The menu at Chalkboard, in a building just off of Healdsburg’s main square, features exactly what guests in wine country are hankering for: small plates to accompany their sips of wine. Features of the menu include maple-glazed pork belly biscuits with pickled onions and chipotle mayo and housemade pasta like porcini mac & cheese made with smoked white cheddar, toasted garlic and Calabrian chili. Most dishes include at least one fresh ingredient grown in the nearby Chalk Hill Gardens.

If you have kids along and are looking for a quick bite instead of a five-course gourmet meal, this no-frills restaurant across the street from the Hotel Healdsburg is a good bet. The menu is straightforward American (burgers, pasta, salads), but the ingredients are first-rate and the ambience congenial and local.

This retro-chic spot in the center of Healdsburg has two specialties: pie and ice cream. All versions of both treats are homemade in house and range from traditional (summer berry pie) to more funky (jasmine ice cream). The offerings change with the seasons and what’s available, so each visit throughout the year will yield new findings.

The Barlow development in Sebastopol, a town in southern Sonoma, is a former apple cannery that has been transformed into a vibrant assemblage of restaurants, shops and event spaces. A highlight of the industrial community are its artisan-owned eateries, ranging from breweries and casual bars to this hipster coffee shop. Taylor Lane prides itself on serving 100% organic coffee and tea that has been sourced from family-owned farms. The minimalist, two-story space feels like a SoHo loft in northern California; the coffee bar was constructed of reclaimed wood and the floors are poured concrete. Don’t miss the pistachio biscotti if they’ve just been taken out of the oven, which they probably were.