The Best of Healdsburg 2024

BEST OF HEALDSBURG 2024

OUR TOWN’S CHANGING FACE

The Best of Healdsburg edition

Twenty-five years ago, I bid farewell to Sonoma County for Los Angeles. On my way out, I made a stop in Healdsburg, which then bore little resemblance to the internationally lauded Wine Country gem it’s become.

My strongest memory? A young man with “Healdsburg” tattooed across his face, cheek to cheek, the bridge of his nose included—a civic tribute that, while not the height of aesthetics, left an impression for the patience and dedication it must’ve required.

A quarter-century later, it’s fair to say that the “face” of Healdsburg has turned its wine-ruddy cheeks in a different direction.

Consider, for instance, Replay Destinations’ Mill District—a new 10-acre neighborhood just steps from the town Plaza. With over $90 million in sales and its first phase, Canopy, now complete, this $500 million development is bringing 43 luxury residences by architectural heavyweights Olson Kundig into the heart of town. And that’s just the start.

Or take Enso Village, a Life Plan Community focused on “mindful aging” and contemplative care, which recently welcomed two notable new leaders. Rev. Fa Jun Christopher Real and Ann Nakiyuka join as spiritual life director and RCFE administrator, respectively, underscoring the community’s commitment to nurturing both the mind and spirit of its residents.

If Replay and Enso Village signify anything, it’s that Healdsburg’s transformation is as ambitious as it is reflective, blending the luxe with the local and the modern with the mindful. For some, the changes might be dizzying; for others, they’re long-awaited. But for anyone who’s embraced this

evolution, this issue is your guide to all that makes Healdsburg thrive.

Within these pages, you’ll find the best of our wine-tinted town: from galleries and performance spaces that pulse with world class creativity to restaurants that have redefined fine dining. Each entry is a nod to the places, flavors and experiences that define Healdsburg’s mosaic.

Whether you’re here for the weekend or a lifetime, there’s something here to surprise you—no face tattoos required (unless, of course, you want to blend in).

—Daedalus

Howell, Editor

The Healdsburg Tribune

ON THE COVER Doug Keane serves at his Cyrus Restaurant in Geyserville. Photo by Best Photographer Winner, Cynthia Glassell

Photo courtesy of Mill District

FUTURE The Mill District, still under construction, is the new 10-acre neighborhood just steps from the town Plaza.

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ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

BEST WAY TO EXPLORE LOCAL ARTS WITHOUT A GLASS

More than food and wine goes into making Healdsburg

Healdsburg didn’t rise to the top of visitor destinations based on food and wine alone (though it helped). There’s also a thriving and growing arts scene—in the broadest sense of the word. After all, is Best Trivia Contest really arts, or culture? Or is it just entertainment, more so for the winners than the losers?

And what about Best Place for a Date? Arts? Entertainment? Culture? Or a tantalizing all of the above… ?

Other categories make more

intuitive sense, such as Best Live Music Venue, Best Art Gallery and, since this is Healdsburg, Best Live Jazz Music Venue. In these winners we find a living example of DEI, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, with Mexican culture making a prominent showing through the explosively popular Dia de Muertos in the Plaza, an annual event which has just passed.

The “fine arts” are here as well, represented on the cover of this booklet. The inviting image was taken by Cynthia Glassell, voted Best

Photographer in our selection. (The chef of course is Doug Keane of Cyrus, Healdsburg’s first Michelin-starred restaurant—though he has since moved his destination culinary adventure to Geyserville, thus putting himself out of contention for Best Healdsburg Restaurant this year.)

Then there’s Jake Messing’s selection as Best Artist, whose dense and powerful images seem to peer into the oneiric heart of Healdsburg, that dream state between what we think we know and

what we can barely imagine. From the Farmers’ Market to Yoga on Center, horseback riding at Chalk Hill Ranch or watching the Prune Packers play at Rec Park, the winners scratch the surface of Healdsburg’s Arts and Entertainment scale. Fact is, for all the Michelin stars or 98-point wines, chefs or sommeliers, it’s the vitality of life in Healdsburg that draws people here from all 50 states—and keeps them here for a lifetime.

— Christian Kallen

DANCERS Members of a Mexican dance troupe enliven the 2024 celebration of Dia de Muertos in the Healdsburg Plaza, an annual and popular event.

Photo by Rick Tang

ARTS ENTERTAINMENT

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Best Adventure Tour

River’s Edge Kayak & Canoe

Best Art Event

Art After Dark

Best Art Gallery

Paul Mahder Gallery

Best Art Lessons

Healdsburg Center for the Arts

Best Artist

Jake Messing

Best Day Trip

Hike Fitch Mountain

Best Horseback Riding Instruction

Chalk Hill Ranch

Best Latino Community Event

Día de Muertos Healdsburg

Best Live Jazz Music Venue

Bacchus Landing

Best Live Music Venue

Elephant in the Room

Best Local Band

Rainbow Jazz Collective

Best Musician

Steve Pile

Best Outdoor Event

Healdsburg Farmers’ Market

Best Park or Open Space

Healdsburg Plaza

Best Photographer

Cynthia Glassell

Best Place for a Date

The Madrona

Best Place to Take a Class

Yoga on Center

Best Plaza Event

Tuesdays in the Plaza

Best Regional Casino or Card Room

Graton Resort & Casino

Best Spectator Sport

Healdsburg Prune Packers

Best Swimming Pool Parkpoint Health Club, Healdsburg

Best Trivia Contest

Fogbelt Brewing Company

MANOR Take a stroll around The Madrona, drink in hand, and awaken your inner land baron.

Photo by Evan Davis

Proud sparkling wine sponsor of the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

BEST COASTAL CUVÉE OF WINE & VIBE

Marine Layer Wines

For locals who just want a good glass of wine—minus tourist crowds and party vibe—Marine Layer Wines in Healdsburg might be the spot. This isn’t just any tasting room; it’s a place that combines natural light, organic design and a touch of retro charm reminiscent of a ’70s Laurel Canyon rock den.

Marine Layer Wines, a project by Banshee Wines co-founder Baron Ziegler and winemaker Rob Fischer,

focuses on Sonoma Coast wines, emphasizing sustainable farming and hand-harvesting. Its name pays homage to the Pacific Ocean fog that cools Sonoma’s inland valleys—a fog that brings unique depth to the wines poured here.

Inside the tasting room, which feels more like a hidden haven than a bustling wine bar, a four-wine seasonal tasting is available for $30. But there’s also the option to

dive straight into full glasses. The 2023 Carina rosé stands out with notes of hibiscus, white peach and a hint of salty brine—a flavor profile that feels like summer by the sea. The 2021 Lyra pinot noir is another highlight, rich with raspberry and a delicate touch of cardamom.

“Some visitors will add a glass after tasting,” says tasting room manager Tyler Hayes. “But with our license, we can operate more like a wine bar.

People can enjoy the wines they love most.”

Or, as in my case, enjoy a glass before, during and after a tasting.

Put on a vinyl rerelease of James Taylor’s greatest hits and let the marine layer subsume you.

— Daedalus Howell

Marine Layer Wines is located at 308 B Center St., Healdsburg. Call 707.395.0830 or visit marinelayerwines.com for more information.

SIP The tasting room experience at Marine Layer Wines is enhanced by excellent design.

Photo by Kary Hess

FOOD DRINK

Best Bakery

Quail & Condor

Best Bar or Pub

Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen

Best Breakfast

The Parish Cafe

Best Brunch

The Parish Cafe

Best Burger

Healdsburger

Best Burrito

Taqueria Guadalajara

Best Cabernet Sauvignon

Rodney Strong Vineyards

Best Chardonnay

Lambert Bridge Winery

Best Chef

Dustin Valette, The Matheson

Best Cocktails

Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen

Best Coffee Hangout

Black Oak Coffee Roasters

Best CommunitySupported Agriculture Deliveries

Farm to Fight Hunger

Best Deli or Sandwich Shop

Big John’s Market

Best Dive Bar

John & Zeke’s Bar

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Best Dog-Friendly Restaurant

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Best Family Restaurant

The Wurst

Best Food & Wine Event

Healdsburg Wine & Food Experience

Best Food & Wine Experience

Dry Creek Kitchen Sonoma Neighbor Menu

Best Happy Hour

The Rooftop

Best Healthy Eats

Little Saint

Best Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt

Noble Folk, Healdsburg

Best Japanese or Sushi Restaurant

OTORO

Best Lunch

Bravas Bar de Tapas

Best Mexican Restaurant

Agave Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Best Natural Wine

Kokomo Winery

Best New Restaurant

Tisza

Best Outdoor Dining

Bravas Bar de Tapas

Best Pastry Chef

Melissa McGaughey (Yanc), Quail and Condor

Best Pinot Noir

Inman Family

Best Pizza

Molti Amici

Best Place to Dine Solo

Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen

Best Restaurant

Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen

Best Restaurant for Oysters

Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar

Best Rosé

Marine Layer Wines

Best Salads

Lo & Behold Bar + Kitchen

Best Sauvignon Blanc

Dry Creek Vineyardsh

Best Server

Bryan Bergman, Lo & Behold

Best Sommelier

Jon McCarthy, The Matheson

Best Sparkling Wine

Breathless Sparkling Wines

Best Steaks

Journeyman Meat Co.

Best Taqueria

Taqueria El Sombrero

Best To-Go Eats

Big John’s Market

Best Vegetarian or Vegan Menu

Little Saint

Best Wine Shipping Flambeaux

Best Wine Tasting Room

Marine Layer Wines

Best Winegrower

Mick Unti, Unti Vineyards

Best Winemaker

Diane Wilson, Wilson of Dry Creek

Best Winery Dog

Stella, Flambeaux

Best Zinfandel

Ridge Vineyards

Photo by Damion Hamilton

WINE WIN Past Pinot Cup winners Papapietro Perry Winery 2020 and runner up, Baldassari Family Wines 2019, set a high bar for the annual event.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

BEST WAY TO BE GROUNDED IN STYLE

Healdsburg Floor Coverings

For a town that often has its head in the clouds (or its nose in a glass of wine), Healdsburg knows that it all starts from the ground up.

Enter Healdsburg Floor Coverings, a local fixture since 2003, with a knack for turning what you walk on into something worth stopping to admire. Family-owned and operated, this flooring shop does more than just lay planks or tiles; they bring craftsmanship to every step, helping clients turn “What if?” into “Wow! I want to walk all over that!”

Healdsburg Floor Coverings

offers a curated selection of hardwood, laminate, carpet, linoleum, bamboo, cork, ceramic and porcelain tile, glass tile, natural stone, sheet vinyl, vinyl tiles and planks, and rubber flooring (for that extra bounce, I suppose).

Each project is a custom affair, designed to make sure that your flooring perfectly complements everything, from your mid-century armchair to that rather impulsive area rug you picked up at the “artisanal” flea market.

And it’s not just about floors. Owners Travis Diebold and Tim Grewer, and their team,

have built a reputation for down-to-earth, no-pressure consultations that make the whole process feel like a collaborative project between friends. They get that your floors should reflect who you are—whether you’re after a rustic wine country vibe, modern minimalism or something uniquely yours.

Of course, they’re also local heroes for handling everything from refinishing to repairs, making sure your floors age gracefully. It’s that attention to detail that sets Healdsburg Floor Coverings apart; here, floors don’t just

support your furniture—they’re a foundation for your style. For future-forward types, use their online “room visualizer” technology to try on a variety of flooring possibilities virtually without the fuss of installation.

So, the next time you’re ready to put down roots (and a few square feet of engineered oak), stop by Healdsburg Floor Coverings. They’re the pros with the tools and the know-how to keep Healdsburg looking sharp from the ground up. Visit them at 1423 Grove St. or check out healdsburgfloors.com.

— Ada Ionesco

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Photo

Christian Kallen

INVENTORY Healdsburg Floor Covering’s Tim Grewer checks stock on flooring materials at their Grove Street warehouse and store.

Thank You Healdsburg

Surface Art Countertops is honored to be selected, and we want to thank all of you for your continued support. Our business has 25+ year history in the community. As the new owners with long time ties to Sonoma County we are very excited to be home and to continue the tradition of quality customer service, dedication to excellence and skilled craftsmanship. We are looking forward to many more years and would love to meet all of you. We welcome you to stop by our showroom and say hello.

Deena & Steve Adkins

Thank you for choosing us Best Residential Building Contractor!

We are incredibly honored to be named Best Residential Building Contractor by the readers of The Healdsburg Tribune! As a family-owned and operated business, this award means the world to us. It reflects the strong connections we’ve built, the trust you’ve placed in us, and our commitment to making every project feel like home. At KD Homes, craftsmanship runs deep in our family values, and we take pride in delivering projects that reflect the care, creativity, and dedication that only a local, family-focused team can offer. From custom builds to home improvements, we love turning your dreams into reality. Thank you for making us your top choice! We look forward to continuing our journey with you – building homes, nurturing relationships, and growing with the Healdsburg community for years to come. Let’s build something beautiful together!

443 Allen Court, Healdsburg, CA

Craftsmanship You Can Count On!

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Best Antique Shop

Modern Antiquarium

Best Commercial Building Contractor

Eddinger Enterprises, Inc.est Electrical Contractor

Denny’s Electric, Inc.

Best Furniture & Décor

The Gift Horse Home Store

Best Garden Center

Prickett’s Nursery, Healdsburg

Best Heating & Air Conditioning Service

Dennis Furia Air Conditioning & Heating Repair Company

Best Insurance Agency

Brandt Insurance

Best Interior Design Firm

Surface Art Countertops

Best Lumber Yard

Healdsburg Lumber Company

Best Mortgage Broker

Brad Eskra, Innovative Mortgage Brokers

Best Paint Store

Plaza Paint and Supplies

Best Plumbing Service

Regina Plumbing

Best Pool/Spa Service

Johnson Pool & Spa

I’ve

The

BEST WAY TO ENSURE YOURS IS THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD

Fincher’s Auto Service

They are the people who make the town hum—the bookkeepers and pet groomers, personal trainers and hair stylists. Their businesses are also where Healdsburg’s secrets get told and sometimes kept.

Healdsburg has the services and businesses of a much larger city, a variety made possible by an engaged population of friends and neighbors, professionals and craftspersons, who find that this riverside town of 12,000 both meets and stimulates

their business needs.

No better example of this synergy can be found than Fincher’s Auto Service, once again voted Best Auto Repair in our Best of Healdsburg survey. Tim Fincher started the business in 1982, jumping into providing hands-on, quality service for any customer who found their way to the 82 Healdsburg Ave. shop. “He’s worked for himself all these years,” said DeAnna Fincher, his wife, who still runs the office.

Though Tim Fincher officially

retired a couple of years ago, “he still pokes in every day,” said DeAnna Fincher, keeping an eye on the shop and its current manager, Jacob Fincher—a secondgeneration mechanic with all of his father’s aptitude and skills. “He learned at his father’s knee, went to the JC right out of high school and came in full-time immediately after,” said his mother. And it’s perhaps Healdsburg’s worst-kept secret that Fincher’s Auto Service is the place to go for service, as it

by Christian

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has been for 40 years and more. The reason? “Honesty,” said DeAnna Fincher without hesitation. “That, and the family environment, that’s huge.”

Notably, Fincher’s Auto Service hasn’t yet joined the Electric Vehicle revolution and reluctantly refers customers with Priuses, Volts, Bolts or Rivians to the dealer. They stick with what they know best, and it’s been more than good enough for 42 years.

—Christian Kallen

Photo

Kallen

AUTO SHOP

crew

family of Fincher’s Auto Service take a break from keeping Healdsburg’s cars and trucks running. From left are Taylor Short, Jerome Grange, Ty Rouzaud, Zach Zeiger, DeAnna Fincher and Jacob Fincher, the current boss. (Tim Fincher, who was working on a vehicle in the garage, is not pictured.)

SERVICES

Best Auto Service Center

Fincher’s Auto Service

Best Barbershop

Plaza Barber

Best Caterer

Mateo Granados

Best Community Organization

Corazón Healdsburg

Best Community Volunteer

Claire O’Neill

Best Cosmetic Surgeon

Redwood Empire Dermatology - Healdsburg

Best Esthetician

Karli Faccini, Skin With Karli

Best Event Planner

So Eventful

Best Family Physician

Thomas A. Neal, Center Street Care Center

Best Financial Advisor

Olivia Foppiano, Edward Jones

Best Gym or Health Club

Parkpoint Health Club, Healdsburg

Best Hair Salon

Wash & Brushup Co.

Health Care Facility 717 Center Street Care Center, Sutter Health

Best Hotel or Lodging Hotel Healdsburg

Best Law Firm

Passalacqua, Mazzoni, Gladden, Lopez & Maraviglia, LLP

Best Life Coach Jess Bushnell

Daniele L. Maraviglia Lourdes Lopez Mark Gladden

BEST WEDDING VENUE

by Wil Matthews

Photo

locations.oreillyauto.com/ca/healdsburg/autoparts-2788.html

SHOPPING

BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE THE FREE MARKET ECONOMY

Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market

We don’t have to tell you why the Plaza is walking-room-only on weekends, and why the Chamber of Commerce has the funds to award over $100,000 twice a year to local events and endeavors for their important role in driving people to visit.

It’s the shopping. Not just luxe sundresses and imaginative gift items, but practical things like seasonal fruits and vegetables, flowers for display and feed for farm animals. Still, the intersection of Healdsburg’s haute cuisine reputation and its celebrity

thrives once a week most weekends of the year, twice a week in summer—nowhere else like the Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market.

While some local restaurants have their own organic gardens to complement their menu, the Farmers’ Market is for everybody. It’s one of the county’s original Certified Farmers’ Markets, which doesn’t mean organic but does mean that all the vendors grow their own produce.

“In the case of our market, I take it further,” said Janel Ciel, who has been the market

director since 2018. “There is not a vendor there who is buyand-sell; all of the vendors either make it or grow it.” Make it? That’s because since 2020 craftsmakers have been able to join the market as well—with batik clothing, woodwork, jewelry, glass “and always ceramics, always,” said Ciel. “The idea is to have more crafts for the holidays. But also because a lot of vendors drop out, it’s a way to keep money coming into the market.”

Thanks to the makers, the market is now approaching 50 vendors on Saturdays. In the

LAST TUESDAY MARKET

A shopper examines the produce in this year’s final Tuesday Market, in the Healdsburg Plaza on Sept. 24. Every vendor in the market is a producer—no buy-and-sell, second-party sales are allowed.

spring and summer months, a slightly-smaller Tuesday market of 30 vendors is held on the Plaza instead of the Saturday location in the West Plaza Park parking lot, at North Street and Foss Creek.

The Healdsburg Certified Farmers’ Market will be open every Saturday until Dec. 21, for those late Christmas shoppers, and return to action in mid-April 2025. The Tuesday Farmers’ Market runs from mid-May through September. See healdsburgfarmersmarket.org for more details.

— Christian Kallen

by Christian

Photo

Kallen

SHOPPING

by

Silveira

O’Reilly

Gathered

Best Mexican Market

Lola’s Market

Best New Business

Healdsburg Bubble Bar Best Pet or Feed Store

Wright’s Feed Store

Healdsburg Farmers’ Market Best Sporting Goods

Best Thrift or Consignment Store

Favorites Consignment

Best Tire Store

HARD HAT Bicycle helmets of every size and style are on display at Healdsburg’s Spoke Folk Cyclery, the go-to place for those who want to get going.

Photo

Christian Kallen

Jon Lohne Photography