Happy-ness in Healdsburg

Has anyone else noticed that Healdsburg just keeps getting better? I've become really quite smitten with this little town for it's ever-improving eats and shops, and the very do-able-in-a-day distance from San Francisco. It's just the right speed for a little downtime out of town.

14feet

My most recent Healdsburg obsession is 14feet. -- a fantastic home design store where the super-nice owners, Mike and Marne, bring together vintage and contemporary so gorgeously, you don't even notice the line. I found so many incredible grub-related gems parsed throughout their collection, it's hard to know where to begin.


There's everything from these über-groovy, hand-crocheted potholders in vibrant, though not-quite psychedelic, colors...


...to more subdued/zen/wonderfully soft, hand felted and stitched bowls...


...to luxurious, upholstery fabric market totes made lovingly by Marne's mum...


...to my absolute favorite pieces in the store. I mean, seriously. Check out these plates. How much fun would it be to have a dinner party and serve your guests on these plates only for them to be greeted at the end of the meal with a personalized message!?! Tip: you might want to consider placecards.


Or if you're having some friends 'round for tea, these could be fun.


And for your own amusement, there are the Seven Deadly Sins -- one for each day of the week.

Barndiva














When it's summertime and foggy in the city, I often think about venturing to Healdsburg to sit in the garden at Barndiva and enjoy a meal or even just a drink. It's one of my favorite spots to dine and drink al fresco.








The food style here is fresh with bright flavors and provides the added bonus of being sustainably sourced. This past weekend, my tribe gathered for Father's Day and shared a variety of delicious dishes for brunch. The fav's of the group were the garlic roasted prawns alongside a fried green tomato topped with a Hollandaise smothered, poached egg.


And the other fav was the elegant beef hash atop roasted potatoes with a tangy watercress salad.


My family's funny about dessert. No one will ever say they want dessert, but put it in front of them and they will clear every single sugar/butter/cream-laden crumb and drip from the plate.
This chocolate and berry mousse cake actually got me thinking this flavor combo can actually have merit from time to time, when done right. And while I'm pretty vehemently opposed to non-functional garnishes (don't get me started on mint...), I did think the Bachelor's Button flower lent a nice bit of color and cheer.


Next door to the restaurant is the Barndiva shop where you can pick up all kinds of things new and not so new, locally and not so locally made. I snapped up a jar of quince marmalade as a souvenir. This way, I'm sure to conjure the image of the lovely Barndiva garden while I munch my morning toast at the kitchen counter before dashing out the door to work.

Flying Goat Coffee

One more little addendum to the Healdsburg experience: if you're wanting a good cuppa Joe before driving back home, Flying Goat Coffee (just across from 14feet.) serves up flavorful fair-trade, shade-grown, house-roasted brew. And for those of you who, like me, prefer their coffee frothy, the milk is local and organic. Consider yourself forewarned, you'll also be confronted with a tempting variety of pastries and cookies baked in-house, daily.
Happy trails!