Sac Foodies

Glen Ellen Inn – Oyster Grill & Martini Bar

June 26, 2009

Glen Ellen, a small town on the outskirts of Sonoma, is so quaint that there are only a few choices of restaurants, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a bad meal in this wine country town.  From Garden Court, to The Fig Café, and even the pub fare at The Jack London Lodge are all delish.  A few weeks ago I finally had a chance to try The Glen Ellen Inn.  I was excited to hear that the chef/owner was a Sonoma Valley native (like me!) and went to the same high school as I did (Sonoma Valley High).

Chef Christian Bertrand and his wife, Karen, opened the restaurant in 1993 in a 1940’s country cottage.   The ambiance is very nice – a comfortable setting, with beautiful stained glass accents in the doorways and an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs preparing that evening’s food.  This night’s dinner was shared with my Mom and Dad, and was the first time since I could remember that I had them both to myself.  Between the restaurant, the friendly service and my two dining companions, the night definitely felt special. 

Because I am becoming my mother more and more every day, it was not surprising to me that after reading the menu for about 30 seconds, the two of us picked the same entrée.  Mussels and Garlic Fries with prosciutto, saffron, dried tomato, white wine sauce. We giggled to ourselves as we talked about how we can never pass up mussels on a menu, as I’ve mentioned on this blog before.  Dad ordered the Sonoma Breast of Duck, foie grass stuffed, panko crust, cherry-port sauce and polenta.  I must also mention the wine list – more than 160 labels to choose from, and I was happy to see that ALL of them were from California.  Way to support local wine.

The food was delicious.  The creamy saffron sauce that was served with the mussels was amazing.  Yes, I kept slurping the leftover broth long after the fries and mussels were gone.  After lots of good conversation, food and wine my parents and I decided to split “The Fabulous Glen Ellen Inn Sundae” which consisted of house made French vanilla ice cream rolled in toasted coconut in bittersweet caramel sauce. A perfect end to a fun evening.  I can’t wait for the next time I get to steal my parents and have them all to myself again.

Glen Ellen Inn
13670 Arnold Drive
Glen Ellen, Ca 95442
707-996-6409

By Christine Schunk 

Entry Filed under: Dinner, Glen Ellen, Restaurants, Sonoma, Sonoma Valley, The Fig Cafe, Wine. Tags: duck, Fig Cafe, Glen Ellen Inn, Martinis, mussels, Oysters, Sonoma Valley, Sundaes, Wine.