The Girl & The Fig
Restaurant information
Established1997 (1997)
Owner(s)Sondra Bernstein
Head chefJohn Toulze
Food typeFrench cuisine
Dress codeCasual
Rating
Street address110 W. Spain Street
CitySonoma
StateCalifornia
Postal/ZIP Code95476
CountryUnited States
Coordinates38°17′38.7″N 122°27′31.81″W / 38.294083°N 122.4588361°W / 38.294083; -122.4588361
Seating capacity65
ReservationsYes
WebsiteTheGirlAndTheFig.com

The Girl & The Fig (stylized as the girl & the fig) is a restaurant in Sonoma, California in the United States. It was opened in Glen Ellen, California by Sondra Bernstein in 1997. In 2001, the restaurant relocated to downtown Sonoma.

History

The Girl & The Fig was opened in 1997 by Sondra Bernstein in Glen Ellen, California.[1] John Toulze left working at Viansa Winery to help Bernstein open the restaurant. He worked as a sous chef and a manager. Around 1999 he became executive chef and he remains in that position today.[2] Toulze is also a business partner and director of operations for the restaurant.[2][3]

In 2001, the restaurant relocated to its current location in downtown Sonoma;[1] the bottom floor of the Sonoma Hotel.[4] bar comprises a waiting area, a small gift shop, and a large antique wooden bar. There is a dining room that extends into an outdoor patio.[1][5] In 2004, Bernstein published the girl & the fig cookbook.[6] The restaurant also has its own line of food and food-related products called "FIG FOOD" that it sells at the restaurant.[2] In 2006, the restaurant was the focus of a Fortune Small Business makeover.[7]

It is one of the many restaurant and food businesses that Bernstein owns, who is estimated to make approximately $10 million a year, as of 2012, from her businesses.[6] In 2012, the restaurant was visited by Ben Flajnik and his date during season 16 of The Bachelor.[8] That same year, Lady Gaga visited the restaurant.[9]

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Bernstein laid off the majority of her staff to reduce costs and the farm, where Bernstein grew much of the produce for the restaurant, was sold. The Girl & the Fig offered curbside and take out, with outdoor dining when possible. Bernstein partnered with gourmet slush business, Wicked Slush, to offer special slush cocktails to attract take out business.[10] Bernstein also sold take out ramen noodles and Japanese food from a side door at the restaurant.[11] As of July 2020, the restaurant was bringing in a one third of its pre-pandemic sales.[12]

Cuisine

Housemade charcuterie served with local cheese at brunch at The Girl & The Fig

The restaurant serves lunch, dinner and brunch on Sunday. Travel and Leisure has called the restaurants food French cuisine and also American food.[1][13] Michelin Guide has called it Californian cuisine.[5] Many of the vegetables and fruits served in the restaurant are from the restaurant's own garden located in Sonoma, which is organic and biodynamic.[3] 95% of fresh food served is locally grown.[14] Brunch dishes include french toast stuffed with blue cheese and poached egg with duck confit.[1] Lunch and dinner entrees include beef carbonade,[1] black cod,[1] trout and beet salads,[5] hamburgers, and flounder with meunière sauce. Its signature dish is a fig and arugula salad. The restaurant also sells artisan cheese plates, including cheese by Laura Chenel.[4][15] Desserts include a creme brulee made with lavender.[15] The restaurant makes its own charcuterie.[1]

Cocktails on the menu are French inspired with fresh ingredients, including figs. The wine list is exclusively Rhône wine made in California. One of the house cocktails is the Fig Royale which consists of sparkling wine and syrup made of fig.[1] An additional cocktail on the menu is a Lavender mojito.[3]

Reception

The Girl & The Fig was named one of the top ten best restaurants in the United States for Thanksgiving meals in 2009 by Bon Appétit.[16] The restaurant has been reviewed and visited on multiple occasions by The New York Times.[17][18] The restaurant has been favorably reviewed Bon Appétit, Wine Enthusiast,[19] Wine Spectator,[20] and Country Living.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "The Girl & the Fig". Travel and Leisure. Time Inc. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Mayclem, Liam (December 12, 2011). "Foodie Chap: 'The girl & the fig' and 'Estate', Sonoma". KPIX. CBS. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Stone, Jerry James (June 11, 2012). "The girl & the fig's Lavender Mojito". Bay Area Bites. KQED. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "The Girl & the Fig Review". Fodor's Travel. Random House. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Girl & The Fig". ViaMichelin. Michelin. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Gold, Rozanne (March 30, 2012). "The Girl & the Fig". Huffington Post. AOL-HuffPost. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  7. ↑ O'Reilly, Brian. "Get Your Life Back". CNN Money. FSB Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  8. ↑ Cochran, Courtney (January 10, 2012). "The Bachelor Episode 2: Upstaged by Ben's Dog, Big Jugs". Eater. Vox. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  9. ↑ Smith, Chris (February 28, 2012). "Lady Gaga's Sonoma County visit leaves many buzzing". The Press Democrat. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  10. ↑ Wood, Susan (November 28, 2020). "California tourism report sees slow climb out of the coronavirus hole". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  11. ↑ Hill, Kathleen (November 6, 2020). "Kathleen Hill: Lobster, Ramen and Turkey Day". Sonoma Index-Tribune. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ Rosalsky, Greg (July 21, 2020). "Restaurants' 'Existential Crisis'". NPR.org. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  13. ↑ Brenner, Leslie. "Dungeness Crabs in California". Travel + Leisure. Time, Inc. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  14. ↑ Clark, Leilani. "The Girl and the Fig". Bohemian. Metro Newspapers. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  15. 1 2 "the girl & the fig". Frommers. FrommersMedia. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  16. ↑ Steinman, Eric. "Top 10 Restaurants for Thanksgiving". Bon Appétit. Conde Naste. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  17. ↑ Holson, Laura M. (August 18, 2009). "How to Sip a Flower Garden". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  18. ↑ Holson, Laura M. (July 30, 2009). "Not Just the Wine Is Purple in Sonoma: Visiting Fields of Lavender". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Special Best Of Year Issue" (PDF). thegirlandthefig.com. Wine Enthusiast Magazine. December 31, 2008. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Restaurants | Sonoma | California | Wine Country Travel | Dining and Travel | Wine Spectator". WineSpectator.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
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