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Kenwood Restaurant & Bar
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
18 reviews for Kenwood Restaurant & Bar
After an otherwise splendid Sunday afternoon in Sonoma that was rudely interrupted by our car losing its fanbelt (followed by calling AAA, being towed to a mechanic in Santa Rosa then dropped off at the airport to rent a car), I'd be damned if I was just going to sulk and drive straight home.
So undeterred (emotionally anyway), we retraced our steps in our brand new Jetta and rejoined HWY 12. In search of a nice dinner, my wife spotted Kenwood and I actually drove a bit passed it on the highway; with nobody behind me, I was able to stick it in reverse and pull in to the lot.
Though night had fallen outside, the inside of the restaurant was bright and open: French country is what came to mind. It was well lit and combined with light wood floors and high ceilings, it created a unique atmosphere. The aforementioned art was eclectic and not cluttered on the walls so the pieces were well-spaced.
It had been SOOOO long since we had escargot that we had to start with it. They were scrumptious, and the garlic-butter sauce was also useful with the french bread (yumm!). I ordered a bottle of St. Joseph which was out of this world.
For the main course, I went with the NY steak (medium) with fries (more French!). My wife had a fish medley of sorts, with snapper as the main attraction surrounded by shrimp and mussels. It, too, was excellent. Our waitress was clearly quite experienced, checking in on us at the appropriate time and frequency.
So this little visit was more than welcome after our "eventful" afternoon, and now we could go home happy!
Well, if you want to look at beautiful art, and amazing scenery, the Kenwood Restaurant and Bar puts on quite a show. But the lunch I had here was really terrible. And the service was even worse than the food. They could have corrected their mistakes, but they just couldn't be bothered. In my book, that rates a restaurant one star.
The lunch started out great, with a prosciutto appetizer, nicely balanced with some slivered fennel and a handful of mixed olives. But then the salads arrived.
What can I say? It was a hot day and I wasn't very hungry, so I had actually asked the waiter which of the salads with organic chicken he would recommend. He praised them both. But when they arrived, I took one look at the plate, and asked the server immediately "Who refrigerated the tomatoes?" It was very clear that moisture was condensing on the cherry tomatoes, and the sliced ones looked a little shrunken around the edges, as if they had been sliced hours ago.
He looked at me quizzically and responded with, "Are they really that cold?"
I picked one up, and responded that they were ice-cold. Anyone who knows tomatoes knows that they lose most of their flavor when refrigerated. But that was not the really insulting part. The salad had obviously been made hours before, and then just taken out of the fridge, drizzled with some dressing, and topped with the (overcooked) organic chicken.
But here's the worst part - the waiter did nothing about it, just walked away. Well, I tried a few bites, but as someone else mentioned, it was about as tasty as something from Denny's. When I spend $16 on a mixed green salad with a few slices of chicken on it, I expect that it will be made to order, not something that has been pre-made and refrigerated. It wasn't as if they were so busy that they needed to have a fridge-full of pre-made salads. On the contrary, there were only a handful of diners between noon and 1.
Back to the patio. Now the wasps started. The chicken in my salad attracted first one, and then within minutes, 6 or 7 wasps, repeatedly landing on my plate and flying in my face. We grabbed our plates and headed inside, asking a wait-person where we could move to.
Our waiter came by a minute later and asked if the flies were bothering us. I responded that they weren't flies, they were wasps. He shrugged and walked away, just as a woman next to us actually killed a wasp on her plate. She looked rather grossed out, so I got up, walked over with my salad plate, and helped her get it off the table.
Meanwhile, our waiter cleared our former table on the outside deck - drinks, bread, etc. Unfortunately, he didn't bring any of the items to our new table; he just cleared them to the kitchen. I tried to get his attention several times, and finally got someone else to bring me a new glass of water.
At this point I lost interest in my salad. I don't like to waste food, but this was really inedible. Whoever cooked the tender strips of chicken had the grill too hot, so they were overcooked and rubbery on the outside, and yet not-quite done in the very middle. My companion finished his lunch, after which the waiter hurried back with menus, eager to offer us coffee and dessert. We declined, as I just wanted to get out of there. Instead, we headed into Glen Ellen, which looked to have a much more varied and satisfying variety of cafes to choose from. We salvaged the afternoon by sampling chocolates at a lovely little shop in the Jack London shopping center.
What has happened to my old favorite restaurant? This was a stellar place with good decent portions, good caring service and reasonable prices.
We went there with friends and the protions were sad, prices were jacked up, and the servers just didn't seem to care.
One of our guests got a hamburger, ordered it rare, since good meat should be rare, and he got it medium well, and the waiter never came back until about 10 minutes later, and we tried to get his attention, so our guest just ate it, and bared it! You would think that for $15 bucks you would get a decent burger, I usually get the liver and onions, and my liver was overcooked to the point of being tough and not appitizing to eat.
Sorry, something has happened here and I am not spending hard earned money on meals that Denny's can serve better.
This is my favorite restaurant of all time (and I grew up in the same type of restaurant). The food is consistently really, really good and the service is always amazing.
Order all of these things: ceasar salad, crab cakes, oysters, ESCARGOT!, make sure to get a side of the best fries in wine country; that is if you don't try the burger which is really a must and very affordable. Also, have the seafood ravioli, STEAK TARTARE!, duck spring rolls are do die for, and pretty much everything else on the menu. The creme brulee is delicious and so is the chocolate cake (don't listen to that guy below) and have the cheesecake, too.
Clearly you'll need several visits to this place to taste everything on the menu in all it's delicious glory.
I've literally been going to the place several times a year for about... 17 years, or maybe longer, I can't remember. I honestly can't say that about anywhere else which should sing extreme praise for the chef at Kenwood Restaurant.
GO HERE!
The Obvious:
Well it's the wine country, and they have a fabulous chef, so yeah, it's not a cheap restaurant. But it's not outrageous either. On a recent visit with Grandma, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 2 glasses of excellent wine & a martini totaled $103 before tip. Competitive & fair, in my opinion.
The Subtle:
Excellent melding of flavors that highlight the entree. The swordfish special that I had here recently was perfectly cooked & tender (not tough at all, the way swordfish can sometimes be), with fresh herbs, which sounded like an average preparation, but were in fact, exquisitely highlighting the flavor of the fish.
Extras:
Lunch in good weather here is superb, as they have a lovely patio from which you can view the vineyards. Dinner on a wet night is pleasant, with warm, cozy lighting. French bread comes out crisp on the outside, warm, and with soft butter to spread - just the way it should be!
The Bonus:
Grandma lives nearby and loves to come here (meaning I get to come here a fair amount too).
I've eaten here twice since my previous review. My happiness decreased with each visit. Portion sizes are shrinking. Flavors are not as bold nor fresh. $15 for a dry hamburger on the last visit was a major dissappointment.
This place has lost my endorsement. Which is a pity because I live down the street.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/3/2008
Simply the best restaurant on Hwy 12 between Sonoma and Santa Rosa. I have no idea what happened to… Read more »
I have mixed reviews on this restaurant. We had a party of three... myself, my husband, and our other guy friend. (and we all know guys eat a lot, no offense =) ... hense one of "cons").
Pro's:
1. The taste of the food was phenominal. I think it is a tad over-priced.... but the food is definitely delicious.
2. Great menu selections
3. Cool, quaint, cute-inside .. cottage-like atmosphere
4. Right across the drive-way from Kunde Winery....
Con's:
1. The price and quality of the food does not match the service. The service was decent, but not great... We had to keep asking for bread. (they give you a small-section of a french baguette with cold, hard butter) However the waitress was very nice / kind / polite..
2. I wanted a cup of soup for an appetizer, but they only have bowls. That was frustrating.. paying for more food than you need or even want to eat.
3. Got espresso and the waitress didn't offer creamer (i know its just a shot, but i like the offer at least b/c I was clearly putting the whip cream from my dessert into the tiny espresso cup for make-shift-creamer.)
Would I go back? Hmm, maybe... But I definitely recommend to give it a try because the food is really good.
Tasty food, no doubt. But servings are small and it's pricey. How pricey?
My associate paid something like $60 for 8 raviolis (4 on her plate, 4 on mine), a glass of wine and a soda. My plate was $16, and hers was $20 because they put some bread in the middle. That there be some 'spensive bread in the middle.
If my 4 pieces of ravioli lunch was $16, I cannot imagine how much a real meal, full plate 'o food is at dinnertime. Yikes!
I will reiterate, the food is very tasty. But the prices and the flies buzzing around because they keep the patio doors open at all times, kinda makes a person not want to go again. The patio looked quite nice.
BTW, go to the wineries in this area; they are outstanding.
(Then drive out of Kenwood for your meal.)
Easy parking, the room is very bright, almost too bright for comfort. The food was very good. We had the chicken curry dish and prawns in a saffron sauce was very nice. Order the fruit cobler ala mode my date thought it was exquisite!!!! I would recommend this restaurant. The Pinot Noir was an excellent choice
What a wonderful restaurant! The decor isn't much, but the food is great.
The meals starts with the bread, but please do not let the bread form your opinion. The bread is warm but it has come straight from a Safeway. They need to work on the bread.
The server rattled off the specials a bit too quickly for my taste, but no matter. We had the ravioli appetizer, which was delicious. We then had the mussels in broth, and the broth was so good, we mopped it up with bread. We also had the petrole sole fish entree, and the fish was excellent. Even more excellent was the bed of spinach the fish was served on, it was so amazing, I don't think I have had spinach that good EVER in my life.
We finished up with two desserts, the flourless chocolate cake and the creme brulee. They were both good but not amazing.
We had been visiting wineries all day, so we did not order booze. The tab? 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts and a plate of french fries, came out to $100 with tip. Pricing wise I think that is good.
Definitely go to this place!
The country upscale place to celebrity stalk (err...I mean see) or be seen.
Traditional food you would expect in this wine corridor, but you can't go wrong with the small plate assortments! The only pate plate I've craved since Cafe Lucy's in Napa. Mix of American bistro with Meditteranean touches.
See the trophy wall of magnums in the bar area (that Pixar guy gave some cool bottles with Finding Nemo and the such). Dine or meet up with friends at the thoughtfully stocked bar. Great wine list featuring regional power hitters. The food is reliable and the various dining rooms are comfy. Patio dining when whether permits.
My favorite lunch place in the valley of Sonoma.
Great food, great atmosphere overlooking vineyards from the terrace, leisurely pace.
That's what the wine country is about.
One of my best ever dining experiences. This place looks like a little house right off the sonoma highway, but its so much better then that. When I went with my wife we sat outside on a sunny day and enjoyed the view of kenwood vineyards across the street.
The service is wonderful they are helpful, friendly, and very attentive. Not too attentive that it becomes annoying though. The food was perfect in every way. The vegetables were fresh and crisp cooked to perfection. Not a single flaw could be found. Even the proportions were just right so that there would room for desert. The only nick against them would be the price, but with the quality and service that is given its expected, especially out there in wine country.
I will definately go back again next time I'm up there
I recently joined three friends for an early dinner here. We began with a drink at the bar where the bartender was friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and prepared the drinks exactly as ordered. We opted to sit on the patio even though it was very breezy. The breeze generally dies down after 6PM and that is exactly what it did by the time our salads were served.
Our server was friendly, helpful and caring. She was everything you ideally expect but infrequently get these days...what a breath of fresh air! Unobtrusive yet always there the moment you need anything...perfect!
Sitting in the lush Valley of the Moon surrounded by mountains on a beautiful patio is a joy. Our server pointed out some wine specials and we ordered a Valley of the Moon red Zin that was rich, jammy and simply delicious and reasonably priced.
We all had Caesar salads and were given the choice of with or without anchovies. two of us chose the anchovies. Wow! Instead of the measly one or two that you usually get, we had several AND we were splitting the salad (BTW-the salads are ample and you can easily split one). Fresh, crunchy, garlicky, delicious. Our appitites were whetted and we were all ready for more.
The crispy half duck was the best I have had. Crispy skin, not a trace of fat and moist and tender meat. It was so good I can't even remember what was served with it except that the plate was more than ample. Two diners ordered the poached salmon with buerre blanc...OMG! so, tender it literally melted in your mouth. It was funny but, it reminded me of a slogan I once saw at a BBQ joint in the southwest..."you don't need no teeth to eat our meat" lol)))). Well, the flavor and texture of the salmon and sauce was outstanding. I rarely order salmon out because it's one of those things I prepare better than most 4 star restaurants. I will order salmon here in the future and I highly recommend it. Our fourth diner had seafood and pasta. Again, beautifully presented, ample and flavorful with all the ingredients cooked to perfection. However, for me the dish just did not come together and though it was very good I will not order it on future visits.
We shared a Creme Brulee for dessert and it was devine. The mouthwatering intense burnt sugar against the rich creamy custard beneath was simply delicious. As we shared this melt in your mouth treasure we pictured the Katz's Deli scene from When Harry Met Sally (if you aren't familiar with it, do your self a favor...rent it and then you'll know what I mean.)
I will be back again and again to sample more outstanding preparations...I can't wait.
My advice: Wonderful for a first date when you want to impress yet remain a bit casual. Ideal for those special occasions like anniversaries or birthdays. OR just a great place for anytime of the year and any circumstance. The interior is charming but the patio is everything you want from California wine country. Try it! I know you will feel as I do and be back for more. Enjoy!
The first time I came had to be close to 6 years ago and it was a fun experience so why not see what's on tap for today's menu. After a day of wine tasting wine was the last thing I needed if I was going to drive home, so we ordered coffee and cappucino and was ready to eat. First off we had the seafood chowder, ahi tuna and oysters on a half shell. The chowder was so good we kept getting more bread just to soak up what was left of the soup. The ahi was so fresh and just melted in your mouth. Onto the oysters. They tasted pretty good, but were fairly large from what I'm used to. By the taste they seemed like pacific oysters, but the size first made me think they were atlantic. Onto the main courses. Prawns for one course and I had the beef bourguignon. The sauteed prawns were just so succulent. And the beef bourguignon was so damn good it was almost like the short ribs at cuvee. The mash potatoes were good as well. I wish I had some left overs right now... Lastly I was craving chocolate, so the flourless chocolate cake was the obvious choice. That was so good, I just sat there almost in a state where nothing else was around me and it was just me and the cake. I guess I'll now I'll have to whip up a flourless chocolate cake to enjoy later in the month.
This place has been around forever and unfortunately they took their A+ Beef Wellington off the menu, sniff, sniff, but they do still have some kick ass mussels! The bread is also quite tasty, even better than at Jake's in Tahoe City, and that is tough.
Not all it's cracked up to be. The food is really good, but definitely not worth paying the large amounts they charge for it. Good wine list and excellent service add to the rating. I just think that there's a lot better food to be had if you want to spend $50/person on dinner!
Other than the friendly bartender my visit to this "upscale" Restaurant was uttely dissapointing. When they brought the bread and butter out the bread was dried out and looked like they took it off of someone else's table. The butter appeared as if it was previously used and with some kind of dressing on there. When I ask to speak to the owners they were very rude, not very professional. My advice would be to sit at the bar.
