The Lodge At Dawn Ranch Leans Into Fire, Flavor & The Feeling Of Place

Forbes

3 days ago

This summer, The Lodge at Dawn Ranch turns a new page. The restaurant in Guerneville has always leaned seasonal, but its newest chapter is more personal, more precise, and more connected to the team behind the stove. The new tasting menus reflect the landscape, the ingredients and the marriage of two chefs who approach food from different parts of the world and meet in the middle.
Juliana Thorpe and Ignacio Zuzulich blend Brazilian and Argentinian roots into something that feels right at home in Northern California. Their countries may not agree on barbecue or soccer, but in the kitchen, the combination is natural. 'We've each spent time immersed in the other's country and culture,' they explain. 'So the way we cook is shaped not just by heritage, but by memory, dialogue, and shared life.'
The tasting menu comes in two formats: a four-act progression of seven dishes or a longer, twelve-course format. Both are served in the intimate dining room, where candlelight reflects off stone and wood, and the surrounding trees press in just enough to remind you where you are.
Dinner opens with a series of small, focused bites. A crisp potato stack topped with caviar and crème fraîche. An oyster dressed in watermelon agua fresca. A tostada layered with tomato essence and garden herbs. Each dish brings a shift in texture and flavor, playful without being precious. One of the most addictive bites is the dadinho de tapioca, a cube of fried tapioca and cheese that tastes like a pão de queijo turned crisp. It's golden, chewy, and immediately craveable.
The corn dish comes next. It's creamy and just sweet enough, more like a pudding than anything else. Then comes a dish centered on spot prawn, served in a warm shellfish broth with delicate hand-cut pasta. A slab of charred rosemary bread arrives alongside on a bed of fresh herbs, filling the table with smoke and woodsy aroma. After the pasta, a slice of Snake River picanha arrives with Jimmy Nardello peppers and an incredibly vibrant chimichurri. The signature fat cap is trimmed, but the dish is still well composed, with just enough char to anchor the richness of the meat.
To close, dessert moves outdoors. Guests are invited to finish the experience on the patio under the trees. The final bite is Thorpe's mother's Brazilian coconut cake, which has a great chew and is not overly sweet. It tastes like something you'd get handed at your childhood home after dinner, with your grandmother saying there's more if you want it.
'The tradition of cooking over open fire is deeply rooted in both our cultures, and it forms the foundation of how we approach food,' Ignacio says. 'That elemental technique becomes a shared language in our kitchen.'
Collaboration is central to how they build each menu. 'Most of the dishes on our menu are a true blend,' Thorpe explains. 'Each one carries a little bit of both of us, shaped by conversation, memory, and experimentation.' One of them might spot something at the market and the other builds from that spark. 'We carve out time each week to be creative, to experiment, and to chase inspiration,' they add.
That same mindset shows up in the wine program. Advanced Sommelier Genaro Gallo curates a rotating selection of small-production and rare wines through The Sommelier Notebook. Instead of relying on classic pairings, the wine list is built in conversation with the kitchen, a back-and-forth that brings out something new on both sides.
The Lounge and bar still offer a more casual à la carte experience during the day. But in the dining room, the message is clear: this is the story the team wants to tell. It's layered, seasonal, and entirely their own.