In the heart of the world’s wine capital is Sonoma. It lies about 60 miles north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Sonoma has about 60,000 rolling, vine-filled acres dotted with more than 250 incredible wineries. The Sonoma wines have long been outstanding and award winning. The top-notch restaurants are on every culinary tourists’ radar.  But Sonoma gets even better.

Often the step child to its better known rival – Napa, recent stays at three Sonoma sanctuaries convinced me that you don’t have to go to buttoned-down Napa for pampering. Sonoma has arrived with a variety of luxury hotels that rival others anywhere in the world. Does a champaign bath sound enticing?  Full article

Your favorite high-end restaurant has perfect ambiance, impeccable service, and the the food is to die for. The problem is you can never get in to some of the best restaurants because they’re almost always booked well in advance.

In Napa CA.,  the French Laundry restaurant is booked sometimes two months in advance, making it frustrating for anyone dying to eat there. It just received two stars from the Michelin Guide, so those reservations will be even harder to come by.  The trick is to keep calling and get on their email wait list hoping for a cancellation notice.

The French Laundry, isn’t alone.  Take a look at ten top restaurants where finally getting a reservation can feel like a gift from above. Full article