I finally had lunch today at Cafe Beaujolais with my friend Bill. (well, it was yesterday because I’m up late, but who’s being technical?). Chef David LaMonica and his fiancee Kristy Bishop bought the Mendocino icon in May 2006, and they have recently started serving lunch again. And while the lunch menu is completely different from the dinner service, it is still the same wonderful experience and food. The service was attentive without being annoying. Here’s what I find telling — both Bill and I drank coffee, and the staff unobtrusively made sure we were refilled as needed. As a diehard coffee fanatic, it’s great to not have to ask for more!
The 2 main sections on the menu were:
Soup, Salads, and More: offering several excellent salads, including an olive oil poached tuna Nicoise salad and the Shang-hi Chicken Salad. You’ll also find Dungeness crab cakes, wasabi-crusted rare ahi, and a cheese plate. The emphasis everywhere is on quality in the ingredients.
Sandwiches & Entrees: an excellent and varied selection includes a Niman Ranch burger and a broiled filet mignon sandwich, Gulf Prawn fettucini, and bouillabaisse. Bill had the Beaujolais Benedict, and he raved about it. It differs from the normal Benedict by using rye toast on the bottom, and using a Cayenne Mornay sauce (excellent!) instead of Hollandaise. I had the Applewood bacon, wild mushroom, and Gruyere quiche — also excellent.
The plates were garnished well (with fresh fruit), and the overall experience was what you would expect from dinner at Beaujolais — just cheaper and brighter. Choices in the soups and salads ranged from $8.50 to $16 (the ahi), and the sandwiches and entrees ranged from $9 to $19 (the filet mignon sandwich).
While you’re there, you can also buy some of the wonderful breads from the Brickery. Breads include several sourdoughs, Red Seal Rye, Austrian Sunflower, bagels, olive fougasse, Beaujolais Spelt, and Francese Con Biga. There are also a couple of specialty breads that are only made on certain days. The Brickery is open 7 days a week, from 11 am to 3 pm.
Margaret Fox, who founded Beaujolais in 1977, has been gone from the restaurant for 7 years, but I have to think that she is pleased at how David and Kristy have poured their energies and talents into this venerable institution.
All in all, a most congenial experience with excellent food and service. I don’t think you can beat it for the classiest lunch on the Coast!
Yesterday, I was entertained by Native American dancers, storytelling and re-enactments during Living History Day, part of a multi-weekend celebration of Mendocino Heritage Days. The Ford House Visitor Center, built in 1854 by one of Mendocino’s founding mill owners, provided the stage for today’s events. Craft demonstrations of weaving, spinning, butter making, and the most popular, ice cream making! A metal craftsman was making spoons and buttons , and now I have a hand-made pewter button. This weekend was a mixture of fun and educational events that I hope you enjoyed. If not, don’t miss next weekend, as the festivities continue with a Jazz concert, history walks, and the not-to-be-missed Moonlight Cemetery Tour. 
On Saturday, May 26, at 3 p.m., Mendocino Heritage Days will feature Native American history talks and life experiences, as told by Keith White Wolf James, a tribal member of the Manchester/Point Arena Band of Pomo Indians. White Wolf is currently working as the Native American Educator for the Grace Hudson Museum in Ukiah. He is an experienced storyteller, lecturer, and museum curator who has worked as a consultant on museum projects. Come join us for “Pomo History and Culture,” talk, slide show, and 2 short movies at the Ford House Visitor Center, Mendocino.
“Mendocino’s Historic District: Picture Perfect…Or is it?” Join us this Friday, May 25 at 3 pm for an enlightening preservation talk by Marianne Hurley, during the 
In addition to extensive field work, she has taught California architectural history at the University of Oregon preservation field school and as a guest lecturer in Sonoma County. In her community, she served five years on Petaluma’s Historic and Cultural Preservation Committee, a position appointed by the City Council. Ten years ago, she and her husband restored a 1903 Victorian, doing most of the interior work themselves. Friday, May 25 @ 3:00 p.m., Ford House Visitor Center, 707-937-5397.
Mendocino residents and visitors can celebrate this Memorial Day weekend with fun and educational events during the 4th Annual Mendocino Heritage Days. Heritage roses walks, movie history, and historic walking tour of the town are among the many events celebrating the Mendocino Coast’s history.
Now that we’re well into Spring, and past most of the rains, the farmers markets are opening up again. They’ll be running well into October, so take advantage of one of them. The Mendocino Farmers Market opens up today, May 4, and runs every Friday from noon until 2pm. They are set up on Howard Street, in the first block off Main Street. You’ll find locally grown vegetables, fruits, meat, cheese, olive oil, honey, tea, fresh and dried flowers, and other surprises. Quite a few local innkeepers shop here for fresh ingredients for their food….
The Fort Bragg Farmers Market opened up on Wednesday, May 2, and will be open until October 31 — wanna bet they’ll have pumpkins that day? The Fort Bragg market has moved this year. Instead of Franklin Street, they will be at the north end of town off Main Street (Highway One) at the lot by Century 21, just south of Elm Street. The market runs from 3:30 pm until 6 pm on Wednesdays.
A “must do” activity this weekend is a trip to the 