A Culinary Road Trip : Mendocino (Part 2)
After enjoying lunch and the beautiful scenic drive through the Anderson Valley, our next stop was the city itself - Mendocino.
We journeyed through this unexpected enchanting redwood forest along the 128. This wasn’t even the Avenue of Giants! In my opinion it was equally as beautiful and in a way, more special since it was a beautiful surprise that I haven’t heard anyone talk about before.
After traveling through the redwood forest for about 40 minutes, we saw even more surprises - lush sparkling rivers and then - the ocean! We drove along coastal cliffs with stunning views. We didn’t know what was coming so we didn’t catch any photos. Almost at our hotel, we ran into yet another surprise - the Little River. I saw something I haven’t seen before, an estuary - where the river meats the ocean! We stopped to take photos of the beautiful beach.
We hopped back in the car and took a two-minute drive down the street to our hotel - the SCP Mendocino Inn & Farm
It was very lovely and cute. We fed some chickens and met the llamas. They were really just chilling, enjoying the fresh air and coastal breeze.
There was a chic and cozy farm restaurant on site with a great menu. We didn’t sit down and eat a full meal there but my mom couldn’t resist ordering seasonal salad and dessert to-go for enjoyment later. It was worth it.
Now, it was time for the iconic main event! We could NOT miss this one. Cafe Beaujolais.
I was “raised” as a Chef in Napa Valley and San Francisco, so I’ve visited and also worked in many iconic and significant restaurants. The fact that Cafe Beaujolais is one-of-a-kind in Mendocino and required me to travel far made the experience of eating at this restaurant uniquely special and precious.
The Host Stand.
While waiting to be seated, I purchased a copy of The New Cafe Beaujolais cookbook. It was signed by Chef Julian Lopez! I didn’t know that the new edition had just come out this February 2026.
I’m not going to lie - I didn’t expect it to be THAT GOOD. It was soo refreshing to eat a great classic French style meal prepared excellently. I ordered the Summer Corn Soup, Local Black Cod with house-made mushroom duxelles agnolotti, and we shared the Seasonal Fruit Crisp (strawberry) for dessert. A week after I got home from the road trip and sat to browse the whole cookbook - I got excited when I saw these inside with recipes - especially the black cod dish!
One More Pleasant Surprise
When we had finished dinner the sun was almost set. I had been studying the map of the area before and during our arrival in Mendocino. “Let’s go here” I said as I pointed to a road just blocks away that looped along the coast. I knew there would be an incredible view.
We stopped at the first parking area we came across and ended up on a mini hike. This was one of the most beautiful coastal cliffs I’d ever seen! We climbed down some dune-y type of terroir and followed the trails along the water. We did not know that we found an actual destination - The Mendocino Arch! What a treat! The atmosphere and beauty of nature was SO romantic. Such a breathtaking scene to enjoy after an amazing dinner.
This concluded just day one of my adventure. It was a perfect start to one of the best road trips I’ve ever experienced. Stay tuned for more.
XoXo,
