The Deserts
This famous bakery's classic apple pie is definitely crave-worthy but variations such as apple-berry crumb or the peach apple are just as tempting,…
Must-see restaurants in California
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
Join the flip-flop crowd at this shoebox-sized pizza kitchen for habit-forming bagel-crust pies tastily decorated with tequila-lime chicken, portobello…
Silver City Mountain Resort Restaurant
Sequoia National Park
This little country store serves simple fare – usually one or two choices like salmon or pasta – on wooden picnic tables. Try the dreamy thick slabs of…
Berkeley
With a line out the door, this corner shop smooshes together ice-cream sandwiches (or tacos!) with creative flavors (salted caramel, churro etc) and…
Lake Tahoe
A tiny but well-stocked natural-foods store, its gem of a deli concocts scrumptious ethnic food to go, all packaged in biodegradable and compostable…
Newport Beach
You won't leave hungry from this bright-blue diner on the land side of Coast Hwy. It serves monster omelets, crispy bacon, country fried chicken, house…
Santa Barbara
Before a day at the beach, pick up custom-made sandwiches and fresh salads at this gourmet deli in the Funk Zone. Artisan breads, imported cheeses, cured…
San Diego
Award-winning burgers (served about 20 ways) are the thing in this cheerful red-and-white wooden roadhouse in the center of Old Town, plus onion rings…
Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada
Meaty mains like 16oz rib eyes, wood-fired chicken and spice-rubbed pork tenderloin join wood-fired pizzas and homemade desserts on this mouthwatering…
Lake Tahoe
For a social bite after shedding your bindings, this slopeside favorite is handily positioned between the cable-car building and the rental shop. Slide on…
San Joaquin Valley
Elegant without being stuffy, there's a great selection of local wine and indulgent sandwiches at this downtown spot (try the M80, which joins jalapeño…
North Coast & Redwoods
This 2nd-story eatery overlooks Main St and serves ambitious dishes that may have minted the California-Cajun style. Start with fried oysters before…
Oakland
You'll likely smell Firebrand before you see it, and you'll be smiling when you sniff, because this spot pumps out some delicious wood-fired baked goods…
Along Highway 101
This classic American diner serves hearty breakfasts and homemade pie (the summer selection of peach-blueberry pie is dreamy). For a more exciting…
Russian River Area
Locally sourced ingredients inform the seasonal, Cali-smart cooking at this tiny, always-packed, New American bistro, with cheek-by-jowl tables that fill…
Sequoia National Park
Truffled eggs on brioche French toast; sourdough sandwiches spread with goat cheese and sweet figs; maple-bacon popcorn; date and Nutella ice-cream shakes…
Russian River Area
K&L serves earthy provincial Cal-French bistro cooking in a convivial bar-and-grill space with sidewalk patio. Expect classics such as mussels and french…
Central Coast
Fork into diner-style breakfasts of fruity pancakes, crepes and egg skillets, or turn up later in the day for handcrafted sandwiches and market-fresh…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Parked permanently at Fisherman's Wharf, the Tanguito food truck makes exceptional Argentine empanadas with chicken or steak, stellar saffron rice and…
Russian River Area
One of our favorite Alexander Valley stopovers, Jimtown is great for picnic supplies and sandwiches spread with housemade condiments. You can also forage…
Napa
This busy storefront wine bar and restaurant makes inventive, flavorful small plates, from simple skewers and flatbreads to elaborate ostrich burgers,…
Sonoma
This happening gastropub and beer garden takes its brews seriously with over a dozen of its own and guest beers on tap, served in type-appropriate…
Mono Lake Region
Located at the El Mono Motel, this cafe is a charming spot for sandwiches, scones and good organic espresso drinks. There's a cozy wood-floored interior,…
Marin County
At the former Olema Inn, a creaky 1876 building, this local chef's dining room delights with Marin-sourced seasonal bounty such as Tomales Bay oysters,…
Central Coast
Devour buckets of crab, mussels, squid, scallops and prawns covered in San Francisco–style cioppino sauce at this warehouse-sized eatery right by the…
Oakland
The name plays off its former identity as a cobbler's shop, but the current patrons pack this brick-walled place for its wood-fired pizzas, original…
Gold Country
Crisp, crusty pizza and pitchers of beer make this a favorite; it’s the perfect place to hang out and chat to the locals. Combinations like the BBQ pizza…
Sonoma Valley
Inventive French place in downtown Petaluma, with an industrial-chic atmosphere and a delicious tender duck dish that comes with glazed radishes, turnips…
Monterey
Sweet and savory, all-American breakfasts and lunches and bottomless pitchers of coffee merrily weigh down outdoor tables at this cafe uphill from the…
Central Coast
A firm local favorite, the bustling Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria has a deli for assembling beach picnics, and plenty of tasty counter food for takeout…
Coastal Highway 1
Watch the water pound the rocks and the sun set out of the Mendocino hubbub (8 miles south) at this friendly Cal-Med bistro. Try the cassoulet or the…
Marin County
Wood-fired pizzas, fresh market salads and create-your-own burgers stacked hands high will sate your grumbling stomach at this downtown brewery, bar and…
San Joaquin Valley
Everything here celebrates grapes – from the Lewis Family Estate's own wines to the bread cultures created from the vineyard's petite sirah grapes. The…
Coastal Highway 1
Unwind in style at this picture-perfect restaurant, perched on a cliff overlooking the river’s mouth and a grand sweep of the Pacific Ocean. It serves…
Santa Ynez Valley
On the eastern outskirts of Solvang, this upscale supermarket – with a full deli, smokin' barbecued meats, a wine shop and an espresso bar – is the best…
Downtown Los Angeles & Boyle Heights
This upbeat kitchen churns out fresh and tasty Vietnamese food on the cheap. Start with the goi cuon (shrimp and pork spring rolls) and follow it with…
Russian River Area
Before wine-tasting in Dry Creek Valley, stop at this vintage general store where locals and cyclists gather for coffee on the creaky front porch. Perfect…
Gold Country
Fresh and well-executed, the menu here leans toward simple Italian comfort food including pizza, made all the more comfortable by the wood-and-brick…
Los Angeles
Does all the authentic Jamaican favorites: saltfish and ackee at breakfast; curry goat, jerk chicken and oxtails at lunch. The brown stew chicken is…
Joshua Tree National Park
Fuel up for a day in the park with a Killer Bee smoothie, an omelet made with eggs from cage-free chickens, an avocado sandwich or many more organic and…
