Visit to Sonoma and Napa Valleys, November 2022 – Getting There

We just returned from a week in one of the world’s wine epicenters, the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.  This was delayed multiple times by Covid, but it was worth the wait.  We visited with ten producers, five in each valley.  Along the way we encountered some beautiful inns, great restaurants and wonderful people.  There was a little wine as well.

We’ll review all of them in detail over the next few months.  For starters, we’ll cover the first night in the San Francisco Bay Area and the trip out to Sonoma.  For us, this would be spent just across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, in the town of Sausalito.

When I lived in San Francisco for a few months in the early 1980s, Sausalito was known as a quaint and charming

village across the bay, a haven for artists and artisans.  It still retains much of that charm, and when you consider the efficient ferry service available to the major San Francisco docks, provides an alternative to staying in the city.  We chose it as a perfect first stop as we would be heading right past it anyway, and a night here meant a relaxing break after a long day of traveling.  A short drive from the airport led us to our inn, and gave us a free late afternoon and evening to explore a bit.

Lodging was at The Inn Above Tide, located right on the water and tucked behind Bridgeway, the main street along the shoreline.  A narrow drive leads you to the small lobby.  From here they will valet park your car at no extra charge.  The rooms are comfortable and well appointed. Open the door to your terrace and you can take in a spectacular view across the bay to downtown San Francisco.  Enjoy this is the afternoon, evening and before the sunrise, as the sun comes up over the bay and directly opposite the inn.  We found the terrace is not usable after daybreak due to blinding sunshine, but this may fade during the morning, and is likely different at various times of the year.  We can’t comment on that as we had a fairly early checkout.

Breakfast can be taken downstairs in a comfy common room, or you can request delivery to your room.  It consists of an assortment of pastry, fruit and also a quiche was offered.  We enjoyed it all.  The

overall experience at The Inn Above Tide was exceptional, and we highly recommend it to anyone wishing for a calm and relaxed base convenient to San Francisco, or as a stop on the way to some place else.  You can see more on the website at: https://innabovetide.com/.

You can find an eclectic group of shops, galleries and restaurants along the main thoroughfare in Sausalito.  High end artwork mixes with more normal tourist shops.  As for eateries, we wandered into the Barrel House Tavern for some appetizers and a drink prior to dinner.  You’ll find the entrance is a block away from the inn, and they have an extended happy hour.  A long bar and assorted sitting areas give you a few options.  We had some oysters and sliders, accompanied by the house Cabernet (one of

the best happy hours wines we have ever sampled), a local IPA and a glass of scotch.  The whiskey selection here is truly impressive.  This is a fun place and an excellent choice when you have a few hours to kill in the afternoon.  They serve lunch and dinner here Wednesday through Monday, and are closed on Tuesdays.  More information is available at their website: https://barrelhousetavern.com/.

For actual dinner we wandered about four blocks to Poggio Trattoria, also located on Bridgeway.  This northern Italian style restaurant is inviting, with cozy tables and multiple dining areas.  In the warmer months outdoor tables provide a great option.  It was cold on this night however, so we opted for indoors.  An impressive wine list contains many

Italian favorites, a well as California and other international options.  We enjoyed the cauliflower soup and grilled octopus for appetizers, and then the seared sole and Bucatini pasta for main courses.   The octopus dish was served with some greens, shaved fennel, butter beans, blood orange and almonds.  You could make countless flavor combinations between those, and the dish was fun to eat.  Everything was delicious.  You can see Poggio’s menu and wine list here: https://www.poggiotrattoria.com/.