Community Cafe, Sonoma

Every now and then, you eat a restaurant meal that changes the way you think about food and that you need to try to recreate at home. Breakfast last Tuesday in Sonoma at Community Café and Catering is one of those meals.

Community Café was a recommendation from our Sonoma host, William, blogger at the beautiful Simple Hedonisms, Russian River Valley advocate, Sonoma ambassador, a great person to go to for recommendations, and overall great person (and owner of an amazing dog!)

Community Cafe, Sonoma

We arrived at Community Café expecting the usual café and breakfast offerings which I was totally fine with. What I found was really creative options that were surprising and absolutely gorgeous.

First, the space at Community Café was very California, light, laid back, airy, and relaxed, like a little bit of vacation in the every day. It would also make a great yoga studio, I won’t lie. Café and yoga, perhaps?

Community Cafe, Sonoma

Community Cafe, Sonoma

I don’t remember much of what was on the menu because one item immediately caught my eye, and I couldn’t order anything else. Farro, cooked in coconut milk with mango puree, macadamia nuts, and toasted coconut.

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Oh my goodness, this was the perfect breakfast. The faro was exponentially better than regular oatmeal, and the coconut milk and mango gave it a tropical flair in addition to a super creamy texture. Macadamia nuts, with their buttery crunch, simply sealed the deal, making this a bowl of paradise.

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My husband went in the opposite direction, choosing a fried egg and cheese sandwich with sweet potato perfection fries. I only had a few bites as I was completely enamored with my own bowl, but he cleaned the plate.

The folks at Community Café were incredibly hospitable and warm, checking with us several times to see if we needed anything, offering fresh coffee, a free water bar, and lots of smiles. Definitely a place worth visiting again. . . and again and again.

That is why, when we returned home and I got grocery shopping, that it was must that I try to recreate my breakfast. I could not find faro at Trader Joe’s, so I started with regular Irish oats, two cups, and a can of coconut milk. TJ’s only had light, but I would highly recommend the regular, full fat coconut milk.

coconut milk oats

Very simply start by cooking two cups of oats in a can of coconut milk on low, stirring often, until the oats are soft. You may need to add a few spoons of hot water; it is definitely a recipe to keep an eye on.

In the meantime, I started to puree some frozen mango with a little bit of water. In a perfect world, I would have thawed it, but I ended up with a gorgeous mango sorbet! It was lovely all on its own. I’ll be pureeing frozen mango and coconut milk for sorbet in the future. Smile

mango puree

Once the oats were cooked, I topped them with the mango puree and macadamia nuts. Faro really would have been better, but this was still a blissful way to start the day and something I will eat many times over.

coconut oats with mango and macadamia nuts

I am sure I have asked this before, but have you tried to recreate a restaurant meal? Did it turn out the way you had hoped?

Tags: breakfast, Community Cafe, farro, Food, Lunch, recipe, Sonoma, Travel, vegan, Vegetarian

  1. Jess’s avatar

    Nice photos! Kinda reminds me of Thai mango sticky rice.

    Reply

  2. Jess’s avatar

    Nice photos! Kind of reminds me of Thai mango sticky rice.

    Reply

  3. Elizabeth’s avatar

    I literally swooned at that farro description. You could do most anything with farro and I’d eat. I love your recreation. I need to get some coconut milk and try it out soon. That cafe looks charming too, they totally should hold yoga classes.

    Reply

  4. SHannon’s avatar

    you can find farro in the pasta/rice section at wf… It’s one of my favorites! This breakfast sounds amazing!! I just recreated my brunch at zaftigs, came out pretty amazing!

    Reply

  5. Janet Rudolph’s avatar

    Can’t wait to try the restaurant.. and your recipe! Yum!

    Reply

  6. Michelle’s avatar

    This breakfast certainly sounds interesting! The most recent dish I’ve tried to recreate from a restaurant is Gordon Hamersley’s roasted chicken.

    Reply

  7. MelissaNibbles’s avatar

    Sounds tropical. I like to create restaurant meals often. Usually pizzas or sandwiches.

    Reply

  8. Meesh’s avatar

    wow this looks great. what a cool idea. I’ve never used farro before, I just recently found out what it was actually! Time to try it out!

    Reply

  9. Julie’s avatar

    Your pictures are beautiful! Your oats & coconut & mango look great! I’m so going to try that one soon! I’ve tried to recreate the East Indies Iced Tea, a cocktail I had at Gotham Bar & Grill.

    Reply

  10. alicia’s avatar

    I would never have thought to cook my breakfast grains in coconut milk! So creative. I bet it tastes rich and wonderful.

    I used faro when I recreated your beet salad – its a lot like wheat berries….but hard to find. I was looking for it at WF last week and left with some millet instead.

    Reply

  11. William Allen - Simple Hedonisms Wine Blog’s avatar

    great post (as always Meg) and thanks for the blog mention. You guys hurry back! cheers!

    Reply

  12. Judy’s avatar

    This sounds great. I will definitely have to check this place out on my next trip to Sonoma.

    Reply

  13. Margie’s avatar

    Thanks so much! We’re glad to have had you – and we appreciate all your comments. Email me direct and I will send the farro recipe!

    Margie

    Reply

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