A Stop in Ukiah California

Last Friday, the husband and I headed north to Eureka for a wedding. Over 300 miles of perfect driving weather on the 101. Sure, it was overcast and it rained some, but I prefer that to being uncomfortably hot. And, as the husband says, when you're under the redwoods, it doesn't matter if it's sunny or rainy.

Because we were just off the leash for the weekend, we didn't dally much coming or going. On the way up, we stopped for a food break in Ukiah, which is the county seat of Mendocino County. It's about a two hour drive, more or less, north of San Francisco. For info about Ukiah, check out the city's Web site.

Although we were in the middle of wine country, we felt like drinking a beer when we saw the Ukiah Brewing Company and Restaurant. Are we glad we did! The business is the country's first organic brewpub.

Organic beer is definitely the way to go. I tried their Coops Stout. It's described as a "heavy stout with chocolate and roast character." It did not taste heavy at all. Definitely chocolaty. The husband had a "steam beer" called the Comptche Logger. Very smooth. If you're interested in reading about the brews that the pub offers then click here.

The menu features local and seasonal organic food. The menu was balanced with meat, seafood, vegetarian, and vegan dishes.   The husband and I opted for vegetarian sandwiches. He asked for a BBQ tofu sandwich, while I ordered a mushroom melt. My sandwich was sauteed shiitake and crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, and melted provolone on sourdough bread. Near the end, I ate a bite that made me think I was eating a buffalo burger. Oh, yum! The bite of the husband's tofu sandwich that I ate was yummy as well.  All together, the sandwiches and drinks were a perfect combination of glow.

If you're ever near Ukiah and feeling hungry and thirsty, hold on and give the Ukiah Brewing Company and Restaurant a try. Here's the link to their Web site. By the way, FTC, if you're reading this: No one paid me to write about them. I didn't even get a free meal. I just like their grub and brews. I also think Ukiah is one cute town.

The husband and I only walked one short block from and to our car. But, in that short walk, I took a few shots of what I thought were neat about the little bit of Ukiah that I saw.