Trillium Cafe serves lunch and dinner Friday thru Tuesday with indoor and outdoor seating.  It is on the bottom floor of the Inn of the same name in the heart of Mendocino.  On the second floor are several hotel rooms for guests.  Small tables are well spaced in the interior dining room and the patio winds around with a good supply of seating.  When you make reservations you can specify indoor or outdoor.  As it’s in an historic home, there are lots of windows to the street and a fireplace.  Art for sale is on the walls and there ‘s plenty of street parking.  It has obviously been restored with the old wood floors in good shape and the light fixtures replaced with those made by local artisans.  A bar was in a room to the right, when we entered but I only saw 2 vacant stools in front of it.  Service was friendly and efficient but not particularly knowledgable about the history of the place.  There were no daily specials just the changoing soup of the day flavor.  However when I compared the menu we had to what was on line there were some changes.

Set up

 

Food

Local Rock Cod Fish Tacos also contained pico de gallo, chipotle creme fraiche and avocado alongside a mixed green salad.  They came on a traditional double corn tortilla that was filled with wonderful corn flavor.  On top were lots of chunks of sauteed fish with a spicy sauce.  A squeeze of lime, that was on the side, made these a very tasty lunch.  The salad that came with the tacos was a mix of lettuces that were lightly dressed and accented with a few slices of carrot and radish.  It was fine.

 

The Grilled Wild Prawn and Avocado Sandwich also contained caramelized onions and fontina cheese on lightly toasted sour dough bread.  The shrimp were perfectly cooked and their sweetness was magnified by the really sweet caramelized onions.  The cheese added a creaminess to the filling as did the avocado.  It was a very good blend and satisfying sandwich.  The fries were housemade and fried to a good crispness.  You didn’t need to add ketchup to these tasty bits of potato.  I’d get this plate again if it was on the menu.

 

Warm Caramel Apple Bread Pudding was topped with chantilly and brandied caramel sauce.  The moist bread was well saturated by the caramel and additional sweetness and richness came if you scooped a little chantilly into your bite.  Inside were a ton of well cooked apples that were perfect with the caramel and bread.   It was a very satisfying end to a solid meal.