Imagine relaxing by the cozy fire on solid wood chairs in the tranquil environment of your elegantly rustic, country home. Your personal waiter arrives at your table with a bottle of your favorite California Cabernet as you cut into your dish of pan-seared duck breast. Or, perhaps you sit on your back patio and watch the autumn leaves beginning to fall while enjoying a bowl of warm tomato bisque soup. This is the experience of Davis’s Mustard Seed, which until the 1970s was just another house in downtown Davis. However, thanks to owners, Paul and Robyn Bergman, it has transformed into one of the area’s finest restaurants.

From the moment they met at Alice’s Restaurant on the Malibu Pier until their thirtieth anniversary in October, the Bergman’s lives have revolved around fine foods. In the early 1980s they fell in love with Davis and moved from Los Angeles with their then 18-month-old son, Josh, and eventually opened the Mustard Seed. Twenty-three years later, Josh has grown up to become the restaurant’s sous-chef, Paul and Robyn have perfected a multitude of delicious recipes, and the restaurant has acquired a dedicated staff that has been with the Mustard Seed for years. “We’re like a big, happy family here!” Robyn explained happily.