A Forum of Inspiration Sonoma County
Dustin Valette Matheson Restaurant Healdsburg, CA
by Kelli Colaco
Born in Healdsburg and raised in Geyserville and Healdsburg CA, Dustin Valette has a rich family history in gorgeous Sonoma country that steeps back generations. In 1900, at the age of 20, Dustin’s great grandfather Honoree Valette, a baker from Southern France, fell in love with the familiar rich terroir of the area and the opportunities it promised. At seventeen Dustin escaped his small-town roots to New York where he attended the C.I.A. in Hyde Park. A stellar culinary career followed with credits that include: Aqua SF, Bouchon, Napa Valley, Hokus, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Honolulu, VOX in Las Vegas and most recently Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. In 2015 Dustin opened his own restaurant, Valette with partner-brother Aaron Gazini in the very same building his great grandfather had his bakery two generations prior. Coming full circle this past fall (September 2nd, 2021) Dustin opened Matheson Restaurant with partner Craig Ramsey. The Matheson, a
dynamic dining destination also in downtown Healdsburg, shines like a tri-level beacon of craftsmanship boasting a fine dining restaurant, with chef de cuisine Matt Brimer, a sushi counter created by renowned sushi chef Ken Tominaga, two bars, a rooftop lounge, an 88-bottle cuvée system and a selection of over 400 local wines, including Valette’s own label Valette Wines. Just in time for the season of light, CW Magazine had the distinct privilege to sit down with ‘king of multitasking’ Dustin Valette to zone in on the greater mission he’s aiming to procure, like precious seeds in his hometown’s still fertile soil.
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