{"id":473924,"date":"2026-09-24T06:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/473924\/"},"modified":"2026-09-24T06:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:30:13","slug":"go-for-the-gold-the-bounty-of-californias-gold-country-san-francisco-bay-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/473924\/","title":{"rendered":"Go for the Gold: The Bounty of California\u2019s Gold Country – San Francisco Bay Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet (with considerable help from Jerry Lee, Sierra Repertory Theatre)\u2014<\/p>\n

Over the years, my husband and I (with our dogs) have taken numerous trips to California\u2019s Gold Country, along state route 49 south of Sacramento. It\u2019s an underrated, yet doable, 3-hour trip from the Bay Area. Visiting Sonora, Columbia, and Jamestown provides a historical glimpse into California\u2019s past, especially insight into the 1849 gold rush boom\u2014and what it meant for our state\u2019s phenomenal growth. Plus, there\u2019s rewarding hiking, shimmering lakes, apple orchards, stunning 19th century towns, and more.<\/p>\n

\"\"Jerry Lee<\/p>\n

I remember one trip where we stayed at the Jamestown Hotel and had an encounter with a ghost. It was a bit unsettling, but isn\u2019t that part of the fun?<\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t been back in a couple of decades. So, we were excited about the prospect of visiting again this fall. Unfortunately, a family emergency intervened. So, I asked my new pal, Jerry Lee (the gay artistic director of the popular Sierra Repertory Theatre in Columbia), if he might give us some thoughts about where to visit, and, more importantly, where to eat. Of course, he told me that \u201ctheatre is worth the journey, but there\u2019s food worth staying for.\u201d Herein are his recommendations.<\/p>\n

Jerry Lee: There are two things I love: theatre and great food.<\/p>\n

One of the great pleasures of making theatre in Tuolumne County is getting to introduce people to this place. Every year, thousands of theatergoers\u00a0make the trip to Sonora and Columbia to see a show at Sierra Rep, and inevitably I get asked the other important question: Where should we eat?<\/p>\n

Here are my answers. Actually, these are just my personal favorites. One of the things I love about eating around here is just how wonderfully eclectic\u00a0the options can be. There\u2019s a lot more than you might expect tucked into these little Gold Country towns, and there really is something for everybody.<\/p>\n

If I have to name my favorite restaurant, I\u2019m going with Cocina Michoacana. Either location in Sonora. I love this place. The staff is incredibly friendly, the service is consistently terrific, and the Baja shrimp tacos are amazing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For one of my quintessential Jerry orders, head to The Standard Pour\u00a0and get the turkey Reuben or the grilled teriyaki\u00a0salmon salad. The fries are ridiculously good, too, and there\u2019s a great selection of IPAs. And the Brussel sprouts!! It\u2019s exactly the kind of place I want after a long day at the theatre: relaxed, unfussy, really good food, and a beer.<\/p>\n

Breakfast requires a trip to Papa\u2019s New Roost. It is about as charming as you could possibly hope a breakfast joint would be!<\/p>\n

Then there are the Motherlode Cookies at The Sugar Shack. Kryptonite.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

For a cocktail, my pick is the Elderflower Collins at Perch at Chicken Ranch Casino Resort. Perch has also become a favorite dining experience for me and my partner.It\u2019s\u00a0a true event. I cannot talk about The Perch without mentioning the most important part: Dusty is the greatest server. He\u2019s just the best. Great service can turn a good meal into a favorite restaurant, and Dusty has done exactly that for us.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the (Tuolumne) burger.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY<\/p>\n

My favorite is the build-your-own burger from Barrow\u2019s Caf\u00e9 and Grill.\u00a0I always add an egg. Tuolumne County is definitely burger country.\u00a0In fact, Visit Tuolumne County (the local tourism bureau) has an online Craft Burger Trail\u00a0where you can find eight great burger places.\u00a0 If you need help planning a visit, they\u2019re the experts.<\/p>\n

Of course, this barely scratches the surface. The Armory, Emberz, and St. Charles Saloon are just several of so many places worth discovering. Part of the fun is finding yourown favorite. So, make a day of it. Wander through historic Columbia, or downtownSonora. Have breakfast somewhere that feels like a real breakfast joint. Find aridiculous cookie. Have a cocktail. Eat something with a fried egg on it simply becauseyou can. And, yes, come see a show. What is better than a great meal followed by agreat night at the theatre? Sonora and Columbia give you plenty of opportunities forboth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The Armory
PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT TUOLUMNE COUNTY<\/p>\n

So, join us in the foothills and bring your appetite!<\/p>\n

David Landis: At Sierra Rep, future shows include Dracula, A Comedy of Terrors and Shrek the Musical. Other activities in Tuolumne County include: taking the railroad in Jamestown, staying at the beautifully remodeled and dog-friendly Hotel Lumberjack in Sonora, exploring Columbia State Historic Park (an authentic gold rush town where you can pan for gold and explore an historic working blacksmith shop), wine tasting at Inner Sanctum Cellars Winery, hard cider sampling at the Indigeny Reserve, and rappelling into the Moaning Cavern (just outside Tuolumne in Calaveras County).<\/p>\n

Bits and Bites<\/p>\n

Sushi Ran might be my favorite Marin restaurant, and it\u2019s celebrating 40 years in business. Congratulations! Restaurateur Yoshi Tome has some of the most tantalizing sushi in the Bay Area, and it\u2019s definitely worth a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge. In his comments to Marin Dish, Tome explains that the experience \u201cis not just about expensive fish, but also about pristine, fresh rice, well-seasoned miso soup, flawless cooked greens, and a thoughtful Japanese-inspired cooked food menu. Simple is hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

In mid-October, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco\u00a0is opening Bruma, a new cocktail lounge and modern San Francisco salon. Tucked inside the hotel\u2019s landmark 1909 building atop Nob Hill, it\u2019s named for the Spanish word for \u201cmist.\u201d Bruma is built around the fog that settles over the neighborhood, the residential elegance of the block, and San Francisco\u2019s own restless, Pacific-facing spirit. The concept draws on Nob Hill\u2019s character and San Francisco\u2019s history as a Pacific port city, with a beverage program built around four distinct passages\u2014World\u2019s Edge, Open Water, Golden City, and High Ground\u2014each inspired by a different facet of the city\u2019s geography and mood. Signature rituals include a tableside martini service chilled with liquid nitrogen, and a reimagined Nob Hill Pisco Punch finished with a pineapple br\u00fbl\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

Shinka is a new fine-dining restaurant from\u00a0Omakase Restaurant Group,\u00a0opening this October on the ground floor of\u00a0The Jay, Autograph Collection\u00a0in San Francisco. Taking over the former Prelude space, Shinka will be led by\u00a0Executive Chef Fumio Yonezawa, bringing together Japanese sensibilities and French technique through the ingredients of Northern California.<\/p>\n

Halloween is getting a little more terrifying in San Francisco.\u00a0Nightmare Bar is returning to San Francisco at the Blue Light on Union Street this Halloween, running October 8\u201331, with immersive horror, cocktails, live entertainment, interactive games and spooky surprises. This year, Smirnoff Ice joins as an official partner, bringing exclusive Halloween cocktails and surprises to the experience. Each ticket includes a 90-minute immersive Halloween experience, with guests entering a world filled with themed cocktails, nibbles, interactive games, live entertainment, and appearances from Nightmare Bar\u2019s resident ghosts, ghouls, and creatures of the night.<\/p>\n

Visit Tuolumne: www.visittuolumne.com<\/a>
Sierra Repertory Theatre: https:\/\/www.sierrarep.org\/<\/a>
Sushi Ran: https:\/\/sushiran.com\/<\/a>
Bruma: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/22dwjrxw<\/a>
Shinka: https:\/\/www.shinkasf.com\/<\/a>
Nightmare Bar: https:\/\/feverup.com\/m\/740427<\/a><\/p>\n

Jerry Lee is Sierra Repertory Theatre\u2019s (SRT) Artistic Director. He has appeared in the SRT productions of \u201cFiddler on the Roof,\u201d \u201cOf Mice and Men,\u201d \u201cSunday in the Park with George,\u201d and many more. He is a proud member of Actors\u2019 Equity Association (AEA), and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). A resident of the Gold Country, he lives in Sonora, California.<\/p>\n

David Landis, aka \u201cThe Gay Gourmet,\u201d is a foodie, a freelance writer, and a retired PR maven. You can email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com<\/a> Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The Gay Gourmet
Published on September 24, 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet (with considerable help from Jerry Lee, Sierra Repertory Theatre)\u2014 Over the years,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":473925,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-473924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=473924"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/473924\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/473925"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=473924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=473924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=473924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}