California Wine country is well known for its gourmet food and fine dining but you don’t have to blow your tasting room budget on three meals a day. The free palate-cleansing crackers should not end up being your only source of sustinence, either. There are many options for the smart foodie traveller who can’t shell out the dough. The following establishments are three locations to find gourmet food at non-gourmet prices.
First up is the Dry Creek General Store on Dry Creek Road north of Healdsburg. Dry Creek Road is chock full of wineries and the General Store is in the perfect location for lunch or early dinner.
The Dry Creek General Store specializes in fresh gigunda-sized deli sandwiches that run about $6-10. They sell wine on-premis–good wine–and also bait and fishing licenses. Attached to the store is a biker bar if you just want to cosey on up and have a beer with the locals and bust on some tourists.
The Glen Ellen Village Market is the most casual selection and is best for taking food out for a picnic or in our case, back to our B&B so we could enjoy the solitude. Located in the tiny town of Glen Ellen, convenient to the southern Sonoma Valley wineries, the market has a fine selection of pre-made food, wine, and cheeses. If you are staying in a location with a kitchen, the fresh produce and meats are ideal for cooking your own gourmet meal.
The Oakville Grocery, with locations in Healdsburg and Oakville, is on the higher end of budget gourmet food options. It’s possible to get a little overwhelmed in this place and walk out with a picnic basket worth $50 if you aren’t careful. But the joy of having an entire grocery at your disposal is that you can edit your choices and still leave with a gourmet lunch for under $20. World-class deli meats, cheeses, soups, salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods–the list goes on.
Tripadvisor has some other reviews of the grocery.
The key to eating well in wine country is to take advantage of the groceries and markets that are never hard to find. Paired with the abundance of outside seating and the great weather, you can eat healthy and high-end in one of the most scenic areas in the United States.
Explore and Eat 