I thought it quite a coincidence, Ed from Yuma told me he and Tina had just returned from Sonoma and had a post ready. I mentioned that we headed in that direction in just a couple weeks. Ed and Tina both enjoy nice wines, so a trip to Sonoma made perfect sense. So what were we after? Well, cheese of course! We'd been enjoying various Northern California Cheeses for a while and while doing a bit of research, I came across the Sonoma Cheese Trail and soon enough I was looking for flights and accommodations. In the end, we flew Virgin America, and really enjoyed the service….and ended up staying at an AirBnB in Petaluma. The drive up from SFO was nice, the Missus always gets a kick driving on the Golden Gate Bridge. Since we couldn't check in until later in the day, we headed straight away to Sonoma……man, it was pretty darn hot when we arrived.
Things went off the rails a bit when we found that the place we had planned on having lunch at; the Epicurean Connection had closed and we had to find a Plan B. Which turned out to be right on Sonoma Square named OSO. The name hit home since "Oso" in Spanish means "bear" and for some reason this brought me back to our recent trip to Madrid and El Oso y el Madroño, The Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Madrid's Coat of Arms.
The place had a very relaxed vibe, our Server, who asked us to forgive any small errors because she was in training was perfect. The menu featured some small plates, salads, a burger, salmon, and the like.
The Missus enjoyed Her Cucumber Gimlet, which was very clean tasting and refreshing. I had a Orange Mule, the ginger beer did the same for me.
We started with the Little Gem Salad ($8).
Simply dressed, very petite, the Missus loved the beets. I thought the pistachios were a nice touch.
Without a doubt, the best item we had were the Deviled Eggs ($10).
The filling was perfect, light, with just the right amount of curry to enhance and lift the flavor of the yolks. The paprika added a touch of smokiness….and the crown jewel was the sweet crab that topped the eggs. The Missus loves Her eggs….and She really enjoyed this.
The Mole Braised Pork Shoulder Tacos ($14), left something to be desired.
The mole negro was very bland and mild, something that a mole should not be. The pork was dry and the centers cold. The tortillas rapidly fell apart.
Overall, a decent start to our couple of days in the area. We enjoyed the vibe, casual, relaxed, and the friendly service.
OSO Sonoma
9 E Napa St
Sonoma, CA 95476
Our next stop was right up the street. Tucked into a small shopping arcade. Blink and you might miss the sign.
Belgium really made the Missus into a chocolate lover, so this was a nice stop for us.
The place was doing some great business.
Wine Country Chocolates
414 1st St E
Sonoma, CA 95476
We headed away from Sonoma Plaza, a few blocks North and found the actual reason we decided to stop in Sonoma; Vella Cheese Company.
Located in the old Sonoma Brewing Company Building which was built in 1904. When prohibition hit, Gaetano Vella took over the building to make cheese in 1931.
Vella Cheese is known for their "dry jack" a Monterey Jack styled cheese that is aged for 7-10 months. We ended up having a nice round of tastings and decided that it was the Mezzo Secco that we enjoyed the best.
"Mezzo Secco" means "half dry" and this version of Jack cheese is aged from 4-7 months. It's nicely neutral with nicely balanced nutty-grassy-milky flavors. It tastes great solo. It's also fairly hardy and would make the trip back to San Diego with no problem.
Vella Cheese Company
315 2nd St E
Sonoma, CA 95476
On the way back to the car we ran into this rather friendly guy….
In spite of the little "hiccup" at the beginning; things were turning out well. We were happy to get back to the car though…..the temp in the car read 97 and we were happy for some AC. Next up…we were off to Petaluma.
Thanks for reading!
sounds good so far despite the restaurant being closed, looking forward to hearing more about your adventure!
It was a nice lunch and that cheese was delish Kat!