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Sonoma County will always have a special place in my heart. It’s chock full o’ wineries just like the Napa Valley, but it doesn’t always get the world wide name recognition. The town of Sonoma is quaint. Around the town square are a bunch of little shops, most famous of all is the Cheese Factory. It’s been featured on the Food Network at some point, but the first time I went there was when I was a kid in the 80s. Back then it was a small shop that sold cheese and various fancy picnic items. You could watch them making pungent cheese through a window. Now, the cheese makers are gone and the expanded store sells wines, and coffees. They also put a grill on the patio. The burgers smell great, but I’ve never had a chance to try one. A tip I’d like to share: this is a good place to use the restroom.
Another place I regularly stop at is the Basque Boulangerie. The essentials to a wine country picnic are cheese, chocolate, bread and wine, right? Of course, a little spicy mustard is nice too.
If this still hasn’t piqued your interest, this town was the site of the Bear Flag revolt…which is supposedly why there is a freaking bear on the California state flag.
And there is a “mission” too. I put mission in quotes because it looks more like barracks than a church.
