Bistro Time: Flavor and Wappo

Have been out-and-about of late (surprise, suprise!) and by chance recently visted two self-proclaimed bistros: Flavor Bistro in Santa Rosa, and Wappo Bar and Bistro in Calistoga.

Wappo is a California-cool place, set nicely off the Calistoga main drag and, while the dining room is so-so in terms of look and feel, it has a lovely outdoor garden setting where most of its tables are located. I ate there this week with my friend j., and we had a great meal. Started with the fresh flatbread with three (count em) Middle Eastern dips, and then I had the grilled skewered chicken with orzo pasta and a delicious Greek salad (can you say 'pinenuts' and 'feta cheese'???) while j had the duck carnitas yucateco, complete with pumpkin seed mole.

Wappo has a great wine list (it is the Napa Valley), and a very cool dessert and sweet wine list, too. It's a bit of a strange place, though, with the mix of foods and such (Middle Eastern, Yucatan, a Tarte Demoiselles Tatin, etc.) and while the prices are a bit steeper then similar places (it is the Napa Valley), it's a great location, particularly for a lazy afternoon lunch under a sunny sky.

Wappo Bar & Bistro

1226 Washington Street, Calistoga 94515
707-942-4712

My other Bistro journey of late was to Flavor in downtown Santa Rosa, which is located right on Courthouse Square beneath one of my favorite night spots: Upper Fourth. G. and had a wonderful dinner among the throngs of Flavor-goers, as the restaurant has that French-bistro-noisy-cramped-quarters feel. I think the food is excellent, and best of all, they have different things on the menu. I quite happily enjoyed my Martin's Ragu and-- get this--Hess cab by the glass. You can't go wrong with Flavor, in my opinion.

Flavor Bistro

96 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa, 95404

707-573-9600