Underwood Bar and Bistro — Restaurant in California

This appealing restaurant in the little village of Graton is pricey if you choose from the full plates, even though the well prepared food is worth the costs. But share the creative salads, appetizers, and small plates to experience more of the menu, and the costs drop considerably. Two of us happily shared 4 menu items, and will be back to try out the rest of the menu. The smoked trout salad was satisfying and healthy, with the bitter watercress and endive playing off sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, salty smoked trout, tiny potatoes, and just the right kick of horseradish creme fraiche. We were happy to eat hard-to-find white anchovies on crostini, pared with cute piquillo peppers. We shared pommes frites, crisp and hot, although I prefer the sassy harissa fries. And we shared a huge platter of bitter greens sauteed with garlic, feeling virtuous for our healthy choice.

The menu offers a variety of oysters in season.... and a wide variety of local and imported cheeses. Yum!

The noisy bar is usually slammed, no doubt due to a creative bartender. Try the Elderberry Gin Ricky or the Sazerac. Or choose from a substantive wine or beer menu. The main dining room still roars with the sounds from the adjacent bar. Ask to be seated on the enclosed porch for a calmer experience. And on warm evenings their back patio is delightful.

The diners are colorful locals, regulars, families with kids, seniors, energetic young people. The waitstaff is courteous and professional. A small treasure in a...

My husband, son and I went to dinner on Sunday at Underwoods. We have been here numerous times over the years and love the cozy bistro atmosphere and delicious food. This time however, we were very disappointed. My son ordered the Thai Fried Chicken. I specifically asked how many pieces and which pieces would be included. Our server said it was "Chef's choice," but when I followed up to ask if there would be a piece of white meat, a breast, I was told yes. What arrived was two wings and a small thigh, along with a half cup of rice and a small cucumber salad. Two wings!!!? Really? This is not enough food for a grown man and quite a mark-up for $24.75. The Chef clearly chose to disappoint us. Luckily (or so we thought), my son also ordered Macaroni and Cheese. Their version of Mac and Cheese included blue cheese, which completely overwhelmed the other cheeses and gave the dish a funky taste. We did take it home in a to go box, but threw it in the garbage right away. The menu should have listed blue cheese in the description as it can be an acquired taste. We would not have ordered it had we known. We had to stop for fast food on the way home for my son!

Service was unusually slow and we had to ask for our bill more than once. Our plates were not cleared away. I still gave Underwoods 3 stars on the food because the two New York steaks we ordered were cooked perfectly and the Pommes Frites were delicious. However, quite a...

What a gem in the heart of Sonoma County's rural wine country.

I live in the region and had been there for lunch back in the day, but never really thought of it as a happening dinner/drinking spot.

But a friend suggested meeting there for a drink at 8pm on a Friday night. I drove up on a freezing cold night (literally freezing) and walked into a cultural oasis of bliss in the middle of Graton, a wine-growing town whose main drag is literally only one block long.

Upon entering Underwood, I was immediately struck by the inviting and super vibrant scene: Smiles, laughing, warm light, smells of amazing food, tourists dressed in couture for date night, locals dressed for understated elegance for comfort, every table and square inch of the bar completely filled with lively people enjoying conversation and company. A woman wearing Chloe thigh high boots (that probably cost $1400) was drinking a manhattan next to a guy wearing a Pendleton who was sipping a cabernet.

Everytime someone entered, a blast of frigid outside air would again energize the ambience and create even more of an amazing vibe.

I fully expected to see a table with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Edgar Degas where they were sipping absinthe and recounting stories in loud voice.

Bottom line: Go to this place on a Friday night at 8pm and behold the sublime ambiance of being part...