Candlelight is one thing, but few things are as thrilling (or romantic) as a supper savored over sunset. Here are 5 extra-special Wine Country restaurants with sunset views.
The Duck Club, Bodega Bay
You can get duck here, and it’s excellent, seared and served in various seasonal presentations such as atop roasted root vegetables, quinoa and almond Brussels sprouts salad with pomegranate glaze. But you can also indulge in Dungeness crab, salmon, and all the goodness that comes from the ocean that glitters at the edge of this upscale restaurant inside the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa. The setting is gorgeous – nested Cliffside in an elegant wood building with giant windows to capture the views.
103 Coast Hwy 1 (in the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa), Bodega Bay, 707-875-3525, bodegabaylodge.com.
River’s End Restaurant & Inn, Jenner
What a delicious combination: breathtaking views and mouthwatering Cal-cuisine at this locals favorite restaurant perched on a bluff overlooking the mouth of the Russian River where it enters the Pacific Ocean. It’s a hidden secret, and during the migrating season, people in the know flock here for watching seals and whales on their annual journey. The menu is enticingly eclectic, ranging from wasabi tobiko-topped oysters to Petaluma duck confit egg rolls, sea bass with pomegranates and beets, and applewood smoked filet mignon slathered in Pt. Reyes bleu cheese.
11048 Highwy 1, Jenner, 707-865-2484, ilovesunsets.com.
Jordan Estate, Healdsburg
Get your tickets now for this once-a-year (July 18, 2015) event that captures one of the best sunsets in Wine Country, with exquisite food and drink. The new al fresco Sunset Supper at Vista Point bring an ultra-intimate gathering to the mountaintop pavilion, and it’s worth every penny of the $200 tariff. Vista Point is the highest hilltop on the 1,200-acre estate, so the multi-course meal from the winery chef adds a delicious bonus: panoramic views of Alexander Valley’s hills and vineyards bathed in sunset.
1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com.
The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, St. Helena
As the sun glides down into the vineyards at day’s end, pause and take a moment to realize how lucky you are to be in this magical place. This Culinary Institute of America student-run fine dining comfort food destination is an overlooked gem, and dining on the patio is an extra special secret, looking across to grapes and meadows and mountains and the brilliant colors of the sun. Start with Braised Five Dot Ranch meatballs paired with pan-fried crostini, poached farm egg and pickled radish, then move on to California game hen and dumplings with ricotta gnocchi, Brussels sprouts, bacon and chestnuts.
2555 Main Street, St. Helena, 707-967-1010, ciarestaurantgroup.com.
Auberge du Soleil, St. Helena
The Michelin Star restaurant covers every luxury detail, and it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that they have negotiated extra special sunsets with Mother Earth. The spectacular views span the terrace, across the resort gardens, over the surrounding vineyards and onto Napa Valley beyond. Chef Robert Curry’s Cal-Med cuisine wows, too, paired with an enormous wine list. May we entice with orange star anise glazed Liberty Farm duck with miso sweet potatoes and Tokyo turnips, or sweetbreads roulade with ginger poached pear, almond milk, cocoa and licorice?
180 Rutherford Hill Road, Rutherford, 707-963-1211, aubergedusoleil.com.
Tip: Protect those sunsets by keeping the Earth clean and hiring a private limo or Town Car for door-to-door service. Pure Luxury Transportation is a leader in environmental responsibility. As members of Green Ride Global™, Pure Luxury has committed to GHG emissions reductions from all areas of the company’s business operations of 20 percent over the next 5 years.
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