Taste of theTown

There are no bad meals in Petaluma—full stop. Here, a meal is never just a meal and a drink isn’t just a drink. It’s an immersion into the region’s rich bounty and creative spirit of local chefs and makers. From the first sip of Petaluma Gap pinot to the last bite of dessert, eating and drinking here is a special experience.

Chef’s Cut

ROBERTH SUNDELL STOCKHOME

Curds And Whey

FROM FROMAGE BLANC TO CAMEMBERT, EAT YOUR WAY ALONG THE CALIFORNIA CHEESE TRAIL

Schedule a ranch tour at the family-owned Achadinha Cheese Company, which includes a visit to the milking parlor and loafing barns to meet the cows, and enjoy a complimentary cheese tasting. You can also try your hand at cheesemaking during one of Achadinha’s group classes. Head to Petaluma Creamery to sample cheese from Spring Hill Jersey Cheese—a Petaluma-based business that uses milk sourced from several Northern California dairy farming families. (Order a deli sando from the shop, too.) Share a mini brie or camembert with friends over a picnic by the pond at Marin French Cheese Co. For even more places to get your cheese fix, visit cheesetrail.org or pick up a California Cheese Trail map at the downtown Petaluma Visitors Center. –Olivia Olsen

The cleverly named Stockhome is modern, intimate, and brimming with flavorful bites from Sweden and its many culinary influences. Married co-owners chef Roberth and Andrea Sundell owned a restaurant in San Francisco, but wanted a community-minded passion project in Petaluma, the city they call home. Since opening in 2018, Stockhome has received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award and draws hungry diners to its downtown location. With this sunny eatery, chef Sundell, a native Swede, shares some of the unexpected cultural inflections found in his hometown of Stockholm—an urban melting pot where you’ll find classic Scandinavian bites alongside Middle Eastern flavors. Stockhome’s eclectic menu is also bolstered by a few California-style standouts, including bright salads and a mouth-watering burger.

–Joanna Della Penna

WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN YOU WANT THE BEST …

Espresso: Grand Central Petaluma

Breakfast: Tea Room Cafe Pastries: Stellina Pronto

Bagels: The Bagel Mill

Dinner: The Shuckery Drinks: Mario & John’s

Try the pecan pie from Petaluma Pie Company

Chef’s Cut

BRIAN LEITNER AND ANNETTE YANG PEARL

Pearl, in Petaluma’s historic Warehouse District, is a gem of a restaurant, with an elevated but welcoming atmosphere, pristine California ingredients, and sultry flavors focused mainly on the eastern Mediterranean. The daytime cafe and weekend brunch destination feels classic yet personal, with a no-tip model and ever-changing menu.

Co-owners chef Brian Leitner and Annette Yang are longtime industry vets, with stints in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, but decided to plant their roots in Petaluma to open Pearl. –J.D.P.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN A RESTAURANT HERE?

Petaluma was exactly the kind of place we wanted to be—the right size, supportive community, and growing restaurant and wine scene. Then we found a corner spot with a wood oven a little off the beaten path, in a cool, mixed-use neighborhood, and it was perfect.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE AREA ACTIVITIES?

We love to hike in Point Reyes or Inverness A loop around Helen Putnam Regional Park or Tolay Lake Regional Park is great.