After years in Michelin-starred kitchens, chef Jason Pringle is restarting his career in a borrowed corner of a Healdsburg cafe.
On Thursday through Sunday evenings, after Acorn Café closes, Pringle and a small crew take over the kitchen, swapping espresso machines for spice tins, fresh herbs and stacks of fresh pita dough.
The menu draws from the memories of his grandmother, Juju, now 97, who was raised in Morocco during the French protectorate — a culinary crossroads shaped by Berber, French, Middle Eastern and Spanish influences, layered with aromatic herbs and warm spices. It is a foundation that formed Pringle’s palate early and continues to pull him toward the flavors of North Africa.
For now, the arrangement is temporary, as he searches for a more permanent Healdsburg brick-and-mortar. For a chef who has spent much of his career in fine dining, curating perfect nasturtium leaves and wielding tweezers as a required tool of the trade, the change is a welcome one. In this moment, he can focus on the time-tested dishes that inspired his love for cooking.
From sandwich artist to Michelin stars
Pringle’s introduction to restaurant kitchens didn’t come through culinary school. Instead, it began in a humbler setting: assembling sandwiches at a rural Idaho Subway at 15. He moved on from foot-longs to a stint at the town’s “fancy steakhouse,” then to a game-focused restaurant, where he built five-course menus around elk, farmed sturgeon and other regional fare. A spin-off television show, “Cooking on the Wild Side,” pushed him further into unfamiliar terrain.
“Once we cooked beaver. It kind of tasted like fishy rabbit,” he said, grimacing. Much of the meat came from questionable sources. “You wouldn’t believe the kind of freezer-burned stuff people brought us.”
Aside from a few culinary classes at a local junior college, Pringle learned on the job, working his way through Michelin-caliber restaurants, including Aqua in San Francisco, Café Boulud in New York and Selby’s in Redwood City, which earned its first Michelin star in 2021 shortly after his departure — a milestone he describes as bittersweet.
A position at the newly opened Montage Healdsburg brought Pringle to Sonoma County in 2020, along with the promise of a quieter life for his family. As executive chef, he oversaw the resort’s flagship restaurant, Hazel Hill, and the more casual Scout Field Bar. The role carried prestige but, like many corporate kitchens, offered limited room for personal expression.
A borrowed space
In the mornings, Pringle works from a small corner of Acorn Café’s prep area, careful to stay out of the way of the breakfast and lunch rush. There, he folds delicate cheese cappelletti and prepares fresh pita dough until the café closes at 3 p.m. Only then can he and his crew fully take over for evening service.
“This takes me back to my days at Aqua, when the fanciest piece of equipment in the kitchen was a Robot-Coupe blender,” he said. “I’m used to being scrappy and it gets me back to my roots.”
The menu is ambitious for such a compact space. Roasted lamb tagine, grilled octopus and tarte flambé sit alongside precisely composed plates that reflect a lifetime in fine dining. Pringle spent months narrowing the offerings to dishes that work within space constraints while maintaining personal significance and emotional connection.
“There are no tweezers here,” he said. “We try to strip everything to its core to make it special, but not fussy. My number one priority is to make it affordable and to please the community.”
Best bets
Lamb Shank Tagine, $32: Served in a traditional cone-lidded Moroccan vessel, this deeply personal dish features lamb slow-roasted with ras el hanout — a blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cardamom — until tender. The result is both floral and earthy, with a gentle sweetness from couscous studded with dried apricots and onions.
Mezze Trio, $22: Three vividly flavored dips — familiar in form, but distinct in execution. The hummus is enriched with roasted garlic and preserved lemon, finished with a touch of harissa. Baba ganoush carries a subtle smokiness, balanced by caramelized onions, while the muhammara blends roasted red peppers with pomegranate syrup, walnuts and cumin. Served with warm, pillowy pita.
Cheese Cappelletti, $22: Beet-dyed pasta, folded by hand and filled with goat cheese, finished with mint, olive oil and preserved lemon. A standout.
Grilled Caesar, $15: Baby romaine is lightly charred, softening the interior while adding a smoky edge. Grated mimolette and a squeeze of lime brighten the dish.
Poulet Roti, $28 (half), $52 (whole): This is the roast chicken Ina Garten wishes she could make, rubbed with preserved lemon and herbs beneath the skin, yielding crispness on the outside and moisture on the inside. Served with harissa potatoes and peas. A confident, well-executed classic.
To drink: A small list of Moroccan-inspired options includes the Atlas Spritz ($12), with blood orange and sparkling wine, and the Marrakech Garden ($13), made with herb-infused wine, cucumber and mint. A nonalcoholic mint-tea fizz is a refreshing alternative.
A children’s menu is available, and the format is casual: counter service, no reservations, walk-ins only. Dinner is served from 5-8:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, at 24 Matheson St. in Healdsburg. acornhealdsburg.com/popups