Fort Bragg Bakery
Fort Bragg Bakery
Best known for sourdough and French baguettes, the Bakery also churns out everything from rye loaves to breadcrumbs.
At 3:30 a.m., while most of Fort Bragg still dreams, the lights at Fort Bragg Bakery, located on Franklin Street in the literal center of town, flicker on. Owned by Tricia and Chris Kump since 1999 with head baker Misa since 2009, Fort Bragg Bakery sells only commercially and so is not open to the public, unfortunately for the public! However, you can find the bread at local markets and restaurants and get your fix that way.
Bragg’s Daily Bread
The building holds a large and beautiful brick oven dating back to the 1920’s, fashioned from bricks that were used as ballast on the boats returning to Fort Bragg from San Francisco after dropping their loads of redwood logs.
Best known for sourdough and French baguettes, the Bakery also churns out everything from rye loaves to breadcrumbs. The rich and mouthwatering aroma of baking bread permeates the air in the mornings on Franklin Street and you will so want to enter the business for some freshly baked bread, but you will find the door only cracked for ventilation, and a chain lock in place. But the windows always have a fun display, and if you peek in you will see there is a bustle of activity inside with Misa at the helm.
Local Tip:
Head to nearby Harvest Market where you will find an array of Fort Bragg Bakery products on display.
Good & Coffee
Thanksgiving Coffee
Thanksgiving Coffee Company has been roasting beans in Fort Bragg with purpose and heart since 1972. The company grew from a vision shaped by current CEO Jonah Katzeff’s mother and father, a vision that coffee could be a force for good.
Inspired by the back-to-the-land movement of the late 60’s, the founders wanted every cup to weave together the flavors of distant lands with the well-being of the farmers who brought each harvest to life. Thanksgiving Coffee pioneered direct relationships with coffee growers long before “fair trade” became a household phrase. Their motto is“Not Just a Cup, But a Just Cup”, and it isn’t just a slogan, but a daily promise to uplift communities from Central America to Africa.
Artisan roasted, ethically sourced
Through innovation and activism, the company has been at the forefront of environmental stewardship: championing organic coffees, investing in sustainable packaging, and supporting social and environmental causes close to home and across the globe.
Thanksgiving Coffee is deeply committed to the North Coast community, where its been located for over 47 years. Local employees roast, package, deliver and ship products directly from the roastery that overlooks the scenic Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg, California. It is a Fort Bragg business through and through and the smell of roasting beans is a welcome smell in the harbor area on roasting days.
Local Tip:
Coffee can be purchased directly at their shop on the south side of the harbor.
“We didn’t start out to change the world.
We were just looking for a good cup of coffee.”
Huck’s SliderHouse
Huckleberry & Sliders
Owned and managed by brothers Eric and Michael Huckleberry, Eric brings 30 years of experience working as a chef and Michael brings administrative and sales acumen developed from over 10 years as a business owner in Fort Bragg. Employees are all Fort Bragg locals, and there is a real feeling of Fort Bragg community when you walk in the door.
New Kids on the Block:
Newly opened Huck’s Slider House is a welcome addition to the food scene in Fort Bragg. Huck’s is a fast and casual to-go restaurant with a menu that includes classic and creative slider options plus soups, salads, tasty sides, and many rotating specials. Patrons can walk in, order online, or call in orders. They will be offering food delivery in the near future as well.
Local Tip:
Grab some sliders to take with you on your way to Tall Guy for a most excellent burgers and beer experience!
“Fort Bragg felt like the natural home for Huck’s Sliderhouse because it embodies everything we love—community, creativity, and connection to the land and sea. We’re inspired daily by the bounty of local farmers, the fresh catch from the harbor, and even the wild flavors we can forage from the forest. Having our business here means more than just serving food—it’s about celebrating the spirit of this place and sharing it with everyone who walks through our doors.”
Silver & Fusion
Silver & Mayan Fusion
Many Hispanic-owned restaurants in Fort Bragg have roots from the Yucatan region of Mexico. On the higher end of this set is Mayan Fusion, located on Main Street since 2017.
Silver Canul
A local, living culinary legend, owner and Executive Chef Silver Canul honed his craft at several of the North Coast’s most acclaimed restaurants. And yet, at Mayan Fusion, he’s created a dining experience that is uniquely his own – simultaneously exquisitely curated and lovingly crafted.
Silver’s history on the North Coast began with a job at a Point Arena dairy farm when he was 19. Starting as a dishwasher at the Heritage House, he moved to the kitchen and began learning from a French-trained executive chef. From there he went to the Little River Inn where he started as Sous Chef and soon after became Executive Chef.
Known for his specials, Silver’s tenure spanning more than 10 years at Little River Inn earned that restaurant somewhat of a cult following. He became well-known in the culinary scene and well-positioned to start something of his own.
Keyword: Fusion
Silver’s restaurant is aptly named, as the menu at Mayan Fusion is certainly Yucatan-inspired, but you will also find influences from France (creamy sauces), Italy (arancini and cioppino), and even Asia (crispy shrimp won tons.) Seafood is a significant part of the menu emphasizing seasonal, locally caught fish and shellfish. Mayan Fusion is a town favorite because of the fabulous cuisine but also for the sweet atmosphere and friendly staff. Silver will probably come out and say hello, and you will have the opportunity to complement the chef.
Local Tip:
The cocktail menu offers a kickass top shelf margarita, along with some additional margarita variations. And be sure to try the homemade sangria in three flavors!
David, Tonda & The Great Outdoors
David, Tonda
& The Great Outdoors
Whatever the Fort Bragg weather brings, Tonda and David Miller have you outfitted for fun out in the field. With the plethora of outdoor options up on the North Coast, The Outdoor Store, like a “mini-REI,” is an essential resource for visitors and locals alike.
David and Tonda purchased the business four years ago and used the covid era to remodel and make the shop their own.
Raised in Fort Bragg (David’s mother was Tonda’s kindergarten teacher), they both spent time elsewhere in the Bay Area (including Paradise where they lost their home in the Camp Fire), before returning and settling in with their children and the business. Between the two of them they have 6 kids, including 10-year-old twins to outfit for adventure. It’s a full circle story, like many Fort Bragg natives, the North Coast pulls you back….as a great place to raise a family and run a small business.
Buy Well, Buy Once
Local Tip:
Get tips on the best spots to hike and bike from their knowledgeable staff!
Art and The Explorers
Art & The Explorers
Welcome to Art Explorers, a nonprofit creative art studio for people with developmental disabilities and brain injuries. When the artists are here, they experience a sense of both purpose and camaraderie through making art in a community setting. It is a place that feels nurturing and comfortable and allows them space to just be themselves.
Local Tip:
The Gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday. Look for a piece for yourself or to give as a gift.
Art pieces from Art Explorers are one of the most impactful gifts you can give because it gives so much back to the creator.
A variety of artwork and merchandise is for sale including original works on paper, painting and ceramics, original t-shirts, sweatshirts, jewelry, tote bags, cards and more. Proceeds are split 50/50 between the artist themselves and the organization. When a member of the public purchases their art at the gallery, the artists feel a sense of great pride. The self-esteem built through the Art Explorers program offers a pathway toward personal growth and inclusion into the wider community.
We believe that art has the power to transform lives, and opens a window to the deepest expressions of the human spirit. Our philosophy is rooted in total respect for the individual and the core belief that all people have a unique artistic voice.
Anna and the Friendly Fungi
Anna & the Friendly Fungi
With the fall and the beginning of what we hope is another rainy season, we start to see new friends on the forest floor. These friends emerge from the deadfall and leaf detritus that provide the perfect condition for mushrooms to burst forth from the earth in their many different glories. We found the perfect guide in Fort Bragg to walk with in the forest and learn about this seasonal natural occurrence.
Anna Towers is a local photographer and naturalist, and a dedicated mycophile (devotee to mushrooms.) She has been studying, hunting for and photographing mushrooms in Northern California for over 10 years. Anna’s experience has taught her where and how to find a surprising variety of mushrooms and how to best capture their beauty on camera in the varied lighting situations in the woods. And let’s be clear, this often includes laying flat on the ground, eye to eye with the forest floor, among the sticks, stones, etc. But none of that bothers Anna whatsoever! Her inspiration from the treasures she finds on the forest floor is both palpable and contagious. And her photos are magically wonderful.
"I want to successfully share this otherwise elusive mycological magic with as many people as possible."
Anna has been published, interviewed, contributed to interpretive work around the Bay Area, shown in galleries and her photography is currently featured in retail locations in both the Bay Area and Mendocino County. Follow her on social media @thefriendlyfungus, and find the Friendly Fungus Photography table at Fort Bragg events. Just look for the woman with a red and white mushroom hat.
Photography by @FriendlyFungusPhotography
If you are interested in foraging on the North Coast, Anna recommends (and we do too) hiring a guide to help you identify what might be edible and what is not. A good place to start is the Mendocino Coast Mushroom Club:
The Tall Guy & the Tap
The Tall Guy & the Tap
The freshest beer you can get by the glass. That’s what Patrick Broderick is offering customers at his Tall Guy Brewing tap room newly opened in the old Sears building on North Franklin Street.
Patrick comes by his talent for making great beer honestly. For 30 years he rose in the ranks at North Coast Brewing and finished his career as co-brewmaster. In that time, he developed a strong sense of community and a solid belief that Fort Bragg is worthy of mecca status for great craft beer.
If you want the beer,
you gotta get it here.
Working with his wife and three daughters, Patrick’s go-fresh-or-go-home model involves brewing once a week and rotating beers regularly. The starting lineup includes a Mexican Lager, German Helles, Belgian Witbier, a hoppy American Pale Ale, a 90s-style IPA, a hazy IPA, a Brut IPA. and a London Porter as well as hard and soft seltzers made on the premises.
Local Tip:
All Tall Guy beers are served by the glass, although you can get growlers poured right from the tap.
The vibe at Tall Guy is 70s relaxed chic with comfy couches, window seats, a 12-foot harvest table, and even a place to play shuffleboard. Patrick has created a gathering place for the community and a destination for travelers, ready to accommodate a party or date night, or offer a refuge to sip and read. The tap room serves simple but delicious fare available from local food trucks and restaurants, offered to compliment the fresh libations.
Sip, Makayla & Cody
Sip, Makayla & Cody
Meet Makayla and Cody Raudio, both Fort Bragg born and bred. Mahkayla, as owner of La Tre at the corner of Franklin and Redwood Streets, has her finger tightly on the pulse of Downtown Fort Bragg. She saw a need for a different kind of drinking establishment, and filled it with SIP Wine Bar, at 142 E. Laurel Street. SIP offers mostly local vintages, with some from further afield, and also features local beers. She practices some mixology applied to craft cocktails with sake-infused spirits, and always has a monthly featured special.
SIP does the wine bar thing a little differently.
The wine is self-serve from sleek auto dispensers that unlock pours of particular sizes (from taste to half-glass to full-glass). It’s super simple: they hand you a card at the bar to use for the self service which keeps track of what you pour in your glass. You pay at the end by handing in your card. You can also opt to do things the old-fashioned way with your belly up to the wine bar.
Local Tip:
There is a refrigerator case filled with locally sourced cheeses and charcuterie, bread, bottles of wine and non-alcoholic bevs, perfect for picnicing or for taking the party back to your place.
The gorgeous bar is hewn from an old growth redwood found in the river on a family property in the region. Additionally, the space is appointed with a number of beautiful hand made wood fixtures that add warmth to the clean design lines of the interior.
Greg, Steve & The Roundmans
Greg, Steve & Roundman’s
Roundman’s Smokehouse and Butcher shop is co-owned by an ex-aerospace instructor from Silicon Valley and an ex-private chef with local food knowledge. This might actually be the magic combination of talent for a perfect balance between logistics, butchery skills, and culinary creativity. Steve Rasmussen has been running Roundman’s for years, having moved to Fort Bragg which he fell in love with when vacationing here. Greg Braden, who has past business ties to Covelo beef sources, is the new ingredient to the business and comes to Roundman’s with fresh ideas for new recipes and delicacies.
Bringing Home the Bacon
Don’t be fooled by the relatively modest storefront. As Mendocino County’s only USDA-approved and inspected meat processing company, Roundman’s is a substantial operation and a local institution. They offer a wide selection of fresh meats, all of which are hung for aging and butchered at the shop on Main Street across from the train depot. According to Steve, “We source meat out of Covelo Valley which is a few valleys over, and we do our own smoking of sausages, fish, poultry, cheese and hams. It’s very oldschool.” Roundman’s also offers a rotating selection of sausages made by an employee named JB who Steve calls a “sausage artist.” But then, ultimately, it’s going to come back to the bacon. “Our bacon is very basic,” says Steve. “Just salt and sugar, we use celery for curing, it doesn’t overpower, there aren’t a lot of chemicals so you can actually taste the pork.”
“I just love the area. The people and the businesses. It’s such a wonderful place. People say thank you, and they smile and they hold the door for you. There’s no better place in the world.”
– Steve Rasmussen
Local Tip:
Roundman’s offers custom cut and wrap processing for pork, lamb, goat, elk and deer (but not bear). Plus ask about Covelo beef liver treats and smoked or fresh bones for your dog.
