Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The convivial atmosphere and casual drinking vibe are draw enough. However,
the list of 400 wines, 40 served by the glass and many of them highly elusive or
little known, guarantees a social night amongst this crowd. Even
Wine Spectator
has discussed the way winemakers come here from all over the area to “recount
harvest stories.” There's a bar where you can sit and eavesdrop on the latest from
the grapevine. There's food, too, served until midnight—the signature dish is the
Beer Can Chicken—it serves two, with salad and bread, for $24.
For first-run movies, I recommend a visit to the
Sebastiani Theatre
(476 1st
St. E., Sonoma;
%
707/996-2020; www.sebastianitheatre.com),
a cinema built in
1993 that makes for a nostalgic anchor to Sonoma Plaza's east side: island box
office, original bowed marquee aglow with neon, and unusual Italianate details for
a place built in what was then essentially an agrarian backwater. It's used as a cen-
ter for community events, too, so don't come unless you know there's a film on.
Summer is high time at the
Calistoga Inn Brewery
(1250 Lincoln Ave.,
Calistoga;
%
707/942-4101; www.calistogainn.com):
There's jazz on its relaxed
outdoor patio, on the banks of the Napa River, April through October; from
March through November, there's dancing to R&B from 9pm to midnight on
Friday and Saturday nights. All year, on Wednesdays from 8:30pm, an open-mic
night encourages locals to come in and perform—more fruitful than you might
think, since many people move to this part of the world because they want to ded-
icate themselves to a more creative life. Beer comes from the microbrewery
stashed in the old water tower.
In Petaluma, the
Cinnabar Theater
(3333 Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma;
%
707/
763-8920; www.cinnabartheater.org)
is the only venue in Sonoma County to
mount a year-round slate of drama and opera. It also hosts the odd one-off event
(a chili cook-off?) in a converted two-room schoolhouse north of town. It's rare
to find a ticket for more than $22.
