Lovely quaint Petaluma, a pinch of "Trustifarian", a Mecca for explosive talented artists and…read moremusicians with great live music venues.
Juxtaposed with some questionable art. IE: Huge paintings of caricature like dogs in fluorescent colors, dreadful landscapes and yarn owls.
Also, the antique capital of Northern California, yawn. (money laundering?)
A lot of really nice boutique type shops with fine products and a brand new record store, Paradise Found which is quite fantastic.
It is also an oasis with goo-gobs of creative talent and cool people you will find. Ranchers, farmers, construction workers, normal hard-working folk, authors, athletes, chefs, sound engineers,sculptors,craftspeople,
photographers, and inventors. A full cast of interesting characters. The home of the world's ugly dog contest (I tend to stay away during this event to avoid becoming a contestant) and wrist wrestling championship. Once famous for being the egg capital of the world.
I once heard this conversation in a bar, "Hey Steve remember when we got paid to inseminate chickens when we were on acid?"
Steve: "Those were chickens?"
Sam Shepard would've had a field day here.
Some newer buildings made to look old with crafted Styrofoam façades. You get the feeling you're on a movie set, which it has been on several occasions. I lived here for a number of years, a bit of a Peyton Place aura. Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.
Some of my favorite people I've met in the last 30 years hale from here.
And, a disappropriated amount have left this earth too soon. One of the best foodie destinations north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Superb coffee shops and bakeries, some award-winning.
So, back in 1999 I took a wrong turn off the freeway and discovered Petaluma and the first place I went was the "Tea Room" and it's still pretty much as awesome as it was then. A real nice vibe, nicely decorated with some incredible pastries to include the orange cranberry scone as I recall, sold out today. My breakfast today was quite good with the walnut toast, and a huge portion of very large potatoes that could've been cut into smaller pieces and maybe I only needed one third of the portion. Dem tatters were 'nuff for four people.
Great atmosphere, nice friendly staff, and a very pleasant ambience.
There's mirrored signage that says TEA mounted high on the wall across from one another so as to appear as if it were a reflection. I personally can also see the word EAT in there every time I glance at it. I was told years ago that it came from an old Texaco gas station sign. It makes sense, check it out.
On Western Avenue. I used to tell folks it's across from the pink Catholic Church rectory.
That's been painted to a rather unattractive conservation brown.
A lot of nice outdoor seating and cool shops nearby, check out next-door thrift shop and the ever remarkable Petaluma market around the corner, with superb produce display!
Famous for cheese, wine, cider, breweries and happy cows!
If you're coming from the south cut over through Fairfax to Olema and take the back road up to Petaluma which is a stunning drive!
