Healdsburg has some wonderful restaurant options. I like staying in town and being able to walk to brunch, lunch or dinner at night. My top recommendations include:
I had a great Sunday brunch at Charlie Palmer’s well-known Dry Creek Kitchen at 317 Healdsburg Ave in the Hotel Healdsburg. This is an award winning restaurant that is one of the best in town. The salmon benedict was perfectly done and the carrot cake excellent also.
At 344 Center Street, Zin has been replaced with the new restaurant, Valette.
Barndiva: I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at this popular Healdsburg spot. The beet salad was beautifully presented and the sushi grade tuna with rice, a ponzu sauce accented by flowers was lovely. 231 Center St. Next door is The Gallery Bar in Studio Barndiva which is a gallery space with eclectic bar. The decor is attractive and contemporary and there is outdoor seating as well. 237 Center St.
One a recent trip, I had a great meal at Willi’s Seafood and Raw Bar, 403 Healdsburg Ave. It has a menu of small plates. Loved the charred rare ahi with cucumber, avocado and truffled soy and the dungeness crabcake. I couldn’t believe it was all crab with no filler! I found a great rose wine to complement both.
I also stopped in at Spoonbar for a glass of wine at the new H2hotel, 219 Healdsburg Ave. It has a fun vibe and I enjoyed the great design of the bar and the hotel. It is known for its specialty cocktails. I heard the food is just okay and pricey so I opted for Willi’s instead.
Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar: 116 Matheson St. A fairly new store featuring ice cream, Stumptown coffee and pie. I also like the contemporary Flying Goat Coffee. They had great chai and they have wonderful coffee also. The Downtown Bakery and Creamery, 308A Center St., is good for breakfast. There is also The Blackbird Cafe & Soda Fountain at 312 Center St.
Before heading out to the wineries stop by and grab a picnic at Oakville Grocery Co., with prepared and gourmet food items. Or stop by the Dry Creek General Store on Dry Creek Road, which also has gourmet food items and wines for sale.
I love the Dry Creek Road Wine Trail with Dry Creek Vineyard, my favorite. This is the area for great zins which are by far my favorite wines. Dry Creek Vineyard has some great zins, a really great malbec and a rose I tasted!!
Other Healdsburg spots I have read about include Bravas Bar de Tapas, The Parish Cafe and Healdsburg Bar & Grill, known for its burgers, with its great outdoor patio. Chalkboard also gets excellent reviews for it small plates and farm-to-table ingredients. Campo Fina replaced Scopa as an excellent spot for Italian specialties. Guiso Latin Fusion also comes recommended by Eater San Francisco in a recent article.
Now open is the SingleThread Farm – Restaurant – Inn. It is a 52 seat fine-dining restaurant offering an eleven course tasting menu and a five bedroom inn. It is expensive but has three Michelin stars and is on the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. 131 North St.
A recently article in Food & Wine Magazine recommends The Matheson downtown on the Plaza at 106 Matheson St.. This is a popular three-story space from local chef Dustin Valette. Downstairs, the bar and restaurant features local wines and modern wine country cuisine, while upstairs, there is rooftop lounge and cocktail bar, Roof 106. I am excited to try it when I am back in town. Also recommended is Quail & Condor Bakery for it cakes, breads and pastries at 149 Healdsburg Ave., Little Saint at 25 North St. which is opening in early 2022 with a focus on food, music, art and conversations and Journeyman Meat at 404 Center St. for wine, meat, sandwiches, burgers and pizza.
If you are in Sonoma you should try chef Sondra Bernstein’s The Girl & the Fig restaurant, which has received good reviews and several recommendations from friends and family. Also popular is La Salette, offering a new take on Portuguese cuisine