West County Design Near Bodega Bay

I had the best time exploring West County Design in Valley Ford, just 10 minutes west of Bodega Bay on Hwy. 1. I met gallery manager and co-owner Sharon Eager, and just loved her. She’s warm, inviting and authentic.

West County Design is housed in a converted historic barn with a weathered wood exterior and beautiful old paned windows. The gallery showcases local artisans and quality furnishings, and serves as a showroom for Bohemian Stoneworks and Craig Collins Furniture.





From their website: “West County Design provides an unexpected center of artistic sophistication in the charming town of Valley Ford in West Sonoma County. Offering nature’s beauty, transformed, fine wood tables, polished concrete vanities counter tops and furniture
glass, ceramic, wood, metal, custom and limited edition art and furniture for home & office.” They're celebrating their four-year anniversary on the Fourth of July.









The place was bustling with shoppers while I was there, including several tourists from out of state. Sharon said many of her customers are also regulars who stop by on the way to vacation homes along the coast from Bodega Bay up to Sea Ranch and Gualala.



I had recently seen Craig Collins Furniture and West County Design featured on KPIX-TV’s Eye on the Bay. Craig is Sharon’s husband and co-owner of the gallery. She took me back for a quick peek into his enormous workshop where he builds custom furniture in the rear of the building.



From their website: “Craig Collins Furniture has specialized in designing and building custom furniture for clients in San Francisco, Marin and Sonoma counties for over 18 years. Craig Collins’ award-winning designs are characterized by clean lines, beautiful woods and, above all, attention to detail.”





The third partner in West County Design is Patrick Miller, owner of Bohemian Stoneworks. This concrete counter and sink is one example of his work. From their website: “Bohemian Stoneworks produces cast concrete of exceptional beauty for applications such as kitchen counters and sinks, fireplace surrounds and furniture. Founder Patrick Miller creates sensuous, warm, unique pieces that delight and surprise those who think of concrete as only industrial."


Jann Heumann operates Ivy’s Soft Goods in a separate room right off the showroom. Ivy is the four-legged beauty on the floor. You can reach Jann at 707-876-1999.


Outside, you find The Bird House company, featuring locally made birdhouses, from 100% recycled materials, and all the birdhouses are only twenty bucks! Have you shopped for birdhouses lately? I have and this is a steal. You can reach them at 707-536-3009


Whether you live here at the coast or are coming out for a visit, consider stopping by this beautiful gallery, and say hello to Sharon!

West County Design
14390 Highway One
Valley Ford, CA 94972

phone: 707.876.1963

email: info[at]westcountydesign.com

showroom hours: Thursday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and by appointment

Dinner at Rocker Oysterfeller's

As part of Sonoma County Restaurant Week, last night a group of us went to dinner at Rocker Oysterfellers. We love this restaurant, it's located in the historic Valley Ford Hotel in the tiny town of Valley Ford, 10 minutes east of Bodega Bay. They serve updated southern-style comfort food made from local, farm fresh produce, seafood and meats. I love the old-west ambience of the saloon up front and the casual dining room in the back. Sometimes they have live music and the service is always warm and friendly.

For starters, they serve a plate of these incredible warm, corn-jalapeño biscuits. I'm not much of a food critic so I'll let the following menu descriptions and a few photos speak for themselves. We traded bites and everything was exquisite!

Click to enlarge menu


Crispy Romaine Hearts, Creole Caesar Dressing, Fried Oysters, Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano


They also have a nice wine list of Sonoma County offerings (although a little pricey) and we enjoyed a fabulous bottle of Amphora Chardonnay.


Half of a Local Flash Fried Dungeness Crab in Cajun Spices, Grilled Ciabatta, Little Farms Fingerling Potatoes, Balsamic Onions, Saffron Rouille


Ravioli with County Line Greens, Bellwether Farms Carmody, Truffled Mushroom Broth, Maitake Mushrooms, Crispy Matchstick Sweet Potatoes


Gleason Ranch Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Crushed Little Farms Potatoes, Fried Sage, Lagunitas Ale & Caraway Gravy. The mashed potatoes are hidden behind the chicken in this photo.


Powdered Sugar Beignets, Wild Blackberry Jam


Bourbon Vanilla Milkshake, Pecan Tassie


Scharffernberger Double Chocolate Cake, Bing Cherries in Pinot Noir Syrup, Whipped Cream


Rocker Oysterfeller's also serves lunch on Saturdays and brunch on Sundays, and they have a cute patio area that would be lovely during the day. I highly recommend you check out this fun restaurant on your next trip to the Sonoma Coast!

Rocker Oysterfeller's, Valley Ford Hotel, 14415 Coast Hwy 1, Valley Ford, CA · 707.876.1983

Deli Sandwiches at the Beach

A typical fun day at the beach just isn't complete without really good deli sandwiches.

I grew up in nearby Marin County and we went out to the beach all the time. Mostly to Stinson but sometimes further up the coast to the Pt. Reyes beaches, or to Doran and Salmon Creek beaches in Bodega Bay. Our picnic feasts consisted of chips, salads, cookies, and of course, scrumptious deli sandwiches. Once in a while we’d bring the charcoal and barbecue hot dogs or hamburgers, but for me, the deli sandwich is still the quintessential meal for a day at the beach.

We’d pick them up at Perry’s Deli in Fairfax or Lagunitas Market out in San Geronimo Valley. I have many fond memories of juicy turkey or roast beef sandwiches on hard sourdough rolls, with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, jack cheese, mayo and mustard dripping down onto the white deli paper on my beach blanket below, and sometimes with a little sand blown in for extra crunch.

Out here in Bodega Bay, I’ve found the very best old-fashioned deli sandwiches are actually to be found in the nearby small town of Valley Ford. If you’re coming out to the beach, I encourage you to stop first at the Valley Ford Market, on Hwy. 1, about 10 minutes before you get to the coast.


Valley Ford Market is family owned and operated. Dennis Becker, his adult sons, mother-in-law, and other family members all provide friendly service with a smile. Michael Becker said his family purchased this historical market about three years ago after running the famous Bateman’s Meats in Petaluma for 35 years. He said Valley Ford Market is about 60 years old and they plan to carry on its tradition of providing a wide variety of general store supplies for the local ranching community and hundreds of tourists headed for the coast.

Dennis Becker and his son Michael

In addition to sandwiches, they have fabulous local meats, poultry, seafood, Dennis Becker's famous smoked salmon and homemade sausages, groceries, video rentals, coffee, and an incredible dessert case filled with locally baked cakes and pies! My favorites are the carrot cake and the toffee crunch cake (you can click to enlarge the photos!).


Back to the deli sandwiches. They offer traditional favorites as well as their own combos such as the popular Tri-Tip sandwich with mayo, onions and swiss on a toasted roll; the Chicken Club with chicken, ham, cheese, bacon, mayo and lettuce on a toasted roll; and the hot Volcano with roast beef, peppers, jalapenos, onions, swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, on a toasted roll.





This is the Chicken Club:

The turkey was a little skimpy on mine, but I’ve noticed that all delis seem to be cutting back on meat, including Bianchini’s, Lucchesi’s, Safeway deli, Subway and others.

This is also the market I mentioned in a previous post that carries my and my sister’s favorite Smokey River Barbeque Sauce. You might want to pick up a bottle or two while you’re there.

As you can probably tell, I’m a real sandwich lover and believe me, I also have an appreciation for newer, innovative varieties. Our panini machine is in constant use, producing favorites such as smoked turkey, pesto, roasted red bell peppers and jack cheese on focaccia bread.

But I still maintain there’s nothing like a really good “old school” deli sandwich for a trip to the beach.

Valley Ford Market
14400 Highway 1, Valley Ford
(707) 876-3245