Best. Risotto. Ever.
I’m not a frequent risotto eater because, all too often, the dish becomes a traumatic experience. It’s either gluey enough to be used as spackle or so undercooked that the rice remains crunchy. I get it — the dish is notoriously difficult to master. Like a toddler, it requires constant attention, a delicate touch and just the right amount of patience; otherwise, it turns into a sticky mess.
Enter chef Robert Leva, who, it turns out, is the risotto whisperer. The newly installed chef at Spoonbar (formerly of Traci Des Jardins’ Jardinière, Mayacamas, and Auberge du Soleil) serves up a stunning autumn mushroom risotto ($30) with truffle butter, black garlic, mushrooms and spinach. The creamy, perfectly al dente rice is an umami bomb, enriched with shaved Parmesan and accented by the earthy punch of truffle and the subtle sweetness of black garlic. I’m hooked.
Since its 2015 opening, I’ve always found the ultra-modern Spoonbar at Healdsburg’s h2hotel to be fine, but lacking the sparkle to bring me back, especially with so many other great dining options in town. Leva’s seasonal squash, apple and chestnut soup ($14), smoked ham croquettes with sweet red onion marmalade ($16) and roasted Rocky chicken ($32) with chanterelle mushrooms gave me a reason to return.
And don’t miss the cocktails, which have always been Spoonbar’s boozy calling card. The Right Round ($14) is a dazzling margarita with white tequila, raspberry and passionfruit liqueurs, and a spicy chili pepper rim. It’s nice, but very naughty.
A few dishes did miss the mark, such as the Hokkaido scallops ($40), which were overwhelmed by an overzealous mix of fennel purée, basil oil and piperade (tomatoes, onion, green pepper and smoky Espelette). Why bury such lovely, delicate shellfish? The Creekstone flat iron steak ($38) was tough and chewy.
Despite a few imperfections, it’s nice to have a reason to return. I’ll keep my eye on you, Spoonbar.
219 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-7222, spoonbar.com
Chef shuffle
Chef Ryan Seal has taken over as executive chef at The Sea Ranch Lodge.
Seal, whose resume includes Napa’s Round Pond Estate, Solage, Calistoga Ranch and Morimoto, as well as San Francisco’s SPQR, impressed me last February with his menu at the now-shuttered Greenwood restaurant at Elk’s Sacred Rock Inn.
I called Seal an “under-the-radar talent who shouldn’t be.” Hopefully, dishes like his uni carbonara, steelhead tartare and Maine lobster ravioli make an appearance on the new menu.
60 Sea Walk Drive, Sea Ranch, thesearanchlodge.com