Tag Archives: Sonoma wine country restaurant

Kenwood Part II: Dining at Golden Bear Station

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Don't miss the hot honey pizza at Golden Bear Station.
Don’t miss the hot honey pizza at Golden Bear Station.

Kenwood, CA — With soaring white rafters, furry throws on the bar seats, and a menu of specialties that skew Asian and Italian by way of Wine Country, Golden Bear Station not surprisingly attracts a packed house of locals and visitors.

Even on a Wednesday night, which is when I decided to dine there recently for the first time.

But when you have a husband-and-wife team at the helm whose reputation precedes them, that’s to be expected.

Chef Joshua Smookler and Heidy He opened Golden Bear Station, which takes its name from the original gas station that once stood on the spot, in late 2023, right around the same time they decided to close their critically acclaimed, more upscale Animo in Sonoma.

Golden Bear Station.
Golden Bear Station.
Counter seats with furry throws.
Counter seats with furry throws.

Smookler, who was born in Korea and adopted by a Jewish family in New York, worked previously at Per Se and Bouley in New York City. The couple then ran their well-regarded Mu Ramen in New York City (the New York Times heralded it as the best ramen in the city), before closing it during the pandemic to move with their young daughters to Sonoma County.

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Dining at Healdsburg’s New Molti Amici

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A glorious hen of the woods pizza at Molti Amici.
A glorious hen of the woods pizza at Molti Amici.

The name of Healdsburg’s newest downtown restaurant loosely translates from Italian to “many friends.”

It’s emblematic of the convivial vibe to be found at Molti Amici, which took the place of locals’ favorite, Campo Fina, in late June.

It’s the brainchild of three alums of Michelin three-starred SingleThread Farms restaurant, just a block and a half away. Owner and sommelier Jonny Barr is that venerated restaurant’s former general manager. Husband-and-wife Chef Sean McGaughey and Melissa McGaughey, are SingleThread’s former chef de cuisine and hotel baker, respectively. The couple also own Healdsburg’s Quail & Condor bakery and Troubador cafe. At Molti Amici, Seth is the executive chef and Melissa is the pastry chef. They are assisted by Chef de Cuisine Matthew Cargo, former executive sous chef of Gjusta in Los Angeles, who honed his pasta and pizza skills through extensive travels throughout Italy.

The bar in the main dining room.
The bar in the main dining room.
The dining room.
The dining room.
Light streaming in on an early Saturday night.
Light streaming in on an early Saturday night.

Don’t expect fancy, white tablecloth, tweezer-food here, though. Instead, it’s all about handmade pizzas and pastas, made with a confident, deft hand that befits their impressive backgrounds. When I visited a couple weeks ago, as a guest of the restaurant, I enjoyed some of the best pastas and pizzas I’ve had in a while. And if you know my carb addiction, you know that’s saying something.

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Dining Outside At John Ash & Co.

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Grapes on the vine at Vintners Inn.
Grapes on the vine at Vintners Resort.

This year, I’m all about the staycation. It may be only a couple hours’ drive away for me, but Sonoma Wine Country sure feels like a real getaway that relaxes and recharges.

When I was invited as a guest for an overnight stay at the Vintners Resort in Santa Rosa, the weather may have been drizzly. But it didn’t put a damper on the time spent at this expansive 92-acre, bucolic, European-style resort with bubbling fountains. Because it’s a little more secluded than other Wine Country properties, there’s a lovely sense of calm that permeates.

One of the best ways to start the morning is to go for a walk around the property, especially on the vineyard trail. There are working vineyards on the property, with the grapes now sold to Kendall-Jackson and La Crema wineries. The gravel trail winds around the rows, which on a fall morning are often veiled by morning mist.

Walking the vineyard trail on the property is a great way to get the blood flowing on a lazy morning.
Walking the vineyard trail on the property is a great way to get the blood flowing on a lazy morning.

Follow the path around to the events center and beyond to find one of the property’s onsite culinary gardens. At this time of year, there is kale, cauliflower and citrus growing abundantly.

Part of the expansive grounds that make up the Vintners Inn resort.
Part of the expansive grounds that make up the Vintners Inn resort.

I snagged a perfectly ripe black Mission fig off a tree to snack on. Shh, don’t tell.

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Valette’s Is A Healdsburg Favorite For Good Reason

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A place loved by locals and tourists alike.

A place loved by locals and tourists alike.

 

You know a restaurant has got it going on when it is packed on a Monday night.

The start of the week is typically a sleepy night for most restaurants. But not for Valette in downtown Healdsburg. On a recent Monday night, when I dropped in to dine at the bar solo (paying my own tab at the end), the place was bustling shortly after opening at 5:15 p.m.

Chef Dustin Valette and his brother Aaron Garzini opened the beloved restaurant in 2015 in the same property that their great-grandfather once owned. They turned it into a convivial space, with warm polished wood, big hefty leather bar chairs, and a golden glow from globe chandeliers.

Dustin was off that night. But I did get to meet his father, who in his mid-70s, still flies for the state Department of Forestry, responding to forest fires, including the devastating fires in Napa and Sonoma in the last two years.

Ahi poke that stands out from the pack.

Ahi poke that stands out from the pack.

When Dustin was a kid, his father would take him to school — dropping him off in his plane — because it was quicker than the school bus. How’s that for one cool ride?

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