Literally all the pasta my family tried was delicious. The penne's wine sauces weren't bad- It was…read moremy first time trying and I think it's worth trying if you like these type of sauces. My top 2 pastas were the carbonara and the California. It's a pretty busy location, but it's so cute and warm - they also have an outdoor patio and a window to watch the pasta being made. Finding the actual location based on Google maps was a bit difficult, but once you see some signs with its name try to follow them!

They had a lot of seating, but if you don't have a reservation it's hard to get a table without a…read morewait. For a table of 2 we walked in and had 1 party wait in front of us, which still took 30ish min to be seated. The outdoor seating is beautiful with the lighting, but the indoors was quaint as well. The waiters are extremely nice and sociable, makes you feel like family. Great spot for a date night! 5/5 Complimentary focaccia was soft and fluffy. They had different ones, like rosemary, plain, and the pizza. The pizza one was easily the best, especially if it just came out of the oven. You can definitely ask for more and they are happy to bring you some! 4/5 Melanzane parmigiana was a nice eggplant parm in a smaller appetizer form. Don't let the size fool you, it's pretty filling. I would have wished for a bit more sauce and the eggplant a bit more seasoned, but it was definitely a great dish. There were parts where the batter was a bit soggy. 4/5 Cappellacci Verdi alla Zucca was a solid dish. The butter and sage sauce was simple and allows the pasta to shine, with the squash not being too strong. I think if it was stronger in flavor, it might have shined a bit more. 5/5 Spaghetti al Pesto Genovese is easily the best dish. The pesto flavor was strong and seasoned well. If you come here, this is the one to get! 4/5 Creme Brulee was nice, great exterior with the right sweetness. Felt a little too firm on the inside as I would have wanted it softer, but nothing out of this world. Overall a really solid Italian spot that feels like a neighborhood gem. The complimentary focaccia and the pesto spaghetti alone are worth the visit. I would recommend making a reservation to skip the wait, but the ambiance and warm service make it a perfect date night spot. Looking forward to coming back and trying more of their pasta offerings!

Killer Wines, Killer Prices, Killer Vibe…read more Mendo Vino is where Mendocino's wine scene really shines. The wine selection is absolutely fire. This place contains all the local gems, thoughtfully picked, and honestly some of the best around. When I stopped by, Michael was so nice and welcoming. He actually took the time to chat with me, listened to what I liked, and helped me find exactly the right wine no pressure, just genuine advice. Seriously, it felt like having a friend guide me through the shelves and I went home with just the right flavor of wine. And now to the prices. Shockingly good. You get amazing quality without having to empty your wallet. The vibe is cool, chill, and totally unpretentious, perfect for kicking back with a glass and soaking in that Mendocino magic. If you want great wine and a friendly, relaxed spot, Mendo Vino is where it's at.

The wine selection is very good and he does not mark up the bottle prices very much, either…read more However, the manager (or owner?) was pretty rude to us. We asked if they did tastings, and he said no, you usually only buy bottles here. We asked if we could try a specific wine by the glass, but was immediately told no, and that specific bottle is too cheap to offer glasses. The experience was not pleasant. We drank our glass of wine and left. He wasn't even inside the bar to tell us about the wine, either. He spent most of the time on his phone outside and smoking a cigarette. Needless to say, we felt uncomfortable and disappointed.

WOW FACTOR? No, the inside is not stocked with much products and looks like it is not doing all…read morethat well. But good service HAVE AGAIN: The chocolate truffles were delicious - are them made here? The Original chocolates were very good. NOT HAVE AGAIN: The milk peanut butter and pecan graham cracker was ok. - looks better than it was.

4/26/22 We enjoyed…read moretheir chocolates so much that we went to both locations; Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Quality/Quantity - We got a few chocolates for ourselves and many for gifts. Both locations had slightly different selections. Also, they had different pricing, Mendocino sold by each and Fort Bragg by weight. We preferred the weight system because it ended up being cheaper for each piece on average. Excellent quality over all. They have chocolate, fudge, truffles, caramels, lollies, taffy, candies, etc. Easter candy was 50% off. Atmosphere - Clean space with many choices of chocolates and displays to choose from. We appreciate the descriptions on the chocolate cases; it makes our life so much easier. Street parking. Curbside pick up. Open 7 days a week from 10:00am to 5:30pm. Current in store promotion: spend $40 and get a free chocolate whale (while supplies last). Service - Good. Price - Pricey, but quality is not cheap... Owner Comment - Congrats on your 2 locations and all your success since 1985. 2018 - Congrats to Jennie and Preston, new owners of this business.

One of NorCals best kept secrets is the quaint town of Point Arena, home of Arena Cove! The…read moreabsolute most picturesque, gentle, calm and natural water views you'll ever see! Arena Cove is home to a pizza parlor and coffee shop as well as a fishing pier and if you come at low tide, the most amazing tide pools with fish, sea urchin, sea star fish, crab and countless water plants. Beautiful hiking on the shoreline and the best sunsets! I love visiting when I need a time out from the hustle and bustle of life; a quick trip is always humbling and helps me to refocus on the finer things in life... like nature!!!

I hate it when people Yelp landmarks instead of businesses. Just a personal pet peeve of mine…read more There's an exception to every rule, and I happen to be exceptional, so based on three exceptions to the rule I believe a review of Point Arena Cove is worthy of Yelp. First, this is an obscure little town and it needs Yelp reviews to encourage people to stop and experience all it has to offer. Second, this cove is not visible from Hwy 1 so you might drive right past it. Third, there are hours associated with the pier (open for boat launches from 7am to 4pm), so it's like a business. I'm not an expert on coves, but I've seen quite a few in my day. I think I'm a pretty good judge of cove character. La Jolla Cove, in San Diego was my favorite. Until I visited Point Arena Cove. There is so much going on here. I visited on a Saturday morning and ended up having great conversations with the very warm locals. A few showed me the abalone they had just hauled in (the Fish Police were right there to make sure every one was legal) and another showed me pictures of an albatross that visits the cove (very rare!) surfing with surfers. There are dogs galore (please leash them on the pier) and nice owners to go with them. This is a working cove, but people also go to talk and drink coffee. The cove is the best place to capture the local flavor of Point Arena. You absolutely must visit it.

In my experience, people checking city reviews are potential tourists or residents, so I have a…read morereview for each. As a tourist destination, it's a sleepy little getaway ideal for families. Couples and groups of friends not expecting a roaring nightlife will like it as well. Of the natural popular points of interest, I wasn't too excited about the botanical gardens (Plants!), Fort Bragg Coastal Trail (Water!), Pomo Bluffs Park (Cliffs!), Jackson State Park (Trees!), Noyo Beach (Driftwood!), Belinda Point Trail (Mud!), Otis Johnson Park (Stairs!), Noyo Headlands Park (Rocks!), MacKerricher State Park (Sand!), Seaside Beach (Rocks AND Sand!), but Pudding Creek Beach, which is directly under a tall picturesque bridge is cool. Russian Gulch State Park (nine miles south) features the Sinking Hole and another beach under a bridge that is even taller and picturesquer. The biggest draw, of course, was Glass Beach (see separate review), which brought us four hours from San Jose. However, I suspect that people unwilling to hike down some small but precarious cliffs to less-travelled coves will likely be unimpressed by the treasure hunting. Fort Bragg has a main strip/downtown area with some cool things to see, buy, and eat. FOOD: Fair amount of independent options. We enjoyed Cowlick's (separate review), which has lines of people waiting for nationally recognized homemade ice cream. Egghead's and Laurel's Deli (with a huge locomotive) are popular for breakfast, though we ate with the locals at David's Deli (separate review) down the road where 1 and 20 meet. The Bakery has "special" baked goods that will get you baked. DRINK: We grabbed a drink at Welcome Inn (separate review), next to Golden West Saloon, both of which are unpretentious bars with pool and shuffleboard. Stop by Golden West for the Fort Bragg postcard photo op. Elsewhere, Pacific Star Winery and North Coast Brewing are well-reviewed. MUSEUMS: the Sea Glass Museum (separate review) has the largest display of sea glass in the world. Triangle Tattoo Museum, Mendocino Coast Model Railroad Museum, and the Guest House Museum (displaying a historically-dated cross-section of redwood outside) are downtown as well. Elsewhere, Noyo Center for Marine Science has an orca skeleton and interactive topographic sandbox. ACTIVITIES: Skunk Train looks fun, offering rides by rail bike or train, but it was too overpriced for me (I think the prices for Skunk stink). The kids might enjoy Wiggly Giggly Playground outside the Ft. Bragg Library. Elsewhere, you can ride a horse at Ricochet Ridge, kayak past seals and sea otters (like Liquid Fusion is one vendor) or catch an early movie at the independent Coast Cinema. SHOPPING: Lots of shops. We enjoyed Lost Surf Shop (separate review), where Shasta will give you a high five if you rub her belly. Just make sure her husband doesn't see. (Just kidding, Shasta is a dog). As a resident, it doesn't appear to be overcrowded or disruptive despite being a tourist destination. The city's history is linked to military, fishing, lumber and the displaced Pomo tribe. Mild weather and uniquely cool summers. Not incredibly diverse (75% white) and most people vote blue. Property theft rates are double state average, violent crime is 33% higher. Thanks, Obama. (I kid). The seclusion can be good or bad. The 101 at Willits is 35 miles of elevated, winding roads that can take you to Santa Rosa (2.2 hr) or San Francisco (3.3 hr). The I-5 at Williams (2.7 hr) can get you to Sacramento (3.7 hr). Seems like a nice place to live, especially along the rocky coast, which reminds me of the black-and-white emo version of Big Sur.

Lovely city on the Northern Coastline of California. We've found ourselves staying here a few…read moretimes over the years during our travels. There is no nightlife that I know of, but we are not here for that. We are here to enjoy nature, and there is plenty of beautiful Mother Nature in and around the city of Fort Bragg. Some of the Mama Nature sights are the following: Glass Beach MacKerricher State Park Fort Bragg Coastal Trail Noyo Headlands Park Russian Gulch State Park Those are the ones that come to mind, but I'm sure there are others around the area. Regarding the city itself, It is a nice place to visit. Good hotel options to stay at. Most of the local restaurants close by 9pm so eat early unless you want McDonalds or Dennys. Highly recommend Cowlick's Ice Cream shop for some awesome homemade ice cream!! Enjoy your time at Fort Bragg!

Food was delicious. We went on a Tuesday evening and it was mostly a senior crowd. The servers were…read moreattentive. We had the mussels as an appetizer and it was delicious. The restaurant does have note mentioning the blue zone diet and how they encourage healthy eating and that to go boxes are available at every course (which I found a little odd but not in a negative way.)

Took 1 hr to get appetizerd and 1.5 hrs to get our food, got water onece, waitress was not…read moreattentive. Was seated in the back patio that looks very sketchy, Food was good and had live music.

That California coast life! There's just nothing else like it. The Mendocino coast is just…read moreravishing. If you've never been to the Mendocino Coast, then you are seriously missing out in life. Of course the beaches are beautiful, but there's so much more to explore here. So many amazing parks that are filled with old growth Redwoods and flourishing waterfalls. The old town historic district that still incorporates much of the Victorian era. Delicious restaurants and adorable mom and pop shops. Campgrounds and hiking trails galore. Visiting the amazing parks here have made for some of my most favorite memories during my visits. Hiking the stunning coastal bluffs through Mackerricher State Park or taking a stroll through the headlands are just a few of my favorite things to do here. And that drive! That scenic drive down highway 1 will practically make your heart melt. I love that you can stop off at just about any point on the road to soak in the beautiful sights and sounds of this coastline. So grateful to be able to live so close to this beautiful coast.

Here is a place that is one of the most beautiful places in the World. To get to the Mendocino…read moreCoast you drive through miles of Redwood trees to get to the Pacific Ocean where miles of beach line the Coast. Make sure to put Mendocino Coast on your vacation spots. The food science here is foodies paradise. #MoneyMikeChallenge

If you have never gone on one of these events, add it to your bucket list…read more You start off on this little beach hidden off of Hwy 1 just as you are heading into Gualala. As you drive up, the smell of bbq is wafting through the summer air. On the evening that we went, we had the choice between Steak or Lobster. We had the lobster...yummy. Afterwards, we loaded into our kayaks and slowly made our way down the Gualala River (I think that's the river), until we ended up at the ocean...all under a huge bright full moon.

Not a big place, but a good jumping off spot to explore this part of the coast. Two grocery stores,…read moreample places to eat and sleep. Most of the motels have ocean view, and there is a short walking path along the bluff looking out across the river to the ocean. The regional park, a short drive, was a great beach walk. This is off the beaten path for Bay Area crowds, just north of Sea Ranch Plantation, with a reasonable range of places to stay and eat. Most of your exploring from here will be by car, but that was fine with us.

**DEPOT UPDATE**…read more --The underlayment for the entire roof is laid --There were 12 pickup trucks [ heating, plumbing, etc] and 2 freight trucks on site, and a few diggers & front loaders. I went by at 11am, and I'm assuming [hoping] they were all busy inside the structure, because there was no visible activity outside. Still no mention in our local paper about the progress of this project. BUT the other things I noted before around town have had some recent press... the Kohl's did open on Wed Sept 30th and was announced in the paper. The old Rite Aid building is -- alas-- being torn down, not repurposed, and the site is a rubble pile now. It's a huge corner, so maybe something great will eventually go in there.