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.
I have always enjoyed the food, but could never understand why their pear cider wasn’t available every single day. It is awesome and tastes like pear champagne. You get it one night and then it’s like they never make it again. Instead they rotate to pumpkin cider that tastes like you liked the shower wall. I tried so many of their other ciders that were just awful waiting for the pear to be made again–these are the kind of business mistakes they make. The tacos, fish and chips and their fries are good so I hope the menu doesn’t change away from where college kids can go and their parents… the service is spotty and sometimes offered with an “I’m bored to be working here and waiting on you” attitude and you were never sure outside if someone was ever coming to wait on you or if you needed to go to the bar.
Where’s the music?
Josh and Reg,
I’m excited about your new project, can’t wait.
I love HPH. Looking forward to the improvements on the patio. Please don’t touch the pork tacos, they are perfect!
I love it!
And I think the “watch out for the hipsters” comments are laughable.
I have a wooden nickel from a bar named “Genes,” which sat right across from a bar named Monkey Pod, and was wearing low top converse shoes well before the kids with the “Mainard G Crebbs” beards ever heard of the 440.
Now we’re hearing “save the bahn mi” and “don’t become hipster” in the same posts. Funny.
Just get us kind of drunk; serve good food; and we’ll love you right back.
“Hipster?” Do we even have that in Santa Rosa?
I think that Josh’s food really appeals to a broad audience, and I don’t think that will change much. I do think it will bring in a broader audience — for instance me. I’m not a big beer drinker, but I do like a good hamburger and its a cool place to bring older kids.
I can’t speak to Josh’s exact menu, but his restaurants have always had a variety of dietary-friendly foods.
Are the fries the only gluten free option on the current menu? What about future?
I agree with t’other Rich that I hope it doesn’t become a hipster dive. I’m far too old for that but I’ve enjoyed the atmosphere, the beer, and the food at Heritage House since it opened. Never had bad service there but I’ve generally gone on weekend afternoons, not at their busiest times. It has been a great addition to the neighborhood and I hope it stays neighborhood friendly.
I agree with the post about the possibility of this place losing it’s local pub vibe with an over the top menu and unreasonable prices. This place is great the way it is, and the only improvement needed is more tables and better service. The food is amazing the way it is, especially the bloody beet burger, fish tacos, and Brussels sprouts. Please don’t change this place to much, and keep the prices reasonable.
We’ve always enjoyed the food there. The wings and salads were great. Bahn Mi was so so. I hope it doesn’t change too much on the salad. The Cobb idea is not exciting to me.
I hope they get their service figured out as well – I’ve been there three times and was served twice (the second time I was there was 10:40 at night, the door said they closed at 11, when I walked in I was greeted with “We’re Closed” – wouldn’t even serve me a beer). One time I sat at the bar, told them I was there working on SRJC’s Les Miserables – one of the staff members scoffed at me and said “why would anyone ever go to a play with that depressing name?” Last time I went there was with my wife, we were both amazed at how bad the service was.
As flattering as it may be Rich, you have clearly not had my cooking, lol. We are very excited about this new project and I think you will like the changes. For the record, our focus is always local. We love this community, and I like reading your comments. PS Gary — we’ll prove you wrong and it will be a win-win!
My worry is it runs from being a local “pub” with good beer and decent food that everyone can enjoy to an upscale place with an over the top menu to go along with how I see the prices listed above.
If they really want to turn it around, they should hire Regina Silvers, not Josh.
She is the real one running Jackson’s..
If they haven’t hired Pete yet to work on their beer recipes, then it simply can’t be a Sonoma County brewery.
Hope it doesn’t turn into some D-bag, hipster hang out.
I can see it full of pretentious beer snobs eating pork belly sliders, arguing about the best IPA’s
I work here I am excited and nervous about the news,things have been awesome at heritage and I’m happy to be a part of something better.
Happy to hear the news – I think. We have our favorites and hope the frickles, Brussel sprouts and Bloody Beet Burger live on.
I work here I am excited and nervous about the news,things have been awesome at heritage and I’m happy to be a part of something better.
They also need to keep the Frickles! It shouldn’t be a prob as they’re Frickle Bros product
Well, this is good (no make that GREAT) news. I enjoyed the potential vibe at this joint, but the food was not so good and it all seemed a little off…so glad to hear that it will have the “Silver” touch.
Better keep the Fried Chicken and Bahn Mi and Charcuterie!
Bring back the fried goat cheese for a certain someone…
Well, this is good (no make that GREAT) news. I enjoyed the potential vibe at this joint, but the food was not so good and it all seemed a little off…so glad to hear that it will have the “Silver” touch.
They better keep the chicken and waffles!
Better keep the Fried Chicken and Bahn Mi and Charcuterie!
Bring back the fried goat cheese for a certain someone…
They better keep the chicken and waffles!
Hope they keep the farmers salad. It is amazing. Lots of good veggies in it
Delusions. This place has problems you can’t fix.
Delusions. This place has problems you can’t fix.
Very exciting! Went there once before and was served raw fish (and no I didn’t order sushi) in my tacos and then was given a random discount on them because I had eaten part of it before I knew… Needless to say we hadn’t been back so very excited to give this spot a second chance!
Very exciting! Went there once before and was served raw fish (and no I didn’t order sushi) in my tacos and then was given a random discount on them because I had eaten part of it before I knew… Needless to say we hadn’t been back so very excited to give this spot a second chance!