A Food Lover’s Paradise In The Heart Of Sonoma County

Known for its Norman Rockwell charm juxtaposed with world-class wines and the finest restaurants north of San Francisco, Healdsburg is a must-stop as one makes their way through picturesque Sonoma County. It’s laid-back, yet surprisingly sophisticated, a condensed, poetic version of Napa  Valley,  and it’s situated right in the middle  of three diverse wine appellations. “I grew up near here, and I’ve watched Healdsburg go from just a tiny town in a farm community to a top destination spot in Sonoma. It’s not as well-known as Napa, but that only makes it more special to me,” said Lila Brown, Events Coordinator with Lambert Bridge Winery in Dry Creek Valley.

Daily life centers  around a town square named one of the “Most Beautiful Town Squares in the US” by Travel & Leisure in 2013. The Plaza, as the locals refer to it, does more than provide a community gathering place, it links the town’s hot spots, and there are many. For foodies, it’s hard to beat Healdsburg for options.

 

EATERIES FINE AND FRIENDLY

SingleThread brings a  fusion of Sonoma County farm-to- table and Japanese cuisine. It’s the first restaurant in Sonoma County to receive three Michelin stars, and it’s done so for the last two years, presenting intricate eleven-course meals from produce grown nearby at their SingleThread Farm.

An artist’s attention to detail comes through in every presentation, not just in the food harvested from their farm, but also in the décor, ambiance, and impeccable service. Reservations should be planned far in advance to score a table, and if an overnight stay is on the itinerary, SingleThread Inn is on the second level, with a lounge and bar on the rooftop. For those who like outdoor dining, Bravas Bar de Tapas has a magical patio with twinkle lights, a menu of  sangrias by the glass or pitcher, a Spanish tapas menu, and outdoor paella parties on Fridays, when a chef prepares a massive  pan  of paella in front of the crowd. 

Two brothers with a passion and a dream own the restaurant Valette – one working the room up front and the other working as chef in the back making to-die-for dishes like Scallops en Croûte with caviar and champagne beurre blanc. 

Dry Creek Kitchen, a Charlie Palmer restaurant, offers an outdoor dining area facing the Plaza, affording great people- watching views.

For a more structured option, Savor Healdsburg provides gourmet food and wine walking tours of the town. Its Owner and Head Foodie, Tammy Gass, laughed, “People are always amazed that owners are cooking in the restaurants and pouring wine in the tasting rooms, but still stopping  by to chat and tell their story.” 

At Journeyman Meat Co. Winemaker Pete Seghesio brings his family’s century-old tradition of salumi and sausage making to Healdsburg, with a boutique Italian Salumeria that has received national atten- tion from USA Today and Wine Spectator. It’s not unusual to find a line of  locals  stopping in, picking up a wood-fired pizza to go, or couples huddled together over glasses of wine and a charcuterie board. 

After dinner, stop by Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar, an old-fashioned ice cream and dessert shop with ice cream flavors like almond-cardamom. It’s  a   small,  hands-on   shop that usually has a line out the door and down the sidewalk. 

 

EXPLORE NEARBY WINERIES

Healdsburg is  at  the  epicenter of three world-class American Viticultural Appellations  (AVAs). Just a few minutes outside town in any direction, estates and tasting rooms dot the rolling hills of vineyards wrapped around two- River Valley offers internation- ally famous Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Dry Creek Valley is renowned for some of California’s best Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc, and Alexander Valley boasts voluptuous Cabernet and Merlot.

This is a casual, bring-a- picnic type of wine region, and many wineries have outdoor areas perfect for sharing lunch over a bottle of wine. If that’s on the agenda, head northwest into Dry Creek Valley and stop at Dry Creek General  Store to stock up for a picnic lunch.

Once   in   Dry   Creek   Valley, visit Unti Vineyards, a boutique winery famous for Italian and Rhone varietals. Down the road, Trattore Farms produces  both wine and olive oil, and during harvest season, visitors can lane country roads. Russian watch the annual olive press then take home some of the freshest, purest olive oil from the region., 

Lambert Bridge Winery is famous for its Bordeaux varietals, and with its beautifully manicured picnic grounds and three outdoor wood-fired ovens, it’s ideal for a picnic. After a tasting, sit outside with a bottle of their Burgundian-style Chardonnay. 

Out of town in the other direction, take Westside Road to Flowers Winery. With vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, Flowers offers its exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a magnificent tasting room, aptly named the House of Flowers. 

For anyone partial to bubbles, Iron Horse Vineyards is just down the road and at a higher el- evation, offering some of the most spectacular views in Sonoma County. Iron Horse’s renowned sparkling wine has been served at the White House multiple times. 

 

THINGS TO DO

There might not be anything better than meandering pedestrian-friendly Healdsburg. Although small, it’s packed with wine tasting rooms, artisan bakeries,  antique  markets, and specialty shops. Pop  in  Bon Ton Studio for boho-chic housewares and clothing, or peek inside the tiny Healdsburg Public Library, housing one of the most comprehensive collec- tions of wine information in the world.  

 

TASTE OF THE TOWN

Around the town square, peek inside a few tasting rooms and sample the offerings. Portalupi Winery brings a bit of Old-World Italy to Sonoma County. Italian winemaking ancestors sold wine from barrels straight into jugs that customers brought back to fill over and over. The Portalupi family honors that tradition today with Vaso di Marina, one- liter bottles that can be brought back and refilled on site. 

Banshee Wines is a hipster lounge serving wine flights and small bites like crostini with goat cheese  and  fig  jam,  and  on the other side of town, stop  in Idlewild Wine and  taste  the 2017 The Bird Flora and Fauna Red, which was rated Editor’s Choice and #37 of Wine Enthusiast’s “Enthusiast 100” in 2018. ,

“New visitors come here for what they think is a day trip, then start canceling other plans so they can stay longer,” said Tammy Gass, “I tell them to come back— and stay awhile next time.”

 

Article By: Layne Randolph