solstice, ideal for dinner and ocean gazing. The adjacent bar and outside deck also offer great views, the latter of which features comfy seats and electric fire pits—perfect for nibbles from the Fireside Lounge bar menu. Drakes’ extensive wine list includes dozens of options, with plenty of locals represented—Balletto, Gun Bun, Patz & Hall, Bricoleur, Banshee, Marimar and St. Francis, among others.

The kitchen is led by chef Brendalee Reiplinger. Reiplinger’s no stranger to Drakes—she served as executive chef a few years ago and returned to don the Drakes toque earlier this summer. Her team seeks to utilize “the bounty of this spectacular coastal region” in its seasonally minded menu and ingredients, according to the restaurant website.

We started with the Crab Louie ($21) and Little Gem Caesar ($15), lighter fare on a warm evening. The crab was topped by cuts of curly endive greens and dollops of egg yolk jam, which blended particularly well with the accompanying cherry tomatoes and bits of orange. The Caesar was large enough to share and enlivened by a trio of boquerones, a nice change from the saltier brown sardine typical of the salad.

The lodge celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2022, renovating for a more modern design and updating its brand. It’s still operated by the Aldens’ Woodside Hotel Group, with family scion Greg Alden as president and CEO. In addition to its guest rooms and restaurant, the lodge is also a destination for weddings—a happy couple were strolling down the aisle on a nearby lawn overlooking the coast as we approached the restaurant. (Note: Parking can be dicey, so give yourself an extra couple of minutes before your reservation to find a spot.)

For entrees, we tried two of the house favorites—black cod ($38) and the Berkshire-Duroc pork chop ($36). The fish is served in a French butter sauce, or beurre blanc, with bits of apple and cuts of hyper-trendy sunchoke—a rich and satisfying dish. (Hint: Slices from a basket of the house della fattoria, $5, were ideal for soaking up the remaining beurre.) The pork chop, meanwhile, proved the highlight of the meal. Served with a delightful bread pudding, the chop comes under a sweet/savory bird’s eye chili glaze dotted with diced stone fruit. The lean pork paired perfectly with the Thai-inspired glaze—we’d be hard pressed to name a better chop in SoCo. The meal culminated with the cool “sweet potato pie” ($12), which is actually browned-butter panna cotta with graham shortbread and a maple drizzle; a hidden-gem of a dessert.

Drakes is in its busy season during the summer months—guests and beachgoers abound, but we also ran into local friends who’d traveled intra county to escape the hot inland temps and enjoy an afternoon on the deck of the lounge. Even if you’re not staying at the lodge, a meal at Drakes is a sure way to take in and enjoy the Sonoma County seaside. The coast, as they say, is clear.

 

 

Drakes Sonoma Coast

103 Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay

707-875-3525

drakes@lodgeatbodegabay.com

Breakfast, Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 11 a.m.

Brunch, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner, daily, 5 to 9 p.m.

Fireside Lounge, daily, 4 to 9 p.m.