Downtown Sonoma just picked up a buzzy new address for dinner. Dead Letter, the latest project from the team behind the girl & the fig, opened July 16 in the former post office corner space at 101 E. Napa St. Owners John Toulze and Sondra Bernstein have turned the compact room into a Josper-charcoal-powered dining spot built around sharing, with head chef Jeremy Zimmerman running a lineup of smaller plates and larger-format dishes meant to keep moving around the table.
Ahead of opening night, the team hosted a preview yesterday. Zimmerman told reporters the whole point is "we're removing food envy," while Toulze distilled the vibe to "let's have fun. let's eat." as reported by The Press Democrat.
Menu Highlights and Prices
The menu leans into shareable, live-fire dishes, with plenty of charcoal and coastal flavors. Think fried chicken karaage with tahini hummus ($24), a strawberry aguachile with local rockfish ($18), and a butterflied trout over red curry ($42). Sides and snacks come in at more modest prices, according to Dead Letter.
Art and History
Dead Letter is not just about what is on the plate. The restaurant brings PROTO.logue, an immersive digital-art program, directly into the dining room, an experiment that has already drawn attention from local arts coverage. The building’s past life as an early Sonoma post office, and later as Maya Mexican, inspired both the restaurant’s name and many of its design details, as reported by The Press Democrat. The role of PROTO.logue and its programming at the restaurant is outlined in arts coverage, according to 100collectors.
Hours, Reservations and Visiting
Dead Letter is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 PM to 9 PM, and Friday through Sunday from 5 PM to 9:30 PM. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservations are available through the restaurant’s online booking form, and the listed phone number is (707) 933-3665, according to Dead Letter.
What This Means for Sonoma
The arrival of Dead Letter adds another high-profile opening to a packed season of new restaurants across Sonoma County, reinforcing the city’s pull for restaurateurs who want to pair wine-country polish with a more casual, shareable style of dining. The broader wave of openings that includes Dead Letter has been tracked by local dining coverage, according to Sonoma Magazine.
