(Photos by Farmhouse Inn, mural and Art by Sandy Zimmerman)
My trip to northern California had so many surprises. I was impressed by the Farmhouse Inn, even breakfast was an event! Yes, Inns are usually known for their breakfast but here they served a complimentary two course made-to-order gourmet meal.
I had a first course of Donut Muffins and strawberries with golden balsamic vinegar. Then there was a choice from two second- courses. Either Huevos Rancheros (Eggs Rancheros) poached fresh eggs from their own farm along with black beans, chorizo, queso fresco, home- made salsa and fried tortillas or baked Blueberry French toast. The French toast was different from any other French toast I have ever tasted with their nightingale baguette, blueberries, salted pecans, Chantilly whipped cream, blueberry-maple syrup, and cherry wood smoked bacon. It was so tasty and such a flavorful combination! Another breakfast featured Mascarpone stuffed French toast.
Catherine and Joe Bartolomei, the owners of the Farmhouse Inn, offer such great menus which change daily so you should be ready for spectacular taste treats. Catherine feels, “A farmhouse is what everyone dreams a farm house could be. The experience we are offering is unique. Our food is wholesome and nutritious. Most of the time, the eggs are from our own chickens and the produce from our gardens.”
Joe discussed their Executive Chef, “We have a Michelin Chef who spends half-a-day stopping at 4-5 gardens while getting from his home to work. He returns with boxes and boxes of produce and decides his menu each day. No menu stays longer than a day. The fruit you eat was on the vine eight hours earlier. It is that quick and that fresh.
Our dinner menus have 3-4 courses so people can try lots of dishes from around the world. We make sure guests have the best possible experience. They can even order their dinners with wine pairing overseen by the only Master Wine Sommelier in Sonoma country. These are great California and international wines to explore.”
Catherine explained, “Our chef travels three months every year. He might be diving in Thailand and return with new fresh always exciting Thai dishes relying on our local produce staying always different.”
I loved the tasty Frutti di Mare (Fruit of the Sea) calamari, shrimp and scallop appetizer’s unique vinaigrette dressing prepared with Yuzu-citrus fruit from Asia. Most of their seafood is locally harvested.
For information, call (800)-464-6642. The Farmhouse Inn is located in Forestville, California, just 20 minutes from Sonoma and 30 minutes from Napa. There are airports in nearby Santa Rosa or a 2 hour drive from San Francisco. www.farmhouseinn.com
CALIFORNIA TREATS
Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade & Holiday Cruises: The Newport Beach Boat Parade of Lights is the premier Christmas event Dec. 1-31;
Mammoth Lakes Holiday Tree Lighting: Dec. 2;
Santa Maria Parade of Lights: Dec. 3;
Holiday Lighted Boat Parade, Petaluma: Dec. 3;
Mendocino Crab & Wine Days: Jan. 20-29, 2012;
Visit California website offers a Create your own list of all the places you want to see on your vacation. My Trip makes it easy to bookmark great ideas, and keep them all in one place. Whenever you come across a great trip idea, just click on the Add to Trip button and it will be added to your list in My Trip. You can save your list, access it from any computer, and make changes to it as you explore your vacation options. You can also share your list with friends. Keep your eye out for the Add to Trip button. Then just click and add. That’s it. Have fun dreaming and planning. For all your California Questions, let Visit California help you with your trip plans: www.visitcalifornia.com