Maison Porcella

Maude and Marc are outstanding in their food, wine and service!
The cozy, warm feeling of a French bistro is wonderful!

We love the Croque Monsieur and the Parisian ham among the many other choices.
And if course the chocolate mousse!!!

We will be back there again and again.

The food at Maison Porcella is just as stellar, though the wine list and the pricing have changed substantially since our visit in October. There were many more wine options in the $30-50 range with an average markup of 30-50% over retail (~70-100% over wholesale). It's hard to find a good bottle on their list under $100 now, and many bottles are priced around 2x retail (250%+ of wholesale). For example, we had a bottle of the Domaine d'Edouard Cotes d'Auxerre, hardly a premium or high end Burgundy, which was $100 on their list. According to Wine Searcher, it retails for ~$35 and has an average wholesale price of ~$25.

As a result, although there are hot food options you cannot get unless you eat in, my recommendation is to buy the charcuterie and pastries out of their cold case and take it home to enjoy or have a nice picnic lunch, with your own bottle of wine. You will otherwise pay quite a markup to eat in. In addition to the wine, if you want to enjoy the Feuilleté de Jambon, one of their signature pastry offerings (and very delicious too!), it costs $26 to take away, but $34 to enjoy in the restaurant. It is literally the same, except they heat it for you. Sadly, this and the wine markups no longer make Maison Porcella a super attractive dine-in option for us, but of course we will be back to grab items from the cold case to take home.

This is a little French gem in Windsor . We went for lunch and loved the warm welcome we received. The owners little boy Henri was adorable speaking French to his Mother.

The food was excellent. We ordered the charcuterie with bread then shared the puffed pastry with ham and cheese. Because we were sharing the pastry a salad of greens was suggested. The menu prices reflect a service charge and optional additional tipping. This is definitely a French restaurant and brought back memories of our travels through France.

We would definitely recommend the restaurant but be forewarned that it is somewhat expensive.

Maison Porcella began humbly at Farmers' Markets. Now they are brick and mortar serving lunch, dinner, and continuing to offer their outstanding products.
For Super Bowl Sunday they offered two sizes of charcuterie, generous and even more generous. I ordered the smaller side and it's generous for 3, except that I'm not sharing! The plate is heavily loaded with Parisian ham, 2 pates, salami. Then cheese, and little assorted pickles, and slices of Marla's baguette. And then the mustard and French butter. Even though my team didn't win, my charcuterie plate sure did!

Delicious restaurant and just like you're in contemporary France. What a gem to have this level of place around. We loved everything and it's great because the owners are onsite and the chef and creators. My favorite is boudin blanc, as well as salade Lyonnaise. Come here whenever you can -- I am so thrilled this is right on Redwood Highway in Sonoma County!

You will simply never have a better croque monsieur on the planet Earth. Or anything else on the menu.

Totally enjoyable lunch. A bistro experience. I've visited France over 25 times over the past 55 years. The simple meal here helped me to reminisce about many meals I ate in humble family owned eateries throughout France.

Charcuterie plate we ordered is more a sampling of three pate's with pickled shallots and cornichons. A somewhat meager portion, but exquisitely delicious.

Two salads: One red beet and one endive. Both perfect in appearance and flavor. Loaded with the good stuff like goat cheese, croutons, and aromatic greens.

The $12 baguette with a bowl of home made butter and a bowl of olive oil may seem a bit pricey, it was redeemed by the reality that it was perfect. The bread is made by Marla bakery in Santa Rosa. (I plan to visit there soon).

Finished off this delicious and healthy meal with a couple of espressos. Okay, here comes the snark. You know the common knowledge about coffee in Europe? Answer: The best coffee is made in Italy, the worst coffee is made next door in France. It's not a problem with the quality of the beans or brewing method. It's just the taste preference of the different nation's people. That fact caries over to the coffee here at Maison Porcella. The coffee is exactly the flavor a French person would expect. And I wish it was Italian style (Just like my DNA).

Conclusion: This is a very good French bistro. The menu is not diverse, but what is offered is great.

Not cheap eats but a good value for the quality.

See for yourself.

We went to try out their revamped menu. I'm very happy we did. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. We shared the duo of carrot and celery root salads. We also shared the eggs' mimosa. Shirley went with the fish of the day, which was halibut. She shared a bite, and it was delicious. I chose the chicken de Bresse with a hunter sauce, essentially a mushroom sauce. The main courses come without sides, so we added haricots verts and potato puree. To finish, Shirley got the panna cotta with strawberry coulis, and I chose the chocolate mousse. The dining room is very charming and looks very French. Makes me think of the movie Julie and Julia where Stanley Tucci, who plays Paul Child, helps Meryl Streep who plays his wife Julia Child practice saying in French we are looking for some place typical and charming.

She has such wonderful taste. Delicious dishes, a lovely wine list, anything to go. We first found her at the Healdsburg Farmer's market but followed her to the fixed store too. My kids love it here too. Must go when you are up for a treat.

How can I say.......I was impressed with this restaurant. I really love it
Small/medium size very nice decor, confortable, and excellent service with one of the owners , Maud, I feel like I'm in a friend house, no in a restaurant
We have a different selection of pate , served with Dijon mustard, bread and Cornichon , OMG , home made, delicious
French style ham, house signature, also home made
Potato tart, layered thin sliced potatoes, crème fraiche and more , wrapped in a delicious buttery dough
Chocolate mousse, yes home made
House recommended local Pinot Noir , excellent
Also they offering for sale a selection French and local wine, their own home made charcuterie and others products.
I tell you I will travel from San Jose to Windsor just to try more dishes
My compliments to chef Mar-Henri your cooking skills, experience and love are showing in your plates
MERCI BEAUCOUP
(Sorry for the food photos I was so exited to try the food that I forgot to take the pictures when the dish arrived to the table)