Ginochio's Kitchen — Restaurant in Guerneville

So, we were driving south on Rt 1 in California, and made a wrong turn while seeking lunch in Bodega Bay, when my wife decided to see what might be at our waterfront dead-end.

I am glad she did, as we discovered Ginochio's Kitchen (and enjoyed the dining courtyard shared with its neighbor, Gourmet Au Bay). Our neighbors were friendly, and our dog was welcome at the outdoor dining room (which had a small indoor room as well).

When I looked at the menu, I was torn between the pricey Buttery Dungeness Crab Sandwich ($24.95), and the Clam & Scallop Chowder ($13.95); I did what I often would not: I had both.

The crab sandwich was amazing, and the crab was the freshest and best I'd tasted on a sandwich, but I would have liked a little more Havarti and scallions.

The chowder was actually the best I have ever eaten, and I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area growing up, and for nineteen of my recent adult years, going to the late great Spengers and more. But Ginochio's pairing of scallops with clams might have employed heavy cream and other ingredients. There was zero taste of any floury filler, or cornstarch.

And I don't even really like scallops. Amazing, highest rating.

The service was excellent. We don't like to drop a ton of money on most lunches, and do budget our money, but sitting in the open-air patio with glass walls and a beautiful view of Bodega Bay with kind fellow diners, the bill didn't shake us.

We were hooked and well-rewarded....

Moved to the area recently and was celebrating a friends birthday for the weekend. We wanted to go to gourmet au bay for lunch but we were too early. Ginochios next door was open so we went through the patio door but got confused as we were on the backside of the restaurant.

We went around and ordered inside and sat back out on the patio. Only the orange umbrellas were theirs and the reds all said reserved for when gourmet au bay opened at noon.

We had the dogs on the floor and a few of us had the fish tacos which were stuffed with cod. Large meal so it made up for the priceyness of eating out these days. Also had a white wine. Some people had other drinks, the chowder which they enjoyed, and the side of beans which was big enough to share. I put all the salsas and condiments on my tacos but still wished for a hot sauce, would take my own unless they offered it!

Water is in the hallway with plastic cups. They didn’t have a dog water bowl but offered me a chowder cup for water, but bring your own if you have it!

The cashier was friendly. No one was eating inside as it was a nice day out. Parking lot was easy as it was still early at 11:20am on a...

Ate lunch here today. My wife had the clam chowder. My mom and I both had the brisket sandwich with the potato salad. We all had the monkey bread.

My wife liked her clam chowder. I thought it was only satisfactory. It needed something more. It was a little basic.

The brisket was a little dry but tasty. It needed more barbeque sauce to make it moister. The sauce had too much vinegar in it for my taste. The meat was cold too. It would have been much better had it been hot. The bread was OK but nothing great. The onion, lettuce, and tomato on the sandwich were fine. The potato salad was simple but pretty good.

The monkey bread was good, but it has bacon on it and that didn't go well with the sweet flavors. I think it would have been better without the bacon.

The service was excellent. All of the staff were very friendly. The bathrooms were very clean and nice. There were some good views of the bay too. Prices were very high ($$$). For example, a small bottle of water (that costs 25 cents at Costco) was $2.50. Our out of pocket expenses for the meal was close to $60. I'm not sure I'd come back here again. For the price, it needed...