I’ll give you a hint at which Santa Rosa restaurateur is taking over the food operations at Heritage Public House (1901 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa): His chicken wings are second to none and his burger is hands-down, my favorite in Sonoma County.
You guessed it (or maybe you didn’t); Josh Silvers of Jackson’s Bar and Oven (and the former Syrah Bistro) has been tapped to overhaul the gastropub’s menu come mid-April. Boom! Here’s why you should be stoked, too.
1. The beer is just going to get (even) better: The pub is also a working brewery, and home to Bloodline Brewing Co., launched last fall. GM Roman D’Argenzio and his team will be focusing on increasing production of this already-acclaimed brewery. The pub will continue to serve an impressive variety of California crafts brews on tap as well.
2. Outdoor patio: Silvers plans to close Heritage Public House for about a week in mid-April to update the restaurant, revamp the outdoor beer garden and add more tables.
3. Beer-worthy food: Dishes like ale-braised short ribs, grilled salmon with hard-cider cream sauce, beer-steamed mussels, wings and burgers (natch), fresh oysters and “Brewer’s Fries” (with garlic and brewer’s yeast), along with Gypsy Girl sausages, a smoked chicken Cobb salad and hearty black barley risotto will keep both diners and drinkers happy.
4. The prices are right: Silvers gets that the pub is a college favorite, so smaller plates will be priced for student budgets. Larger plates will range from $15-$23, with sandwiches and salads somewhere in between.
5. Fish and chips stay, the sheet pans go: Heritage has had solid beer-battered fish and chips since opening in 2012, but serving them on a sheet pan got old. Silvers plans to keep fish and chips on the menu, but class things up a notch with, uh, plates.
BiteClub will have a first look and all the details on the new menu when it debuts in late April.