If you’re making the drive out to the coast, save room for Gourmet Au Bay in Bodega Bay — about 30 to 40 minutes from Sebastopol, but it turns a day trip into something worth planning around. It’s part wine shop, part oyster bar, with an outdoor deck that looks straight out over the harbor. The setup is simple: pick a bottle from the well-curated shelves (or order by the glass), get a dozen oysters shucked to order, and settle in at a deck table while the fishing boats come and go. It’s one of the few spots on this stretch of coast where you can get a genuinely good glass of wine with your seafood instead of just a beer. Sunset is the obvious time to go — the light over the water is worth timing your visit around — but a midday stop after exploring Bodega Head works just as well. Expect a wait on summer weekends since deck seating is limited; weekday afternoons are far more relaxed. Bring a jacket even in summer — the coastal wind picks up fast.
