My beloved Downtown Santa Rosa is currently undergoing several renovations. Local political thoughts aside, I wish the construction would be over soon simply in order to have my favorite outdoor table at Flavor Bistro back!
There is so much that I love about the city of Santa Rosa. Can you guess what I love the most? If you guessed food, you'd be right. I love the abundance of good food and restaurants here! From the Naked Pig owner who asks me how I've been, to the smiling faces at Spinster Sisters, to the waitress who knows my favorite wine at Flavor Bistro, almost every restaurant is a "favorite" of mine for one reason or another. Two of my favorite Thai restaurants are within 2 blocks of each other. On cold days, I truly crave the vegetarian French onion soup from Bistro 29. When friends visit from out of town, I make sure to take them to the Russian River Brewery for great local beers on tap, and my favorite jalapeño and white cheddar beer bites. Taco Tuesday? Easy: I head over to Belly for their $1 veggie tacos. For an amazing chile relleno, and more tequila than I can shake a stick at: La Rosa. This list however, is just the tip of the iceberg. We haven't even touched the Historic Railroad Square (best. eggplant Parmesan. ever.).
Thank goodness for Taylor Mountain my other favorite thing about Santa Rosa. Rising above Santa Rosa with a peak of 1,400ft, I hike the area frequently to let off steam and excess energy. I've hiked the mountain in all kinds of weather, seen all sorts of creatures, and have made friends with the local cows (or, I'd like to think so).
One of my favorite things to do in Santa Rosa is to "wander around downtown". For anyone who has known me a while, they have probably heard me suggest this as an activity. There is something about people watching, window shopping, and hopping from bookstore to coffee house to pass away an afternoon or a Sunday morning. I love it. I love slowly wandering up and down the streets, in and out of stores, and observing the changing of various window displays. Something about it soothes me and puts a smile on my face. I often forget to check my phone - and any activity that can make me forget about that is worth my while!
pc: Stephanie Malilong Photography
