SONOMA INDEX TRIBUNE
September 16, 1997
(vol 118, issue 45)

The folks in Glen Ellen
by Sylvia Crawford

Years ago, when my husband and I first moved to Glen Ellen, the restaurant Mecca of Sonoma County was Occidental.

My father, who visited us frequently, loved to drive over to the west county to choose from among the half-dozen fine Italian restaurants there. Papa visited often and we ate plenty of meals in Occidental. In fact, my eldest son, Schuyler, was nearly born in the Union Hotel in Occidental.

Now, one no longer need travel 45 miles cross the county to experience divine refreshment. The new restaurant Mecca of Sonoma County is surely Glen Ellen.

Imagine if you will, a giant wheel surrounding our town, with the hup in the heart of the Regional Park. We’ll face the rising sun and begin at the top of the great wheel for a tour of Glen Ellen restaurants.

With the Regional Park as our starting point and breakfast our destination, there’s no better place to go than Stacy and Rich Treglia’s marvelous Garden Court Cafe and Bakery on Highway 12. It’s easy to work up an appetite en route.

You’ll love their hearty breakfasts with homemade jams and old-fashioned scones. Rich, in the kitchen working magic, is a certified chef and graduate of the American Culinary Academy with experience in some of the finest restaurants. But he’ll readily admit that he learned most of his good breakfast skills sitting in his mama’s kitchen. While Rich is in the back creating masterpieces, Stacy’s out front making the whole operation look effortless. She’s in charge of everything from greeting customers to signing paychecks, but she does it all with such aplomb you feel you are the most important part of her day.

While you’re sipping your morning coffee, check out assistant manager Kathy’s crazy, cool shoes and socks!

Leaving the Garden Court we head south, past Oak Hill Farm (foregoing all of their delicious produce for another day when we want to cook), and turn west on Madrone Road. On the right, just before we reach Arnold drive, is Glen Ellen’s newest and most exotic restaurant, Himalayan Sherpa Cuisine. Stepping through the door of Chhiring Sherpa’s restaurant is to enter another world. the walls glow with Nepalese cloth hangings while delicate paper lanterns sway in the breeze. Exotic Asian music drifts through the air and the panoramic posters of the Himalayan Mountains entice.

Chhiring and his cousin, Nurbu Sherpa, run the restaurant simply and efficiently together turning out warm and spicy creations that are redolent with the aromas of the highlands of Nepal and Tibet.

While lunch, an all—you-can-eat buffet, seems to be a popular meal for nearby Developmental Center workers, dinner can become a long, relaxing repast.

Naively, I expected only vegetarian fare. While there are delicious lentils and other delightful vegetables, there is also plenty of meat, particularly succulent pork and lamb dishes thick and filling with comforting gravies.

I’ll continue my saga next week with news of many more of Glen Ellen’s fine restaurants. Meanwhile, stop by Chhiring’s Himalayan restaurant or Rich and Stacy’s Garden Court and welcome these wonderful folks to our village!