16248 Main Street, Guerneville, CA 95446. (707) 869-0780
http://eatatboon.com/
During my recent work trip, many of the locals were kind enough to offer restaurant recommendations. One place I kept hearing about repeatedly was Boon Eat + Drink. It was pricier than what my work per diem allowed but one of my coworkers and I decided to go check it out anyway. Yes, I know...I have champagne taste on a beer budget. ☺
We found this Guerneville hotspot easily enough. It was located in a small row of eateries on Main Street, just a couple doors down from an interesting looking cabaret/wine bar. It was quite small and bistroesque in nature. The whole restaurant consisted of about 10 tables (mostly deuces) along with two tables squeezed outside. We lucked out that there was a 2-top open when we arrived and the hostess was able to seat us immediately. Inside, there wasn't a lot of room to move about and it was a bit loud, but they make the chaos work somehow. I have to say, I loved the whimsical dog-catching-a-Frisbee wallpaper that decorated one wall. So cute! (I wanted to take a photo of it for you but the lighting was pretty dim in the restaurant. Sorry!)
Boon's menu was brief (a smattering of salads, small plates, and entrées) but ranged from dishes like grass-fed burgers with crispy truffle fries (and homemade ketchup and aioli), a decadent sounding mac-and-cheese, to a sublime-sounding polenta lasagna with mixed seasonal veggies and a spicy marinara. My coworker went with the mac and cheese with wild mushrooms topped with truffled bread crumbs; which she said was sinfully rich and oh so creamy. I opted to start with the grilled calamari salad with arugula, citrus segments, shaved fennel, castelvetrano olives and a lemon vinaigrette. The helping of squid was generous and the salad was delicious. The orange segments in my calamari salad really brightened the dish and it was nice to see calamari prepared in such a simple manner. The flavor and texture of the squid was able to shine through (I'm so over deep fried batter smothering my calamari). For my entrée, I went with the seared halibut with grape salsa over spicy black lentils and greens. The fish was cooked perfectly. The lentils, on the other hand, could have been cooked just a tad longer; nevertheless, the spicy kick of the lentils contrasted perfectly with the sweetness of the grapes - and I ate all of them.
Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Boon Eat+Drink to friends if they're in the area. I love that they use seasonal produce to enhance their dishes. Everything I tasted during my visit was seasoned well and alive with flavor. (Don't worry about the calories, you can hike them off the next day at nearby Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve.) Next time, I'd love to take the time to sample some of the Russian River wines and beers on their list. My only recommendation to Boon Eat + Drink would be to invest in some air conditioning. Gah! It was incredibly warm inside the restaurant even with the doors open. I could see sweat glistening on surrounding patrons foreheads as well. No bueno.
http://eatatboon.com/
During my recent work trip, many of the locals were kind enough to offer restaurant recommendations. One place I kept hearing about repeatedly was Boon Eat + Drink. It was pricier than what my work per diem allowed but one of my coworkers and I decided to go check it out anyway. Yes, I know...I have champagne taste on a beer budget. ☺
We found this Guerneville hotspot easily enough. It was located in a small row of eateries on Main Street, just a couple doors down from an interesting looking cabaret/wine bar. It was quite small and bistroesque in nature. The whole restaurant consisted of about 10 tables (mostly deuces) along with two tables squeezed outside. We lucked out that there was a 2-top open when we arrived and the hostess was able to seat us immediately. Inside, there wasn't a lot of room to move about and it was a bit loud, but they make the chaos work somehow. I have to say, I loved the whimsical dog-catching-a-Frisbee wallpaper that decorated one wall. So cute! (I wanted to take a photo of it for you but the lighting was pretty dim in the restaurant. Sorry!)
Boon's menu was brief (a smattering of salads, small plates, and entrées) but ranged from dishes like grass-fed burgers with crispy truffle fries (and homemade ketchup and aioli), a decadent sounding mac-and-cheese, to a sublime-sounding polenta lasagna with mixed seasonal veggies and a spicy marinara. My coworker went with the mac and cheese with wild mushrooms topped with truffled bread crumbs; which she said was sinfully rich and oh so creamy. I opted to start with the grilled calamari salad with arugula, citrus segments, shaved fennel, castelvetrano olives and a lemon vinaigrette. The helping of squid was generous and the salad was delicious. The orange segments in my calamari salad really brightened the dish and it was nice to see calamari prepared in such a simple manner. The flavor and texture of the squid was able to shine through (I'm so over deep fried batter smothering my calamari). For my entrée, I went with the seared halibut with grape salsa over spicy black lentils and greens. The fish was cooked perfectly. The lentils, on the other hand, could have been cooked just a tad longer; nevertheless, the spicy kick of the lentils contrasted perfectly with the sweetness of the grapes - and I ate all of them.
Table service at Boon could be summed as mediocre. Our waiter was zooming around in high gear but it would have been nice had he checked back on us after we got our food to make sure everything was going smoothly. We had to flag him down whenever we needed something and it was a bit like trying to lasso Speedy Gonzalez.
Overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Boon Eat+Drink to friends if they're in the area. I love that they use seasonal produce to enhance their dishes. Everything I tasted during my visit was seasoned well and alive with flavor. (Don't worry about the calories, you can hike them off the next day at nearby Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve.) Next time, I'd love to take the time to sample some of the Russian River wines and beers on their list. My only recommendation to Boon Eat + Drink would be to invest in some air conditioning. Gah! It was incredibly warm inside the restaurant even with the doors open. I could see sweat glistening on surrounding patrons foreheads as well. No bueno.
