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A Quaint Culinary Capital
Hidden among one of North America’s thriving tourist destinations, Healdsburg, California is turning heads, dropping jaws (literally), and gaining popularity within the Sonoma Valley region. Located 60 miles north of San Francisco, Healdsburg’s bustling downtown offers more than 30 wine tasting rooms, as well as specialty shops, artisan bakeries, cocktail bars, outdoor markets and chic hotels. With its cultural resurgence and farm-to-table emphasis combined with progressive yet vibrant depictions of gastronomy’s potential, Healdsburg attracts young visitors with a keen sense for off-the-grid finds as well as regulars who might prefer the crown jewel remain under the radar. Single Thread
Barndiva
Dry Creek Kitchen
Single Thread Recently named “One to Watch” on the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list, Single Thread claims fame to three Michelin stars. The farm-restaurant-inn serves genuine farm-to-table cuisine combined with an authentic Japanese ryokan dining experience. The minimalistic style provides guests with an unparalleled luxurious culinary experience. Spoonbar
Known for their “farm-tobar” cocktails crafted from locally sourced herbs and all-natural ingredients, Spoonbar immerses guests into the overall experience amidst a lofty and open interior. Notable drinks include the Three Dots and a Dash (signature drink) and the Bergamot Blossom.
Dry Creek Kitchen For a special night set on the historic Healdsburg Plaza, Chef Charlie Palmer combines homey preparations with sophisticated presentations. California’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle is brought to life with floor-to-ceiling windows and a refined dining room adorned with seasonal floral arrangements mixing intimate charm with wine country hospitality. Barndiva
The patio atmosphere adorned with twinkling lights strung throughout the sycamore trees makes Barndiva the ideal location for a special event. Chef Ryan Fancher has worked at both Per Se in NYC and French Laundry in Yountville. Not-to-miss dishes include the roast chicken with roasted mushrooms and egg yolk ravioli and the herbroasted Pacific sole with warm potatoes and pickled red cabbage.
20 ENSEMBLE VACATIONS WINTER 2019
Mateo's
Campo Fina If low-key dining is more your style, Campo Fina is the perfect place to grab a pizza slice. The stylish Italian eatery is dogfriendly and charming, and you just might find yourself playing bocce in the backyard after sipping on a glass of wine or your favorite brew. Mateo’s Cocina Latina Yucatán-born chef, Mateo Granado, honors his heritage by infusing the flavors of his homeland with locally sourced and sustainable Sonoma ingredients. Come for the homemade tortillas; leave with a belly full of enchiladas (filled with ancho chilis or red wine-braised lamb) or hand-rolled crispy tacones (stuffed with guacamole, carne asada or chorizo). For an additional kick, try the habanero sauces! Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar
With a touch of both New England and South America, Willi’s laid-back atmosphere provides a lively hangout and a menu designed for sharing food among family and friends. At least eight varieties of fresh oysters are served at the raw bar daily, and seasonal cocktails make for the perfect “cheers!” Noteworthy dishes include the Dungeness Crab Cake and the Hamachi Ceviche with rocoto chilis, lime juice and pepitas.
Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar
The farm-to-table movement isn’t lost with dessert in Healdsburg. These pie crusts are made from Old World grains like farro and buckwheat, the fillings are made from fresh off the farm Sonoma Country fruits (like blood orange with a buttermilk custard and strawberries and blueberries with a dash of ginger), and seasonal ice cream flavors are available.
Pub grub that�s posh Purveyors of down-home, downright sinful staples like juicy burgers, and terrines of macaroni and cheese in truffle oil. Led by a few lumberjack-like chefs and proprietors, the movement spread to every neighborhood with a hankering for food that was familiar, informal and imaginative. Au Cheval | Chicago | U.S.A. Known for their sublime messiness, the double and single cheeseburgers served here, featuring tender, juicy beef glazed in melted cheese, can be festooned with bacon and an egg in a combination that has been hailed as a “transformational burger experience.” Indeed the editors of The Burger Guide voted the American classic the best burger in the world. Dandelion | Philadelphia | U.S.A. Dubbed a “cozy drinking den” by Food & Wine magazine, Dandelion features Englishstyle furnishings—club chairs upholstered in plaid and a bar lit by globe lanterns imprinted “Mans Best Friend”—and a refined version of the menu you’d find at a country pub, replete with Welsh rarebit, fish and chips, and liver parfait. Located near Rittenhouse Square, it occupies an opulent building and serves beer in half and imperial pints, including Bombardier from Britain. Freemasons at Wiswell | Lancashire | U.K. Local ingredients combined with bold global flavors is the recipe that has won this Lancashire gastropub high praise for the last five years. Situated on a village square where you’d expect Miss Marple to turn up for tea, Freemasons gives a home to a blockbuster like the butterpoached lobster tail with crispy claw wontons.
