Terrapin Creek Cafe - Bodega Bay

A Breath of Chardonnay

Looking for a casual but classy place in West Sonoma to eat beautifully-presented food and drink the best Chardonnay many of us have ever had? This is not to mention kicking back with friends in an atmosphere reminiscent of an old Spanish-Californian home with bigger windows and lots of local art work on the walls. Well, look no further than the Terrapin Creek Cafe Restaurant on East Shore Road in Bodega Bay. We went for lunch on a Friday, marshalling a table in the sun with a wonderful assortment of trees viewable from every window, and enjoyed a parade of assorted things while relaxing and catching up with family from out of town.

It was the perfect place to take people unfamiliar with the Sonoma lifestyle. Terrapin Creek had it all.

No reservations are needed (or taken) for lunch but there was a hungry stream of locals and out-of-towners entering throughout our meal, and the open, airy floor plan easily accommodated us all.

We started with a bottle of the house Chardonnay, Cazar, which was smooth and sensational and immediately put me into a California zone. It was golden, buttery, delicious and chilled just right. Betty Boop legs stayed in the glass long after the swirl.

This wise choice for a house Chard went a long way in earning the one Kelly Tyre we ultimately awarded the restaurant.

Terrapin's Dungeness Crab Cake Salad was somewhat fishy but the egg salad sandwich, disappeared quickly from the table (two people split it).

Jim's pulled pork sandwich was claimed to be only so-so, but the creamy didn't-taste-like-your-regular-cheesecake made up for much of it.

Afterwards we had coffee in sturdy, tall blue mugs. The Java was excellent as was the fortified "Sweet Caroline" glass of wine I had to try.

Terrapin Creek was a good place for fancy-Dan food at not-so-fancy prices.

After our meal, we walked next door to the Local Color Art Gallery and browsed through their many paintings and other artsy creations, all from local artists. We were especially impressed by the landscapes reflecting those we were touring that day.

The California golden hills with the twisted oaks were captured beautifully and it's a fun way to punctuate one's tour through the area and again, the prices seemed just right (if you were in a mood to purchase an original work of art - always a special reminder of a such a unique area such as the West coast of Sonoma.)

We would return to Terrapin Cafe (after the fly season of course). The food was not exceptional (other than the cheesecake and the egg salad) but we had a lovely time with our visitors. And that's a lot of what eating out is all about, isn't it?

Terrapin Creek Cafe
1580 Eastshore Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

(707) 875-2700
http://www.terrapincreekcafe.com/