Santa Rosa eats well — better than its outward appearance suggests — because it sits in the middle of one of the most productive agricultural regions in California. The downtown core has a cluster of independent restaurants worth tracking down, and the surrounding neighbourhoods, particularly the Roseland area south of the centre, are strong for Mexican food. The Wednesday Night Market on Old Courthouse Square (May–August) lines the plaza with food stalls and is the closest thing the city has to a street-food culture.