Kaila  - Artist - Petaluma, CA
“The World’s Eggbasket”

The place I always eat:

Breakfast is always at The Tea Room, for eggs and hugs from “Grandma”.
For lunch I fully endorse Dempsey’s: burger, beer, bliss.
Bread and treats from Della Fattoria’s cafe on Petaluma Boulevard.
If you are still hungry and if you have saved your pennies and been good, for dinner you can go to Central Market.
If you have only pennies: Playa Azul (Mexican food plus incredible murals of cars and crying senoritas). 

Where to stay for the night:

Oh, my Mom’s house! Her name is Yvette Niles, ask around and people can send you her way. If she turns you down, you can stay at the Petaluma Hotel, where our “characters” reside on the long-term. If you are looking for somewhere in town that is a bit more plush, you can stay at Metro Hotel. I prefer Mom’s. 

The one place I take everyone:

I like to do personal tours: this is where I had my first kiss (Tea Room), this is where I spent my youth (Phoenix Theater), etc. But Petaluma spots that should NOT be missed: The Seed Bank (heirloom seed store in an old bank), the Army Museum/Antique Store (make sure you go into the basement), the railroad tracks, and 4th & C for a dip cone.

Best local products you should try:

You can even do this from the comfort of your own home: Thistle Ewe Ranch meats, Della Fattoria’s Meyer Lemon, Rosemary and Sea Salt’s bread, Lagunitas I.P.A., Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk yogurt, and all Clover dairy products (I am allergic, but when in Rome), and swing by Green String Farm for their eggs. My mother drags me there in pajamas because the eggs go quick. 

The 2nd best kept secret:

The Petaluma Farmer’s Market in Walnut Park on the corner of D Street and Petaluma Boulevard, only a few blocks away from the room I spent formative evenings listening to The Cure, mooning over my neighbor.