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First Bite

Review: Gohan in Petaluma
New sushi restaurant where even the cheesecake, the cheesecake!, is sublime.

Review: Cook in St. Helena
Verily, a fine meal. Extracting a pound of flesh in St. Helena.

Restaurant Review: Simply Vietnam
Winter weather calls for hot broth.

Restaurant Review: Cafe Gratitude
I Am Abundant, I Am Luscious, I Am Starving: Hunger is well-rewarded at new San Rafael raw resto.

Review: Cork Enoteca in Sausalito
Unflappable service mixes well with premium wines and small plates.

Review: Go Fish in St. Helena
As soon as I'm shown my seat, I think: I'm going to enjoy this dinner.

Restaurant review: Siena at the Meritage Resort in Napa
Chef Josh Longenecker aims to please. The pot pie party learns all.

Review: Ad Hoc in Yountville
An open letter to Mr. Keller.

Review: Sunflower Caffe in Sonoma
Relaxed eatery excels in healthy food and great atmosphere. Don't miss the patio!

Review: Marin Brewing Company
Revered brewpub serves up stellar pints and hearty mainstays.

Review: Lily Kai in Petaluma
Petaluma's newest Chinese restaurant passes our reviewer's strict egg roll test and then some.


Review: Rockers Oysterfeller
This hidden gem is so much better than its name would ever lead you to believe.

Review: Bovolo
Duskie Estes and John Stewarts' sweet ode to salumi and olive oil and just plain pig continues to shine.

Restaurant review: Dierk's Parkside Cafe in Santa Rosa
Greasy spoon reborn as a chef's kitchen--at least for breakfast and lunch.

Restaurant review: Cafe Saint Rose in Santa Rosa
Chef Mark Malicki hits another homer with this sweet small spot of heaven.

Restaurant review: Santa Trata in Santa Rosa
Eritrean food that's still finding the spice cupboard.

Restaurant review: Tommy's Wok in Sausalito
Clean, greaseless Chinese food. More brown rice, please.

Restaurant review: Mai Vietnamese Cuisine in Cotati
The only thing wrong with this resto is that it's not close enough to the reviewer's house.

Restaurant review: Risibisi in Petaluma
Affordable, delicious Italian food makes you want to eat your peas.

Restaurant review: Pazzo in Petaluma
Affordable Italian and Mediterannean dishes in stylish interior.

Restaurant review: Bluewater Bistro in Bodega Bay
This special-occasion restaurant won't disappoint and the view is sublime.

Restaurant review: Shiso in Sonoma
Jaw-droppingly delicious fish is the standard at Sonoma's newest sushi palace.

Restaurant review: Sugo in Petaluma
Italian-influenced food, as fresh as the garden.

Restaurant review: Bistro des Copains in Occidental
This new bistro is like escaping to Provence.

Restaurant review: Bistro des Copains in Occidental
This new bistro is like escaping to Provence.

Restaurant review: Mountain Home Inn
Enjoy playing tourist at this eatery where the view's the thing.

Restaurant review: L'Assiette in Windsor
Napkins fly at this gourmet take-away spot.

Restaurant review: Avance in San Rafael
Spanish-style tapas that are ahead of the curve.

Restaurant review: Avatar's in Sausalito
'Marinindian' food pleases everyone at this hugely popular spot.

Restaurant review: Barefoot Cafe in Fairfax
Brand-new breakfast place packs them in, and for good reason.

Restaurant review: Romeo's Pizza in Petaluma
P-town is pie town and Romeo's adds to the cheesy, gooey mix.

Restaurant review: Finnegan's Marin in Novato
New pub serves upscale grub.

Restaurant Review: The Buckeye Roadhouse
An exercise in enjoying every last bite.

Restaurant Review: Wine Spectrum Shop & Bar in Santa Rosa
New tapas restaurant offers exquisite food at rareified prices.

Restaurant Review: Boca in Novato
'Boca' means 'steak' in Marin County.

Restaurant Review: Hatam Persian Grocery and Restaurant in San Rafael
A small trip to Persia, Hatam is a pure neighborhood treat.

Restaurant Review: Simply Delicious in Santa Rosa simply is
Homemade Italian food for eating in or taking out that is all about flavor.

Restaurant Review: Hot Tamales in Santa Rosa
Catching Pupusa fever at Hot Tamales.

Restaurant Review: Rubix in Santa Rosa
Affordably priced Wine Country eatery still has some cricks to work out.

Restaurant Review: La Fondita in Santa Rosa
Snacking away to a very plump future.

Restaurant Review: Thai Hut Valley in Cotati
Organic Thai food at reasonable prices.

Restaurant Review: Zaré in Napa
Hoss Zaré's eponymous Napa eatery features an ambitious kitchen cooking at big-city prices.

Restaurant Review: Napa's Boonfly Cafe
Out of the way and out of this world, the Boonfly is worth the drive.

Restaurant Review: Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena
Superstar chef Cindy Pawlcyn's relaxed excellence shines in her food of the Americas.

Restaurant Review: 154, Vietnamese cuisine in Petaluma
154 presents like nouvelle cuisine but tastes like the authentic thing.

Restaurant Review: Fujiya in Napa
With sushi scarce in the Napa Valley, Fujiya is a welcome respite from Wine Country fare.

Restaurant Review: Sebastopol Brewing Company
Thank goodness that suds and fries are safe again in Sebastopol!

Restaurant Review: Cafe Zazzle in Petaluma
Bright flavors and razzle-dazzle in new eatery.

First Bite Restaurant Review: Della Fattoria
Petaluma restuarant is more than just a bakery.

First Bite Restaurant Review: Shangri-La
Rohnert Park Nepalese restaurant is a culinary paradise.

First Bite
The Red Grape in Sonoma.

First Bite
Redd in Yountville.

First Bite
Starlight Wine Bar.

First Bite
Carmen's Burger Bar in Santa Rosa.

First Bite
Anatolia in Santa Rosa.

First Bite
Red Rock Cafe.

First Bite
Mosaic.

First Bite
Satur Wine Bar and Bistro.

First Bite
Sushi Tozai.

First Bite
Pizzeria Picco.

First Bite
Benissimo Ristorante & Bar.

First Bite
Viva Mexicana Tropi-Cal.

First Bite
Good Earth Natural Foods.

First Bite
Robato Grill and Sushi.

First Bite
Graffiti.

First Bite
Pignole.

First Bite
Sol Food.

First Bite
Kabab and Curry House.

First Bite
Market Cafe at Cornerstone.

First Bite
Flavor.

First Bite
Central Market.

First Bite
Bay Thai.

First Bite
Ravenette.

First Bite
Tuscany Ristorante.

First Bite
Dry Creek Kitchen.

First Bite
Terry's Southern BBQ.

First Bite
SRJC Culinary Academy.

First Bite
Truc Linh.

First Bite
Thai Orchid.

First Bite
Sorella Caffe.


Quick-and-dirty dashes through North Bay restaurants. These aren't your standard "bring five friends and order everything on the menu" dining reviews.