When the weather gets hot in Sonoma County, there’s no better way to cool off than with a float down the Russian River. A number of small towns dot the banks of the popular river flowing from Mendocino County to Jenner, but the best known of them all is Guerneville.
On a recent scorchingly hot Thursday, I made the hour-and-a-half drive up to this river town of 4,500 from where I live in Oakland. But I wasn’t there to jump in the water. I was there to eat. For being so small, Guerneville has quite a well-rounded selection of restaurants, from Indian and Mexican food trucks to highly acclaimed farm-to-table restaurants. It’s not only a hub for river sports, after all, but an in-demand LGBTQ vacation destination with a food and drink scene that’s clearly vibrant.
With the temperature soaring to 100 degrees, it felt like I was on summer vacation for the day. So like on any good vacation, I started the day with brunch.
Baked on the River
When Helena Gustavsson Giesea’s plans to relocate her restaurant Baked on the River fell through late last year, she thought she was left with nowhere to go. But she quickly found a new home for her business: In May, Baked on the River opened at the R3 Hotel, according to Sonoma Magazine.
At the lively LGBTQ hotel, the chef is serving a new menu inspired by her Swedish heritage. My colleague and I grabbed a table on the sunny patio, browsing the menu as hotel guests in colorful bathing suits headed to the rainbow flag-decorated pool.
I couldn’t resist the Swedish pancakes, or the “pancakes from the North,” as they’re called on the menu. The thin, folded pancakes were delicate and spongy, topped with a tart lingonberry jam and a decadent dollop of vanilla cream. Light and crepe-like, they were the perfect breakfast for the day of heavy eating I had ahead…