Bannys Cafe

On July 12, 1988, Rob and I opened, "Banny's California Café," in East Sonora. We called it that to help customers immediately know what sort of café they'd encountered. We were born and raised in the east bay area and had no idea of the culture and climate of Tuolumne County. We learned quickly. Rob had been in the industry for the past 15 years, started as a dishwasher and progressed into management. He had found his passion in the kitchen and was ready for the next step.Attached to the restaurant was a small fish market. Neither of us knew anything about retail sales and after three months of throwing fish away we enlarged the dining room. This was definitely a more profitable change. We had both had catering experience so it became a natural progression that we started to provide. Because Rob's background in a private country club, we had a wide variety of services we could provide.For the first fifteen years of Banny's, the menu would have been described as electric. In the last couple of years, we have refined the cuisine to one designated area and refer to it as, "California Mediterranean". We use the ingredients that are available to us at the farmer's market next door on Saturday's, the foothills, and the nearby San Joaquin valley, but use them like they would in the Mediterranean.In 1996, we moved Banny's Café and Wine Bar to downtown Sonora. With it's the link to the "Gold Rush," close proximity to Yosemite and being Tuolumne County's seat, downtown Sonora is a bustling place to be. We have two live theatres in Sonora; Stage 3 is within walking distance of the restaurant and Sierra Reparatory Theatre in East Sonora close to the old location. Besides the theater, there are many art galleries, antique stores and just plain cute shops to tickle anyone's shopping habit!Art and food pair together nicely; a few years ago we began inviting local artists to show their work in the restaurant. The shows are held on the first Sunday of the month, and the following Sunday we host a reception. The decor is constantly changing as the style of each artist is showcased.The wine bar has been a more recent venture at Banny's. Rob and I have always had a passion for food and wine pairing and now we can share our finds with our clientele. On the last Wednesday of the month we host Wine Wednesday. We invite a distributor to come out and bring 4 or 5 selections of wine to taste. The wine is paired with a hors d'oeuvers buffet. When the guests leave, they choose the wine they prefer to take home with them. The average charge for this event is $18.00.