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!

Burger Bliss

As soon as I found out Orson was serving lunch during the week, I hightailed it over. I already knew I'd enjoy sitting at the gorgeous marble bar where, even on a gloomy day, beautiful light pours in through the massive skylight. Plus, chef/owner Elizabeth Falkner always has something new up her sleeve that I'm happy to try. Little did I expect I'd find my new favorite burger! There are a few righteous burgers in town, but I kid you not, the Orson burger kicks 'em all to the curb. I eat maybe a burger a month but this one's so incredibly delish, I went back just a couple days later for another --with a different friend.

Here's the deal....the lightly grilled bun (baked in-house, of course) is pillowy soft, buttery and, miraculously, doesn't get soggy. The burger comes with a trio of condiments, which are a Cobb relish (egg, bacon, bleu cheese), truffle mayo and house steak sauce with a chili/chipotle kick. Elizabeth recommends slathering it all on the burger along with the pickled carrots and onions. I wholeheartedly agree, though recommend saving a little of the truffle mayo for your duck fat fries. You know, just in case you've soaked up all the heavenly brown butter Bearnaise sauce that comes with those fries, you've got a little extra deliciousness to dip into.


And I don't know about you, but I have a hard time leaving one of Elizabeth Falkner's restaurants without having a little something sweet. So I capped off that rockin' burger with a chocolate cupcake -- rocky and road on the outside. How cute is that!

Then I rolled myself on out the door with a full belly and a big smile....and I just might roll myself back in again next Weds. night to watch Top Chef Masters on the huge digital screen over the bar. Did anyone else catch the episode last night? All I can say, is: totally unexpected outcome (and sign me up for one of those chocolate chip cookies, please).

Holy Crack!

I spied these little innocent-looking cookies, all sweetly packaged, and brought a batch home to try. After a morning filled with sorting receipts, invoicing, attending to the bazillion emails lurking in my inbox and tracking down produce that's 4 months out of season (tasks that are among the joys of being a food stylist), I opened up the bag of Clarine's Florentines. Whether that was after lunch or in place of it, I can't recall. At any rate, this photo (above) was taken at approximately 1:37 pm.


Six florentines later and with a still seemingly insatiable craving for more, this photo was taken at approximately 4:08 pm to document my newest food addiction. Not that this has in any way *replaced* my addiction to Sweet Revolution caramels, mind you. I just now have to add even more mileage to my weekly runs. Thanks, Clarine! Love ya. Mean it.

Loading Dock Luncheon

The first day our lunch showed up at the studio in this packaging, I was hooked before I even took a bite. Packaging pushover, that's me. AND it's all compostable -- extra points! So then I learn it's Doug Monsalud (of the famed LRE Catering) and his crew that are behind the brainchild kitchenette. They're rolling up the door at the loading dock and cranking out 'spontaneous organic covert nourishment' Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 1:30, or 'whenever they run out'. This is definitely known to happen, so I recommend going on the early side.


The menu is simple and changes daily: a coupla sandwiches, salad(s), housemade chips and/or chicharrones, freshly baked cookies and some sort of seasonal drink like strawberry rhubarb refresher. You can check out the menu, posted daily, to get your salivary g's in gear. kitchenette also serves up plenty of friendly neighborhood attitude and smiles which, I have to say, is counting for more and more in my book these days.


There's nothing fancy about the digs; but if you're staying, there's bench space and lots of folk around you who also love good, simple, tasty fare, so you know you have at least that much in common.


This little sign is what to look for on Illinois St, just about in the middle of the block between 20th and 21st Streets, in Dogpatch.

To kitchenette, I think I can say on behalf of all of us who work in the vicinity of the American Can building, a big fat Thank You!!