Less than four months after its November 2023 opening, Townes Restaurant & Bar (in downtown Santa Rosa is already hitting its stride. The restaurant’s location on Third Street near Courthouse Square has long been a favorite haunt for food and fun-loving Santa Rosans. For over 25 years, the bright and airy space was home to the Third Street Alehouse, and before that was an outpost of pioneering natural foods eatery Good Earth. Some old timers may even remember the space in its original incarnation as The Cantina. Townes keeps the legacy alive with its menu of upscale bistro fare at lunch, dinner, and happy hour daily, late night dining Friday and Saturday nights, and brunch on the weekends. There’s also an oyster bar, full cocktail bar, and extensive wine list emphasizing small local and European producers. The restaurant’s name was inspired by the music of American country and blues singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. Music plays a large part in the vibe at Townes, with a DJ or live music on Friday and Saturday nights and a live jazz brunch on Sundays.
Veteran restaurateur Lowell Sheldon and partner Julia Hsieh head up the all-star team at Townes. Says Sheldon, “Upon first setting foot in this historic venue in January 2023, our team was immediately inspired by the promise that the space held. We see a vibrant future in downtown Santa Rosa. There’s so much going on here with the mix of established businesses and new restaurants, housing, and hotels that have recently opened or that are under way. We’re thrilled to be a part of it all and are looking forward to participating in the community.”
Chef Jeremy Whitcomb has developed an eclectic menu featuring elevated American classics like burgers, salads, and sandwiches with a dash of Mediterranean and Eastern European specialties like Wild Mushroom Risotto and Pork Schnitzel. The full dinner menu has fare both hearty and light: braised and seared meats and seasonal seafood, pastas, and fresh and roasted vegetable sides. The restaurant’s signature dish, available on both the lunch and dinner menu, is a Portuguese fish stew, brimming with seafood and shellfish and suitable for sharing. Menus change seasonally to showcase the freshest locally grown and sourced products.
Sheldon and Hsieh collaborated with designer Brian Anderson to update the 7,000 square-foot space to create a variety of dining environments. There are cozy booths, a full bar, two private dining rooms, and an outdoor patio on the ground level and a stylish mezzanine lounge upstairs where diners can enjoy a cocktail or a meal from comfortable couches and club chairs or intimate tables for two overlooking either the main dining or Courthouse Square.
Event space is in short supply in the downtown area, and Townes’s unique building and dining rooms provide endless opportunities for an unforgettable event, day or night, any day of the week.
