Two beloved Sonoma County restaurants are gearing up for a summer return. Hazel, the Occidental comfort-food staple, is moving into a new Bohemian Highway address, and Sonoma Eats, an Oaxacan-born local favorite, says it will reopen in Sonoma after shutting down in March. Their comebacks land in the middle of a broader wave of openings and reboots reshaping the county’s dining scene, with regulars expecting many of the greatest hits to be back on the menu later this season.
Hazel finds a new home on Bohemian Highway
Owners Michele and Jim Wimborough plan to reopen Hazel this summer in the former Barley & Hops space at 3688 Bohemian Highway, according to Sonoma Magazine. The couple closed their long-running spot last fall after the building at 3782 Bohemian Highway was sold, then shifted to a run of pop-ups while they hunted for a permanent landing spot. Sonoma Magazine reports that Hazel’s weekly pies and many of its comfort-food staples, including fried Brussels sprouts, a vegan Caesar and pot roast, are slated to return.
From pop-ups to a permanent spot
While they searched for a new address, the Wimboroughs kept Hazel in the mix with a series of pop-up dinners and winemaker events at the Inn at Occidental, which lists multiple Hazel-hosted nights on its events calendar. The pop-ups gave the kitchen room to experiment with new plates, and they helped keep regulars close while the couple negotiated a long-term lease. The Inn’s events pages show Hazel dinners booked out into early 2026.
Sonoma Eats eyes a Sonoma comeback
Owners Efrain Balmes and Hayley Cutri told Sonoma Magazine that Sonoma Eats is expected to reopen in Sonoma this summer after closing in March because of what they described as a significant rent increase. Cutri, who helped launch Parkside Eats in Santa Rosa with Balmes earlier this year, hinted at a return to Oaxacan flavors, saying, “I can already smell the mole.”
The restaurant’s official website currently lists Sonoma Eats as temporarily closed while the team searches for a more sustainable location, and the owners are putting some energy into their Parkside Eats venture in Santa Rosa. For more on both projects, see Sonoma Eats and the local write-up on customers lining up for a hidden half-pound burger.
What this means for the county
The twin returns come during an already packed season for new restaurant openings across Sonoma County, a trend local roundups tie to a softer commercial market and a renewed appetite for risk among restaurateurs. One recent guide tracks more than 20 new or returning spots slated for this spring and summer and notes that some operators are using improved lease terms to get back into brick-and-mortar spaces, according to Excellerate Real Estate. That momentum could give smaller, fan-favorite restaurants another shot in town centers that have seen heavy turnover in recent years.
Neither Hazel nor Sonoma Eats has named a specific grand opening date yet, and both teams say they will post updates on their channels as details come together. For now, locals can look forward to familiar menus, with a few new twists, when both kitchens are back in action later this summer.
