Santa Rosa's Culinary Scene is Spicing Up

As far as we’re concerned, there’s always room for more good eats in our bountiful city surrounded by organic farms, family-run ranches, vineyards, apple orchards, and the seafood-rich Pacific Coast. You’re definitely going to want to sample what these new Downtown Santa Rosa restaurants are cooking up with the ingredients of the season. From casual to refined and everything in between, this fresh crop of eateries is ripe for your restaurant picking!

Warike Restobar - Warike Restobar was born in the search for the perfect pairing between Peruvian cuisine and the best product obtained in the California waters. Three family partners with Latin roots: Luigi, Kevin, and Gustavo bring the concepts of the true cevicheria and Peruvian restaurants to downtown Santa Rosa. From the same family as Ayawaska in Petaluma and Novato.

La Fondita - Roseland’s iconic La Fondita restaurant is expanding to downtown Santa Rosa. Known for more than 20 years for authentic, affordable Mexican cuisine, the downtown location will be the third for owner Maria Elena Reyes. Elena Maria Reyes started her food business in 1996 with an old food truck she and her husband financed by selling their cars and asking her grandmother for a few thousand dollars in start-up money.

Falafel Hut 2 - Owner Mohamed Shawa opened his first restaurant, Falafel Hut, in 2006 with his father in San Rafael. Since then, he’s been serving up authentic Middle Eastern cuisine reminiscent of his Palestinian heritage — shawarma, kebabs, gyros, and, of course, falafel. His recipes, inspired by his mother’s cooking, come straight from Palestine, a place he’s visited for long stretches of time over the years, and where his cousin has been a chef for thirty years. Now, he’s going into business with his cousin, Asem Alshawwa, to open Falafel Hut’s sister restaurant, Falafel Hut 2 in Santa Rosa.

Sushi Rosa - From the same family as the popular Otoro Sushi in Healdsburg comes Sushi Rosa, which recently opened in downtown Santa Rosa. Like their sister restaurant, Sushi Rosa specializes in traditional Japanese cuisine with a touch of California flavor and features the freshest, highest quality fish daily.

Grill Santa Rosa - Head founders, Ali Cetin and Berat Ilhan, fuse Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, comforting classics, and west coast flair to craft their seasonal menus including our ever-changing Grill Santa Rosa, a four-course dining experience.

Nimble & Finn’s Homemade Ice Cream - Back in 2012, Jazmin turned her background as a baker and her passion for ice cream into a new career. She named her fledgling business after her two children's nicknames and started visiting local farmer's markets with one pushcart freezer filled with old-fashioned artisanal ice cream. The response was immediate and enthusiastic, and Jazmin quickly had more work than she could handle alone so she roped her sister Leandra into the business with promises of endless creamy desserts. They use organic dairy from Straus Creamery, seasonal produce, and house-made jams, cakes, and candy in their inspired take on classic flavors.

Mi Ranchito Downtown - The Rodriquez family of Cuernavaca, Mexico established their first Cantina in 2008 and it is based on the heritage of the family. They offer the most delicious traditional and authentic Mexican cuisine and margaritas. When you visit you will discover an ambiance that makes you feel at home, the Mexican-style way.

Grossman’s Noshery & Bar - James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalists Mark and Terri Stark together own and operate six of Sonoma County’s favorite, and most highly rated, restaurants including the newly opened Grossman’s, a New York-style deli, bakery, and bar. The menu features eclectic breakfast dishes, noshes, sandwiches, soups, salads, platters for sharing, nightly specials, dumplings, and desserts based on Jewish cuisine from the East Coast of the US, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Baked goods and cured and smoked fish and meats are made in-house.

Americana - Samantha and Ryan Ramey are a husband/wife duo with a passion for all things food. Ryan is a classically trained chef and Samantha was raised working in the front-of-house of restaurants. They began their own entrepreneurship as caterers in the Bodega Bay Area before purchasing Estero Cafe in Valley Ford in 2014. Americana is a classic American-style diner located in Historic Railroad Square.

As you can see, there’s more culinary diversity in Downtown Santa Rosa than one might have expected. Whether it’s dining on farm-to-table ingredients or sampling a unique dish from a family-run restaurant, Downtown Santa Rosa’s array of culinary adventures will you sated yet yearning for just one more bite.

Need a few more culinary choices? Check out these options.

Santa Rosa's Culinary Scene is Spicing Up

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