Restaurants

Gourmet Fixins for Highway 49ers -- As you pass through the small town of El Dorado while cruising along Highway 49, be sure to make a pit-stop at Allez!, a wonderful little food shop that specializes in house-made takeout fare such as French sausages, specialty cheeses, pâtés, rack of lamb, roast chicken, and other gourmet picnic supplies and road snacks. Housed in a historic adobe building, Allez! (French for "Let's go!") is owned and run by husband and wife team Christian and Jennifer Masse, two of the friendliest people in town (tell 'em Matt from Frommer's says hello). You can either dine alfresco at the tables belonging to Gallery El Dorado next door or, better yet, purchase a few bottles of wine at one of the nearby wineries and have a romantic picnic amongst the rolling vineyards. Allez! is located at 6180 Pleasant Valley Rd. in downtown El Dorado and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 7pm and Saturday from 11am to 5pm (tel. 510/621-1160).