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El Dorado Kitchen
405 First Street West
Sonoma, CA 95476
707-996-3220
www.eldoradosonoma.com
We recently visited Sonoma’s El Dorado Kitchen for the first time in a while (we being my husband, son and me). The EDK as we call it, is located in the El Dorado Hotel on Sonoma’s plaza. The EDK is one of the restaurants we feel is a second home, because the place is warm, friendly, has good drinks and great food.
We arrived fairly early for lunch and were seated on the patio. EDK’s patio is a pleasant dining area, somewhat shaded by a positively ancient fig tree. Tables that don’t fall under the tree’s span have umbrellas that the staff is happy to raise, lower, or otherwise adjust to your satisfaction. The space also has heaters for the sometimes cool Sonoma County evenings.
For starters, we ordered truffled French fries and, for our son, regular French fries. The three of us shared both plates and really could have made a meal out of the enormous portions, but since it was Friday, and we were feeling a little decadent, we also had full entrees. I digress. The truffled French fries are some of the best I’ve ever had and are alone well worth the trip to EDK.
For lunch (see the lunch menu), I had the EDK ruben. That’s their spelling, not mine! My husband had the bouillabaisse and our son had a cheese pizza from the kids’ menu. All were tasty and well prepared. The ruben came with even more fries, while the bouillabaisse had chorizo, scallops, calamari and manila clams. The cheese pizza was also good and perfect for a 12-year-old. Service was pleasant, prompt and friendly.
Besides great food, EDK specializes in cocktails (see the drink menu), including a pretty darn good mojito, one of my favorite cocktails on a warm summer day. The cocktail menu includes some unusal combinations, but everything I’ve tried from this menu has been good, so I wouldn’t hesitate to try any of the items, no matter how strange they may sound.
Parking on the Sonoma Plaza can sometimes be challenging, but there are surface lots within walking distance, and additional street parking on side streets. The Plaza itself is a great place for an after-lunch or after-dinner stroll, with plenty of interesting little stores. Reservations for El Dorado Kitchen are available at Open Table.
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