A little over an hour north of San Francisco on Highway 101 is the sleepy little town of Santa Rosa. Sleepy that is, save for the crowd at Russian River. They have reason to be in a continually celebratory mood, as their microbrewery of choice takes top honors nearly every year at Denver's Great American Beer Festival. Indeed, gold medal winners include such eloquently named brews as Damnation, Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder. Many of them can be found at pubs throughout the Bay Area (try Toronado or Zeitgeist), but the headquarters is a must-see destination. Live music entertains crowds as they chow down on pizzas made thin, crisp and fresh in the Chez Panisse tradition (thanks to the Chez Panisse-alum founding pizza chef). See website for menu, event calendar, awards info, online shopping (including beer), and a constantly updated list of exactly what is on tap at any given moment.
average cost:USD 25 disabled access. Su-Th 11a-mid, F-Sa 11a-1a