Sonoma County offers a nice example of the changing ways of gay “clubbing”, which a decade or two ago pretty much meant hanging out in bars and nightclubs with a predominantly gay and, to a lesser degree, lesbian clientele. While these sorts of places remain popular, and you’ll find a few of them in the region, GLBT tourists and locals are increasingly likely to mingle at mixed nightclubs, restaurants with lively lounges or adjoining wine bars, and – particularly during the day – coffeehouses.
Guerneville’s long-running, locally revered Coffee Bazaar epitomizes this notion – you can pick up a perfectly crafted latte (brewed with organic, single-origin beans), and your odds of picking up a cute fellow espresso-lover is pretty decent here, too. The Bazaar is open from 6 am till 8 pm, and It serves breakfast all day (I’m partial to the breakfast burrito with ancho-chile sauce), as well sandwiches, soups, and some of the best carrot cake around.
In Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square, occupying the ground-floor of the stately Western Hotel building, Flying Goat Coffee also turns out high-quality artisan espressos, mochas, and lattes and also draws an eclectic crowd. It’s a elegantly contemporary space with clean lines and large windows .
