Flow Restaurant & Lounge

Some Mendocino buildings announce themselves quietly. This one comes with ocean views, a restaurant upstairs, a transplanted historic water tower, and a grocery-store story that goes back generations.

Overview

Flow Restaurant & Lounge occupies the upper portion of the building at 45040 Main Street, overlooking Mendocino Bay and the mouth of Big River. Today the restaurant is known for its upstairs dining room, outdoor patio, lounge, and broad coastal views. Flow's own website still lists the restaurant at this address and describes its location as being up the Water Tower stairs.

But the story of this property begins long before Flow.

Location

The building stands at 45040 Main Street in the village of Mendocino, on the ocean side of the commercial district with views across Mendocino Bay toward Big River.

History

The building was constructed in 1947 for Homer and Gilda Lillian Drinkwater, who operated Homer's Market here for more than two decades. Kelley House Museum records say the Drinkwaters purchased the property in 1947 and had Henry Canclini build the grocery store.

An oral-history interview with Homer and Lillian recalls Homer's Market opening on Main Street in 1948, with the Drinkwater family living directly above the store. Homer and Lillian were part of a time when much more of Main Street was occupied by local families as well as businesses.

The Drinkwaters also maintained property in Comptche, where they developed extensive vegetable and fruit gardens. Produce from that country property is remembered as part of the family's connection with the market. Kelley House records note their large gardens at Rancho Laguna and their later recognition for forest-land stewardship.

The exact closing date is recorded slightly differently in historical sources. Kelley House material places Homer Drinkwater's operation of the market from about 1947 to 1974, while Lillian Drinkwater's obituary says the couple ran Homer's Market for 22 years and sold it in 1973.

The Water Tower

The water tower beside the building looks as though it has always belonged there, but it actually came from another location.

In January 1976, an old water tower behind Mendosa's general merchandise store was dismantled after being judged structurally unsafe. Barry Cusick, Jim Coupe, and Gus Costa salvaged much of the structure and rebuilt it on the east side of the former Homer's Market building.

Most of the original beams were reused, and the reconstructed tower followed the original design while being strengthened to meet building requirements. A staircase incorporated into the tower structure provided access to businesses occupying the second floor.

The former market building itself was also remodeled during this period. By then it was known as The Deli, and alterations changed the roofline of the old Homer's Market building.

Restaurants Upstairs

The second-floor space eventually became home to a succession of businesses. Kelley House Museum identifies occupants including the Edmeades Vineyards Tasting Room, also known as the Mendocino Wine Guild, the Bay View Cafe, Brannon's Whale Watch Restaurant, and eventually Flow Restaurant.

Brannon's Whale Watch was firmly established here by the 1980s. A 1986 Los Angeles Times travel article identifies Brannon's Whale Watch at 45040 Main Street and describes diners sitting on its sun deck overlooking Big River and the Pacific. The article also notes that the Main Street Deli and Bakery occupied the downstairs portion of the building at the time. Another Los Angeles Times listing from November 1986 again places Brannon's Whale Watch Restaurant at 45040 Main Street.

The Building Today

Flow Restaurant & Lounge continues the upstairs restaurant tradition at 45040 Main Street. Its official website lists the Main Street address, while Mendocino County tourism information describes indoor upstairs dining and an outdoor patio with coastal views.

Why It Matters

It is one of those Mendocino properties where several pieces of village history overlap in one small space: a family grocery store downstairs, a family home upstairs, a relocated historic water tower, a deli, wine tasting, cafés, Brannon's Whale Watch, and finally Flow.

The view may be what catches the eye today, but underneath it is the story of Homer and Lillian Drinkwater, their neighborhood market, and a building that kept changing as Mendocino itself changed around it.

Community Memories

Local memories add considerably more life to that restaurant period. Brannon's Whale Watch is remembered as a particularly popular Mendocino restaurant during the 1980s, with good food, live music and a large driftwood whale decorating the wall.

One former kitchen worker remembers busy summer nights when lines stretched down the Water Tower stairs and onto the sidewalk. Winters brought special Cabin Fever dinners and old movies intended especially for local residents. Others remember dining there years later, periods when the restaurant space was closed, and the strong affection visitors continued to have for the location.

The replies also brought the older Homer's Market story back into focus. A Drinkwater family member remembered visiting Homer and Lillian above their market as a child and recalled the produce they grew at their Comptche property.

Another community observation concerns accessibility. Because the restaurant occupies the second floor and is reached from the Water Tower stair area, one former customer who now uses a wheelchair reported being unable to access the restaurant.

Timeline

1947 — Homer and Gilda Lillian Drinkwater purchase the property and have Henry Canclini build the grocery store.

1948 — Homer's Market opens on Main Street, with the family living above the store.

1973–1974 — The Drinkwaters sell Homer's Market after more than two decades.

January 1976 — The Mendosa's water tower is dismantled and rebuilt beside the former market building; the building, then known as The Deli, is remodeled.

1980s — Brannon's Whale Watch Restaurant operates upstairs; the Main Street Deli and Bakery occupies the downstairs.

Today — Flow Restaurant & Lounge operates upstairs at 45040 Main Street.

Sources & Original Research: This history blends verifiable published records with the original post and community memories supplied for the Buildings and Businesses in Mendocino project. Sources include Kelley House Museum historical articles and oral-history material concerning Homer and Gilda Lillian Drinkwater, Homer's Market, the Mendosa Water Tower, reconstruction of the tower in 1976, The Deli, and later second-floor businesses; Flow Restaurant & Lounge's official website; Visit Mendocino; contemporary Los Angeles Times travel coverage from 1986 documenting Brannon's Whale Watch Restaurant at 45040 Main Street; and the obituary of Gilda Lillian Canclini Drinkwater. Original post text and community reply thread provided by Gee Bee. Community contributors whose memories helped expand this history: Carla Canclini, Gee Bee, India Gingell, Lorraine Phillips, Laura Dean, Katherine Ritchey, Mark E. Castillo, Janna Stark Foster, and Bill Brazill.