I’m always up for a good dining deal, and I’ve found a couple to share. Plus, this week’s reader question.
Breakfast Happy Hour
Americana restaurant — best known for fastidiously sourced diner fare — offers a breakfast Early Bird menu from 8 to 10 a.m. daily at their Santa Rosa and Sebastopol locations.
Chef-owner Ryan Ramey and wife Samantha have dropped the prices on some of their bestsellers, including pancakes with vanilla cider maple syrup (so good you can drink it, and I did), Red Bird Bakery sourdough French toast, mini doughnut basket with housemade seasonal preserves, and a side buttermilk biscuit with or without country gravy. If you’re a sausage gravy fan, this is the gold standard.
We’re also fans of the thick, perfectly sweet waffle that happens to be gluten-free.
The regular breakfast menu (served all day) is also available at regular prices. The chicken-fried chicken, smothered in country gravy and hash browns will keep you running on a full tank all day, along with the crab Florentine Benedict.
Mimosas are legit (none of that cheap Prosecco), with fresh hibiscus, grapefruit or elderberry juice.
The couple also owns Estero Cafe in Valley Ford. 205 Fifth St., Santa Rosa, 707-755-1548 or 162 N. Main St., Sebastopol, 707-827-3309, americanasonomacounty.com.
Love You, Las Palmas
This tiny taqueria tucked away between a car repair shop and a minimart isn’t fancy but always spectacular.
On a recent Taco Tuesday, I stopped by (after the gym) to pick up an enchilada and taco combo that perfumed my car for days.
The hefty meal includes a healthy scoop of beans, rice and a stuffed enchilada (the carnitas is my choice) doused in a chile-infused, heaven-sent sauce.
I spent extra for the shrimp soft taco, a side of guacamole and chips (worth it) and snacked on the whole shebang for several days, including breakfast.
The owners are former chefs from restaurants like Zazu, Zin and Michele Marie’s, so they know their stuff. Not surprisingly, La Palmas is a favorite of off-duty chefs, as well.
Not the sort of place you stumble upon, but a spot worth seeking out. 415 Santa Rosa Ave, Santa Rosa.
You asked
My question for the week comes from Mary: “I buy many incredible baked goods from the SRJC bakery, which features items created and made by JC Culinary Arts students. The offerings are outstanding. Could you feature their department and baked goods? I don’t think enough people know about them.”
The Santa Rosa Junior College Culinary Arts Program has a cafe and bakery while students are in session, giving them real-world experience with diners.
While the cafe is currently closed (it will reopen in the fall), the SRJC Alex Ling Bakery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
What I love most about both experiences are watching students continually improve their craft over the semester.
Each week, you’ll find different offerings based on what they’re learning — evolving from muffins and bagels to croissants and other lacquered pastries to the kinds of sweet and savory pastries and pies you’d find in a high-end bakery.
As the students near the end of their year (they closed for the semester on May 17), you’re in for some special treats. 1670 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa. Limited on-site parking is available, but street parking is plentiful.
