THE MATHESON AND ROOM 106

| BY TRACY ELLEN BEARD

Ifirst experienced Dustin Valette’s culinary expertise in September 2017 when my friend Bernadette and I dined at Valette in Healdsburg, California. I was impressed with the dinner, drinks, artistic presentation, and staff’s hospitality and warmth. Since then, I have worked with Dustin and his friends in the industry to promote restaurants and wineries in the Sonoma and Napa counties for more than five years. During all this time, Dustin and I only communicated via text and phone. When he opened his new restaurant, The Matheson, and rooftop bar, Roof 106, located in downtown Healdsburg, California, it was finally time to meet him in person. I drove down to Sonoma County, and my friend Judy and I headed to Healdsburg.

Roof 106

Roof 106, located above The Matheson restaurant, is reachable via staircase or elevator. The rooftop bar boasts an indoor space with a horseshoe-style bar, plenty of tables for dining inside or alfresco, and a Mugnaini wood-fired oven. Chef Brian Best, the chef at Roof 106, uses the wood-fired oven to cook incredible pizzas, delicious appetizers, and tasty small-plate options. The bartenders upstairs craft decadent cocktails using unique spirits, seasonal fruits, herbs, and flowers.

The outdoor space upstairs is cozy and comfortable, with couches and firepits for a warm, relaxed vibe, tables and chairs for more traditional dining, and trees and greenery to create a garden effect. Diners enjoy a birds-eye view of Healdsburg Plaza. Roof 106 is the perfect place for a bite to eat, a drink after work, or a casual place to enjoy a great dinner. Chef Best works with Executive Chef/Owner Dustin to create an exciting seasonal menu for Roof 106. Diners can opt for a light dish of fried squash or something more substantial like a decadent pizza or steak cooked in the wood-fired oven. There is something on the menu for everyone, and the signature cocktails constantly evolve. The staff also invests the same energy into making creative and tasty non-alcoholic beverages for those that choose not to imbibe.

A Cocktail At Roof 106

Judy and I arrived early on a Saturday afternoon, so we began upstairs with a cocktail before settling into our table downstairs in The Matheson. Locals and travelers filled the tables both inside and out. I approached the bar and asked for a colorful drink. The bartender suggested the Butterfly Authority, a bright drink made of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Madeira, blackberries, and thyme. The drink was slightly sweet with a touch of herbaceousness, a fabulous start to the exceptional dinner that followed.

The Matheson

Although The Matheson and Roof 106 are Chef/Owner Dustin Valette’s newest creations, they are already notable in the culinary industry. Dustin attributes his success to his three top-notch chefs who oversee the kitchen activities at the three venues: Executive Chef Nathan Davis at Valette, Chef Brian Best at Roof 106, and Chef de Cuisine Matt Brimer at The Matheson. He also praises and thanks his Vice President of Operations, Marko Sotto. Chef Brimer collaborates closely with Chef Dustin at The Matheson, and they share the same dedication toward local ingredients.

Judy and I arrived hungry and anxious to try a variety of dishes. When visiting The Matheson, I believe the tasting menu with paired wines is the best choice. Each dish bursts with flavor and is thoughtfully composed.

Love The Spud

The Osetra Caviar at The Matheson is a perfect example of how a talented chef can turn a simple staple into something marvelous. Shitake mushroom “xo” sauce was the bottom layer and perfectly salted, creamy Yukon gold espuma covered the sauce. Shavings of cured egg and chopped chives garnished the potato, and caviar crowned the dish—finally, a dusting of Piment d’ Espelette, a red chili pepper powder from France. The salty caviar elevated the plate with another complementary flavor and texture, and the chili powder finished the whole dish with a touch of heat. I enjoyed this intense potato-flavored dish with a 2018 Arista “Ferrington” Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. I love potatoes, and my daughter Brittney, a self-proclaimed foodie, loves to poke fun at me for finding such a simple ingredient so satisfying.

TRY IT; YOU MIGHT LIKE IT

My friend Judy is usually up for trying anything new. However, she told me at the beginning of the night that she would not try foie gras. I explained that if prepared well, it is delightful. The night we dined at The Matheson, the tasting menu featured Duck + Shrimp Shumai as one of the courses. This delectable Asian-inspired course boasted a plethora of textures and flavors, combining an excellent balance of salt, savory, soft, chewy, and crunchy. The smooth wonton-like exterior encompassed shrimp, kimchee, and foie gras. The pouch, crowned with scallions and black sesame seeds, was topped with a delicious Asian sauce. This dish was paired fabulously with a Halleck “Calandrelli VYD” Gewurtztraminer, RRV 2021. Judy was leary, but after one bite, she was in heaven. She told me that the Shumai was her favorite dish of the evening.

The dinner, drinks, atmosphere, and companionship made for a fantastic evening. About mid-way through dinner, Chef Dustin arrived tableside with Marko Sotto; this was the first time I had ever spoken to Chef Dustin in person. He was warm and friendly, like meeting an old friend.

The downstairs bar serves classic cocktails and crafted cocktails derived from modern ideas. This unique back bar is built with suspended cold steel and stocks several varieties of whisky, scotch, bourbon, rye, and hard-to-find spirits. The Matheson also boasts a sake cellar with a range of styles to try.

The Wine Wall

The Wine Wall encompasses the entire left wall of the restaurant’s sitting area. During my conversation with Marko Sotto, he said, “We have 88 wine selections on tap, mostly local wines from Sonoma and Napa, but we have brought in some international wines to bring in variety. All the wines on the wall are available by the taste, half glass, glass, or a carafe. We like it because we can offer different wines to our guests without having to sell them an entire bottle. You can choose and dabble.”

When I asked how long the wines last on tap, Chef Dustin chimed in and said, “The system is impressive; it uses argon to pressurize the bottle and push the wine out. It is guaranteed to keep the wine fresh for three months, and on average, we go through a bottle in four days. We decided to do this because when we were putting together the restaurant, we wanted to showcase who we are, not one style, not one genre, but more importantly, the collective passions of so many people. We created a canvas for artisans. Food and wine go hand in hand. You may never hear of a particular petite winery in the region, and the wine could be out of your price range. But here, you can taste an ounce or a glass and not make much of a financial commitment to see if you like it. You can try something different and see if you love it. Some local wineries produce very small volumes, so they can only sell their wine by the bottle, but you can enjoy a splash or a glass and try them all here.”

Dinner at The Matheson and Roof 106 provides a memorable evening, but if you are a local, it is a great place to become a regular.

Filipino Pork Belly Pintxo

| BY TRACY ELLEN BEARD

While staying at The Sebastian Vail—a Timbers Resort in 2021, my son Garrett, daughter-in-law Victoria, and I dined at Leonora, the resort’s fine dining establishment. John Adams, Chef de Cuisine then, worked with Executive Chef Kristen York when he developed this delicious version of Filipino Pork Belly Pintxo. Chef Adams had previously opened six award-winning restaurants and was written about in Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, and New York Magazine. His style focused on ingredients and techniques that balanced fresh, bold, nuanced, and exotic flavors.

INGREDIENTS

1 Pound Pork Belly

1/4 cup Scallion Greens - sliced

Sesame Seeds for Garnish

Skewers

MARINATE

1 Clove Garlic - peeled

1 Teaspoon Ginger - peeled

1 Stalk Lemongrass - tough exterior and ends removed

1/2 cup Soy or Tamari Sauce

¼ cup Tamarind Pulp

1/8 cup Lime Juice

1/8 cup Rice Vinegar

2 tablespoons Fish Sauce

1/2 cup Brown Sugar or Coconut Palm Sugar

2 tablespoons Honey

1/2 cup Banana Ketchup

Methods

• Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender and blend until very smooth.

• Cut the pork belly into 1 ½ inch strips and use half of the marinade to marinate the pork overnight in a ziplock bag.

• Roast the pork belly on a pan covered in foil at 300 degrees for 2-3 hours or until tender.

• Let rest at room temperature for one hour and then chill in the refrigerator.

• Cut the pork belly strips into ¼ inch slices. Skewer 2-3 pieces per skewer, depending on the size of the skewer you have.

• Grill over high heat for one minute on each side, brush on a thin layer of marinade, and grill for another 30 seconds on each side or until it becomes caramelized.

• Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.

Oregon Truffles and The Oregon Truffle Festival

Truffles are among the world’s most coveted culinary delicacies. These delightful treasures are a form of mycorrhizal fungus that grows and develops underground in an interdependent relationship with tree roots; truffles are the “fruit” of these fungi. For years, only truffles discovered in Europe received glorious notoriety, but today four distinct species of native truffles from Oregon are recognized for their culinary value.

The four native truffles in Oregon are the Oregon Winter White Truffle (Tuber oregonense available January - April), the Spring White Truffle (Tuber gibbosum found June - July), the Oregon Black Truffle (Leucangium carthusianum harvested October - July), and finally the Oregon Brown Truffle (Kalapuya brunnea available September - January). Along with these delicious prizes, a few European varieties have successfully been cultivated in Oregon: the Périgord Black Truffle, originally from Burgundy, France, and the “white” Bianchetto truffle, typically found in Italy. Although considered a white truffle, the Bianchetto truffles are unique in the wild and can be brown, orange, tan, black, or a variation of these colors. People used pigs with sensitive noses to hunt truffles in the early days. However, over the

| BY TRACY ELLEN BEARD

years, truffle hunters found that certain dogs had just as good of a sense of smell. These hunters now use successfully trained dogs to find these little gems. Taking a truffle away from one of these pups is much easier than taking it from a 300–700-pound domestic hog. Without truffle dogs, there would be no Oregon truffle industry.

The use of truffle dogs was in response to the harmful raking practices which crushed and broke the truffles and destroyed the forest floor. The dogs, trained to determine which truffles are ripe and ready to harvest, can smell the ripe ones and leave the others so they can continue to develop.

The Oregon Truffle Festival, founded in 2006 by Leslie Scott and Dr. Charles Lefevre, introduced trained dogs to harvest truffles in Oregon. Dogs were essential to authenticating the value and quality surrounding Oregon’s native truffles, and now well-known chefs in Oregon feature them in their kitchens. The Truffle Festival is a series of dinners, tasting events, and a marketplace highlighting Oregon truffles’ use. The festival events support the industry by harvesting truffles, providing education, and creating a platform to promote these delicacies. I recently attended the Truffles and Bubbles

Sparkling Dinner at Domaine Willamette. The dinner comprised four courses prepared by Executive Chef DJ MacIntyre. Purposefully paired with one of Domaine Willamette’s sparkling wines or pinot noirs, each dish was artfully prepared and extremely tasty. Dinner began with a welcome pour of 2018 Méthod Traditionnelle Brut. The first course, Truffle Chawanmushi, followed the Brut. This dish consisted of a bowl of Dungeness crab with tamari, black fungus, beech mushroom, shio koji, and scallion topped with black truffle, arrived with a 2018 Méthod Traditionnelle Blanc De Blanc. The Chicken Oysters, with white truffle crème, baby new potatoes, trumpet mushrooms, watercress, sun-dried tomato, and artichoke, tasted fabulous with a 2017 Elton Self-Rooted Pinot Noir. Third, the Petite Filet Mignon with a truffle demi-glace paired with a 2018 Bernau Estate Pinot Noir. Finally, a 2018 Méthod Traditionnelle Brut Rosé paired with a Black Truffle-Infused Hazelnut and Chocolate Entremet finished the dinner. This dining extravaganza was a spectacular way to highlight Oregon truffles. Truffles and bubbles are an exquisite pairing, but truffles and pinot noir is a match made in heaven. 

Bananas Foster T Oddy

| BY TRACY ELLEN BEARD

My Bananas Foster Toddy is warm and tasty, created with the famous dessert in mind. Try it out! You are bound to love it!

INGREDIENTS

4 oz Boiling Water

2 tsp Reser’s Hot Buttered Rum Mix

3/4 oz Spiced Rum

3/4 oz Vanilla Vodka

1/4 oz Banana Liquor

1/4 oz Butterscotch Schnaps

1 Lemon Wedge

1 Tbps Granulated Sugar

A Pinch of Cinnamon

Methods

• Rub the heatproof glass with a lemon wedge and dip it in sugar

• Bring Water to a boil and blend in with hot buttered rum mix

• Pour the rum mix into the glass and add the vanilla vodka, banana liquor, and butternut schnapps

• Top with whipped cream

Colorful Cotton Candy Margaritas

| BY TRACY ELLEN BEARD

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Silver Tequila

1 1/4 oz Cointreau

3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice

3/4 oz Sweet and Sour Mix

Kosher Salt

Food coloring to match Cotton Cnady

METHODS

• Colored Cotton Candy - roll into balls and stick one on the end of a wooden or metal toothpick or a swizzle stick

• Wet the rim of the glass with a lime

• Dip into Kosher Salt or Sugar

• Place all other ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake

• Pour liquid into the glass filled with ice

• Place cotton candy garnish in the glass

| BY TRACY ELLEN BEARD

As the saying goes, “What grows together goes together,” and that has never been truer than the pairing of Oregon truffles and Oregon wines. Due to the arduous work of Leslie Scott and Charles Lefevre, the Oregon truffle industry is booming, and the Oregon Truffle Festival is a must-do experience. In 2018 I attended my first Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene, Oregon, and discovered the marriage made in heaven between truffles and pinot noir. One sip and I was convinced.

Prior to the events and dinners at The Oregon Truffle Festival, I was not an enthusiastic fan of pinot noir or Burgundy from

France. This admission does not go over well when living close to one of the world’s top pinot noir destinations, Willamette Valley, Oregon. However, I distinctly remember my first dinner at Marché & Le Bar. A group of 20 or so was sitting around a large table, and every course featured truffles. Broadley Vineyards Marché Cuvée

Pinot Noir 2016 was the only wine served throughout the evening. Previously all pinot noirs I tasted were light-bodied and delicate; since I prefer big, bold reds, these wines never agreed with me. However, the Broadley pinot noir served that night was bold, rich, and layered with flavors that sang when paired with the dishes featuring the assorted truffles. It was a transformative moment for me.

Even since that night, I have become a “fan” of truffles and pinot noirs. My taste buds have matured, and I now enjoy a variety of pinots and burgundy wines that range from lighter with subtle flavors to even bigger and bolder ones.

One of my favorite places to enjoy truffles is Truffes Folies Paris, owned by Chef Cyril Bocciarelli—he now owns two truffle restaurants. Truffle connoisseurs will discover a grand selection of delightful truffle dishes.

During my visit, I dined on al dente tagliatelle pasta bathed in a cream sauce and then topped with black truffles, followed by a rich and creamy risotto where Chef Bocciarelli used black Périgord truffles from Australia with abandon. However, the simple baked eggs with toast points were the perfect unadulterated backdrop to highlight the freshly shaved truffles on top. Pair any and all of those with a glass of Mercurey 1er cru Jérôme & Gaelle Meunier, and I am in heaven.

Fabulous pinot noirs are all over the world. Whether you are looking for classic pinot noir flavors from grapes grown in cool climates, like bright red cherry, raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, plum, currant, and pomegranate, or richer black cherry notes found in warmer climate pinots, there is something for everyone. Secondary notes are what typically pair with truffles. These notes include gravel, chalk, mushrooms, earth, spice, and light oak.

Here are a few tips for pairing wines with truffles:

1) Do not overpower the truffle with the wine you select. Truffles have an enchanting aroma, although delicate. Make sure the wine highlights the truffle dish and does not overwhelm them.

2) Ensure that the wine is rich in aromas without too much body that can overpower the delicate character of the truffles. Wines with a bit of time on them are perfect for enhancing the truffle in taste and smell.

3) Be mindful of what else is in the dish serving as a backdrop for your truffles.

4) Always remember what grows together goes together

The bottom line is that pinot noir and truffles have an affinity for one another. Each one boasts a delicious lingering perfume, expresses a sense of the earth and place, and is surrounded by an allure of mystery. Put them together, and you will experience a new level of culinary seduction. 

Patron taught me the meaning of a dehydrated lime wheel and the importance of a ginger coin.

It taught me how to shave a grapefruit and when to and when not to muddle. It taught me what the art of the most artistic mint sprig looked like and how to deliver the perfect twist.

But, above all, Patron Tequila— more than any other tequila—has taught me the definition of ultrapremiumization. It means you are holding the best, looking at the