The best dinner Cheri and I enjoyed during our recent trip to Sonoma and Napa Valley was easy to pick. We hadn’t even planned to go here, but ended up switching when Michael Muscardini of Muscardini Cellars raved about it and graciously called in for us to grab a reservation (you can read about that here). The location is great if you are in the vicinity of the town of Sonoma, as it is right on the central square. Since it also doubles as a hotel you might be staying right upstairs! We’re talking about the El Dorado Kitchen.
As mentioned above, this is also the El Dorado Hotel and there is a reception area when you walk in, and a grand staircase that leads to the rooms located upstairs. Continuing back toward the rear of the building you’ll find the restaurant, with both a large indoor dining room and an expansive patio for alfresco enjoyment. The interior space features an open kitchen, and the restaurant bustles with sound and movement as dishes fly out. It’s comfortable, elegant, fun and most importantly, delicious. Here’s what we enjoyed:
Short Ribs
Cheri had braised short ribs with potatoes and sauteed vegetables. This was delicious, with perfectly tender rib meat
Paella
and a sauce which accented everything without taking over the flavor profile. I had the paella, filled with shrimp, clams, mussels, chunks of salmon and chorizo. Everything was flavorful, and the rice was delightfully crunchy, just as it should be. Portions were generous here, and the individual flavors of the different ingredients were allowed to shine. Even the salads were exceptional.
The menu is diverse but not huge. Local wines are understandably featured, as this is Sonoma after all, but you can fill in with other areas of the world. We brought a bottle from
Tasty Salad
Muscardini Cellars with us, and there was a very modest corkage fee.
We enthusiastically recommend El Dorado Kitchen on Sonoma Square. Here is their website: https://eldoradosonoma.com/
A votre santé!
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