Applewood Restaurant - Gay Russian River

The restaurant at the esteemed Applewood Inn, which is one of the most luxurious country inns in Sonoma County, serves superb, creative California fare with country French and other Mediterranean influences. Set in an intimate candlelit room set up to resemble a country barn, this is the top special-occasion restaurant in the small, gay-popular Russian River town of Guerneville.

The Applewood Inn's terrific restaurant is the place for a stellar meal while visiting the Russian River region. The menu at Applewood changes often and always features veggies and herbs grown right in the property's lush gardens, but here are some recent offerings that give a sense of the cuisine. For starters, you might try pan-seared scallops with cauliflower fondue, melted leeks, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. Entrees have included pan-seared duck breast with appel-fennel faro, cognac sauce, and Brussels sprout leaf-and-chestnut salad; and grilled beef fillet with gnocchi, chanterelles mushrooms, and shallot confit in porcini jus.

One great feature at the restaurant are the less pricey bistro nights (Tuesday to Thursday), which are clearly geared toward locals but offer anyone in town these evenings the chance for less pricey but still excellent food, with main dishes prices under $20 - roasted chicken with potatoes au jus and truffle sauce, and honey-glazed pork belly with dried plums and sage spaetzle are typical.

From whichever menu you order, and no matter the evening you dine here, you can count on a relaxed, refined mood characterized by unfussy service and a rustic, warmly lighted room. This is classic Wine Country fare, and there's a terrific wine list - with many regional vintages - to choose from.