I’m sure I’m not the only one who mourned the trails, tribulations and eventual demise of Molti Amici in downtown Healdsburg.

But a solid successor took its place last summer when Bistro Lagniappe opened its doors.

Named for the Cajun-French word for “small gift” or “little something extra,” it was opened by Chef-Owner Jacob Harth, who operated the now-shuttered Erizo, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Portland, OR.

Instead of Italian cuisine that its former occupant spotlighted, Bistro Lagniappe makes use of the wood-fire oven to turn out French-inspired farmhouse cuisine that highlights local products.

On a chilly weeknight when I dined in late-January, it was wonderful to see the restaurant buzzing with diners at what is usually a slow time of year for Wine Country. I’m guessing many were locals, which is always a good sign that a place has been embraced by its community.

It’s easy to see why after just a few bites plus a welcoming warm sip in the form of an amuse of smoked kombu-infused broth finished with shiitake oil. It’s earthy, full of umami, and makes you feel right at home.

While my husband sipped a gin martini with three olives, I indulged in the rye-and-Campari- based Clarified Makrut Daisy ($16) that was bracing with a load of lemon, lime, and a floral-filled makrut lime shrub.

Fluffy and so butter, the warm, burnished rye brioche ($9) is flecked with sesame seeds that brings out the nutty taste of the rye even more. It’s served with a toasty tasting cultured brown butter.

We couldn’t resist a special that night of abalone ($19) that’s lightly poached and cured, and seasoned with ancho pepper and an egg yolk emulsion. It’s served already sliced in its iridescent shell, making the tender yet toothsome abalone easy to share.

The smoked trout rosti (three for $12) is the hors d’oeuvre that you wish every party had. It’s like the best tiny hash brown, crispy as can be, that’s dolloped with creamy smoked trout, punched up with horseradish and dill, and dotted with trout roe.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with the rockfish dumplings in spiny lobster bisque (three for $27). What I got was a joy to behold: three fluffy, plump egg-shaped dumplings finished in the wood-fire oven so that they get deeply golden and charred on top. They arrive bobbing in a creamy, velvet bisque that tastes like 20 lobsters gave their life just to make this sauce. The dumplings have a light, tender texture almost like steamed fishcake. Do save a slice of that brioche to drag through that last bit of sauce, too.

Unless you have a major appetite, the Don Watson cassoulet ($48) is definitely sizeable enough for two to share. Cooked in the wood-fire oven, this stick-to-your-ribs dish is a hearty, savory dish of lamb chops, lamb sausage, and red field peas that all get enveloped in a rich gravy-like sauce verte.

While the buckwheat crepe ($31) would also be right at home at brunch or lunchtime, it was wonderful at dinner alongside the cassoulet. Crispy and lacy on the edges, it was folded around melty, buttery leeks and gooey goat cheddar cheese for a comforting taste of classic French cafe life.

For dessert, the chocolate pot de creme ($12) is light and creamy in texture like pudding, rich in chocolate taste, topped with sweet and salted caramel, and gets the perfect sprinkle of sea salt to make everything pop.

Harth also sent out the ample-sized passion fruit and honey mille feuille ($12) on the house. It arrives with a steak knife to help slice through its tall, crisp layers. The tartness of the passion fruit, as well as the floral sweetness of the honey, really shine through. It makes for a bracing ending to one substantial supper.

Out back in the expansive outdoor patio, the long-time bocce ball court, which had fallen into disrepair, has been cemented over and tables placed on top for dining. It may be gone now, but it’s been replaced by a reinvigorated energy that permeates the entire establishment.