By Jima Abbott Artists are an experimental bunch, always ready to ...

Mendocino County Restaurant GuideMendocino County Restaurants –Something for every dining desireMendocino County boasts a bountiful array of uniquerestaurants, with memorable dining experiences, magnificentviews and delectable delights to satisfy any craving.Locally produced and organically grown ingredients, as wellas freshly baked goods, are a hallmark of many restaurantsthroughout the county. You'll find cuisine ranging fromThai to Italian to French to North Coast favorites, andenjoy ambience spanning from fine dining to cozypubs to comfortable, relaxed coffee houses. Pick one.You can't go wrong!Check Out These Special RestaurantsThe Ravens’ Restaurant:Conscious Diningby Gus T. TorreyOutside generous western windows, a kettle of ravensgyres above the trees lining Big River. “They’re digging upthe garden,” grumbles our host, but we can tell he’s not reallycomplaining. These birds named his gourmet vegetarianrestaurant, and a little late winter forage is not begrudged.The folks at The Ravens Restaurant at Stanford Inn are seriousabout the serving of local, slow food. Their ambitiousmission is to demonstrate that healthy and satisfying foodcan be produced and cooked with a lighter touch on ourenvironment, and to “seduce” those who doubt that a meatlessdinner can satisfy.Gracious table settings, accommodating service, and apromptly served amuse bouche—bright orange carrot patéserved with dark, tasty flax crackers—let us know this willbe no ordinary meal. I ask about the crackers, and our serverenthusiastically lists their ingredients and explains thatthey are dried, not baked, whole-food style, to preservetheir goodness.We begin our meal with futomaki rolls: daikon radish,shiitake mushrooms, carrots with green tea infused ricerolled in locally harvested nori, accompanied by shoyu,toasted sesame dotted wasabi, and superb house pickledginger.The Caesar salad is inventively seasoned and surprisingyet still easily conformsto the definition ofCaesarness. A beet saladmatches mellow PointReyes Bleu with yellowand red beets on a bedextraordinarily rich infresh tiny lettuce leavesperfectly dressed withMeyer lemon vinaigrette.The menu is seasonalbecause so much of the produce is grown in the certifiedorganic gardens visible below. These colorful gardens, 21years in the making, are the mainspring of the restaurant.It’s late April, a quiet weekday evening, but the windowtables are all filled with appreciative diners. We try a newentrée, Lemongrass curry with bok choi fresh from the garden.We note with pleasure that the ambience, service, andpresentation are outstanding even among local restaurants,formal enough to honor the fineness of the food, yetrelaxed and homey. One of the house cats strolls alooflythrough the room. We all clean our plates and smile at eachother in satisfaction, replete without the heaviness thatsometimes accompanies meat.Our server hopes to tempt us with the all-vegan (noanimal products) desserts, and they do sound delicious. Wepromise that next time we will order conservatively fromthe Local Specials menu (ID may be required), and saveroom for dessert.Coast Hwy One & Comptche Ukiah Rd. 707 937-5615or 800 331-8884. Website: www.stanfordinn.com35