October mornings in the valley smell of woodsmoke and cold creek water, and by noon the question is lunch. Scott Valley is ranch country, with beef from down the road and a burger on most menus. It's also an easy, delicious place to eat plant-based, once you know what to order and how to ask. It is the start of our plant-based series, from day trips and a picnic with a wine made in Etna to trail lunches, a dinner for six and a Friendsgiving. We start close to home, place by place.
How to ask
Pizza: ask for no cheese, or vegan cheese where it's offered, and whether the dough has dairy or honey. White, pink and pesto sauces usually contain dairy.
Beans and tortillas: refried beans and flour tortillas are often made with lard.
Fryers: fries often share oil with chicken and fish.
Dressings: Caesar usually means anchovy and parmesan, ranch means dairy, aioli usually means egg, and some vinaigrettes carry honey.
Coffee: ask which plant milks are in the fridge that day, and whether the chai has dairy or honey.
Etna
Denny Bar Co. The distillery's restaurant has the most to work with. Its summer menus offered a veggie burger, wok noodles in a soy-garlic sauce, a garden salad, and vegan cheese for the build-your-own wood-fired pizza. A new fall menu arrived in October, so ask what's on it now, whether the patty, sauce and bun are free of egg and dairy, and whether the noodles contain egg. Book on Tock.
Etna Brewing Co. The pub kitchen leans toward burgers and mac and cheese. Ask what it can make without meat or dairy, and what shares the fryer. The house root beer is an easy order.
Farmhouse Bakery Breads, pastries, cakes and sandwiches, all made from scratch. Ask which breads are dairy and egg free, and take a loaf home for the week.
Little Whisk Baking Co. My pick for bread in this valley. Her custom orders are the best baked goods around, and her sourdough, made mainly for friends and family, is the secret that bread lovers will die for. She. Makes. Good. Bread. The macarons she's known for are made with egg whites, so they aren't vegan. Plain sourdough is usually just flour, water and salt, but ask, and ask early.
Wildwood Coffee Espresso, chai and smoothies on Main Street. There are plant-based options on the menu; ask what is good today and what goes into the smoothies.
Patitos taco truck No website, just tacos. Ask whether anything is made with lard, then build your order from what isn't.
Sugar Magnolia's Farmstand & Bakery A weekend farmstand and bakery on Callahan Street, open Friday to Sunday, with artisan sourdough, homemade breads and farm-fresh produce. Ask which loaves are dairy and egg free, and fill a bag with whatever the farm brought in.
Fort Jones, 15 minutes north
Five Marys Burgerhouse Five Marys cooks with meat from the family's own ranch, and wears it proudly. Call ahead at (530) 468-4555 to ask what the kitchen can make plant-based, and ask about the fryer before you order the hand-cut fries.
Trading Post Cafe & Mercantile Espresso drinks made with locally roasted coffee, plus sandwiches and ice cream. Ask about plant milk, and whether a sandwich can skip the meat and cheese.
Dave's Place Burgers, pizza and sandwiches. Order the pizza with no cheese and extra vegetables, after the dough question.
Fūelhaus A farmstand at 13079 Fort Jones Rd. The shop opens Thursdays from 11 am to 3 pm, and pre-orders can be delivered in Fort Jones and Etna. Follow along for the week's harvest.
Callahan, 15 to 20 minutes south
Callahan Emporium A historic bar, deli and general store in the old Baker Hotel, with craft beer and cider on tap. Ask the deli what it can make without meat or cheese, and fill the gaps from the shelves. Every one of the most unmemorable memorable nights ends at the Callahan Emporium.
Good to know
Denny Bar Co. closes Monday and Tuesday, Etna Brewing Co. Tuesday and Wednesday, Five Marys Sunday and Monday, and the Callahan Emporium Monday. Thursday to Saturday, everything with posted hours is open.
Five Marys serves noon to 8 pm Tuesday to Thursday and noon to 9 pm Friday and Saturday. Hours change with the season, so check before you go.
Farmhouse Bakery doesn't post hours online; call (530) 467-3003.
Denny Bar Co. and Etna Brewing Co. are a walk from the house. For Fort Jones and Callahan, plan a sober driver: there's no taxi or ride-share in Scott Valley.
Cooking at the house is part of the ritual. The kitchen is set for a dinner party, the wood stove keeps it warm, and a slow meal made together is one of the best parts of a stay. Start with ten plant-based meals from Ray's or plan a plant-based dinner for six.
Then come home full and slow, and let the stars do the rest. See open dates and prices for your stay at Blossom Sanctuary. Join the Sovereign Circle free through December 31, 2026 for the member rate and a gift with your first stay.
