After another yummy breakfast at the Inn (this time we started with fruit and a scone and had the choice of blueberry french toast with sausage or huevos rancheros), we headed to the town of Sonoma, which was about an hour away. Our first stop was Ravenswood winery, where we tried 7 or 8 wines, most of which were really good. We bought 4 bottles of zinfandel and then moved on to a jam-packed downtown, which had been decked out for the Harvest Moon festival. We parked the car several blocks from the closed-off plaza, where there was a parade and many tents filled with artwork, food, and wine. We did a tasting here of local wines (many of which were ok, but nothing moved us to purchase).
The girl and the fig had been recommended to me by several people, and this local favorite did not disappoint. I was a little concerned at first since I didn't realize when booking this place that only the brunch menu would be available on a Sunday. I needn't have worried. We started with the cheese and fruit plate, which consisted of three cheeses, spiced nuts, and a compote of figs and cherries. I then had the duck confit hash with poached eggs (very tasty), and my husband had the croque monsieur (decadent, but really delicious). We spent about $80 for lunch, tip included.
After another relaxing afternoon in the room, we walked to the Farmhouse Inn's restaurant (click to enlarge the menu at right), which has a Michelin Star. This turned out to be the best meal of our entire trip!! At the wine tasting class the day before, another couple had mentioned a fabulous tasting menu they'd ordered there, so we asked about that when we sat down. As it turns out, the Farmhouse Inn doesn't have a regular tasting menu, but it was part of a special tour package not available to regular diners. We were, however, in luck. Maybe they just liked our faces, but the chef could actually just create a tasting menu just for us! Each of our six courses was great, but the winner was a grouper served with risotto. Our teacher from the tasting class, the master sommelier, was not working that night, but his assistant helped us pick out a 1/2 bottle (hey, it had been a long day of wine tasting!) of an 07 Jamek "Ried Klaus" riesling for our first two courses, followed by an 04 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco with the Squab. For dessert I chose the Valhrona chocolate souffle, and hubby got the Gaverstein Appple Terrine. This amazing meal was $330 with tip, and was a fine ending to our time in Sonoma.On to Napa!
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