The former Charcuterie in Healdsburg will be transformed into Persimmon this fall
Charcuterie to become Persimmon?
The former Charcuterie in Healdsburg will be transformed into Persimmon this fall
Lots of buzzing around the Healdsburg Square as details about the new Southeast Asian fusion restaurant, Persimmon, comes into focus.
Executive Chef Danny Mai, formerly of the Sheraton Tolay, is still working on the menu, but told BiteClub that it will definitely include a few Vietnamese staples. “Of course I’ll have pho on the menu. If it’s not there, people will laugh me out of town,” he said, adding that banh mi sandwiches with house made pate and “soulful” dumplings are in the works. Mai, who was a Vietnamese refugee, has embraced a variety of cooking styles throughout his career, including a stop at La Folie in SF, and most recently…Mexican.
The kicker to this story is that Healdsburg’s Oaxacan culinary giants, the Diaz family (Agave, El Farolito and Casa Del Mole) are the financial backers of Persimmon.
“The only way we can grow is to diversify our cuisine. There are so many Mexican restaurants already, and we want to do something different,” said Octavio Diaz, of Agave.
Until the restaurant opens this fall, Mai is doing menu consulting for the Diaz family restaurants which, he said with a laugh, often makes for some curious looks when he steps out of the kitchen. “They’re like, wait, are you the chef here?” he giggled over the phone.
Charcuterie closed in early 2015 after more than a decade on the square.
Reuben sandwich-flavored potato chips? Yes you can.
The top four user-submitted flavors to the Lay’s Do Us a Flavor potato chip challenge— New York Rueben, Southern Biscuits and Gravy, Greektown Gyro and West Coast Truffle Fries — have hit grocery store shelves.
The whole thing is, of course, a huge marketing ploy because not many people would *actually* want to eat a bag of potato chips flavored like sausage and cream sauce (blech), but they’re fun as heck to try.
After sampling, and um sampling and sampling (for the sake of research!), my winner is definitely the Reuben, which the flavor scientists have managed to hit dead on with the essence of pastrami, Thousand Island dressing, sauerkraut, cheese and rye bread. How they do it, I would love to know (does someone say, “Hmmmm, needs more Thousand Island”?).
Coming in second are the ridged truffle fries (okay), followed by biscuits and gravy (mostly tasting of sage), and finally Gyro, tasting mostly of an odd cucumber essence. One lucky entrant, however, will win $1million for their suggested flavor.
Down to brass tacks: None of them are all that spectacular but somehow you can’t stop eating them. And therein lies the mystery.
You may have to hit a few grocers (I found mine at Lucky’s and Safeway) to get the complete set, which will sell on Ebay for about $2.50 cents more than you paid for it once they disappear off the shelves.
Warm up your spork, because things are about to get crazy delicious in Golden Gate Park.
Over three days, its a non-stop mission to taste all there is to offer at 2015’s Outside Lands (August 7-9). Hey, with all the walking back and forth and back and forth, calories are a non-issue, right?
I’m headed in on Friday for a first bite, but after four previous jaunts, I pretty much know my way around the feedbags at this three day food, wine, art, beer, cheese and oh yeah, music festival. As always, the food is epic, with some of the Bay Area’s best chefs, caterers and food trucks bringing their A-game to this spork and napkin food fiesta. But in the last couple years, wine, beer and cheese are making a solid play for serious attention — with a number of Sonoma County entrants.
So after consulting the epic lists of food vendors, Wineland, Cheeseland, Baconland, Chocoland, Beerland and the GastroMagic Stage…
The Ramen Burger from 2014.
Here are my 10 Most Anticipated Food, Wine, Beer at Outside Lands
– Wise and Sons Deli: Bagels and Cream Cheese. I’m expecting wonders. Here’s why
– Precita Park Cafe: Navajo fry bread tacos
– Nojo: Japanese Tater Tots
– Sonoma Cider’s Bourbon Cider
– Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs: A second label for the Sonoma vintner. My wine biz friend says it’s a staple in her wine cellar.
– Nitro Coffee from Sightglass: Learn from my mistake…drink with caution cause nitro coffee packs a serious punch. But oh so good.
– Sababa: Cardamom coffee slushee. Yes.
– AQ: Wild mushroom waffles sound like a tasty second (third) breakfast.
– Creme Brulee at the Creme Brulee Cart. Cause it’s creme brulee.
– Azalina: Chicken Curry Nachos. So multicultural!
Now in its eighth year, the St. Helena resort hosts 11 big deal chefs from Dec. 4 through Dec. 19, 2015 to work with their own three-star Michelin chef, Christopher Kostow.
On the first day of Christmas, Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park in NYC, followed by Swiss chef Nenad Mlinarevic of Focus, Copenhagen’s Christian Puglisi of Relae, Jorge Vallejo of Mexico City’s Quintonil, Joshua Skenes of SF’s Saison, Matt Wilkinson of Pope Joan in Melbourne, Kim Floresca and Daniel Ryan of [ONE] restaurant in Chapel Hill,Isaac McHale of London’s Clove Club, localsKyle Connaughton and Head Farmer Katina Connaughton of Single Thread (opening in Healdsburg this fall), Atsushi Tanaka of Restaurant A.T. in Paris,Justin Yu of Oxheart Restaurant in Houston and finally, Christopher Kostow of The Restaurant at Meadowood.
Save up your pennies, because this kind of chef power doesn’t come cheap. Dinner only tickets are $495 per guest and chef’s counter tickets (front row seats to the kitchen action) are $750 per person. Ten percent of every ticket, plus $2,000 per chef will be donated to Napa Valley charities. Meadowood 12 Days of Christmas Reservations at (855) 304-8986.
Eric Shevchenko and Simon Masiewicki of Old World Rabbitry. Photo: Heather Irwin.
Eric Shevchenko and Simon Masiewicki of Old World Rabbitry. Photo: Heather Irwin.
On a quiet, overgrown Sebastopol farm once owned by R&B legend Johnny Otis, Eric Shevchenko walks through a small rabbit enclosure with about 40 mostly female breeder rabbits. Resting or chewing on tufts of fresh grasses poking out of their feeding troughs, noses wiggle up and down, but otherwise, the Giant Chinchilla crosses are entirely non-plussed.
And while Shevchenko gives a scratch or a pat here and there as he walks past, he’s clear about his purpose: The rabbits he raises are for eating.
The owner of Old World Rabbitry, Shevchenko is one of just a handful of breeders in the Bay Area focused entirely on rabbit meat Mark Pasternak’s Devil’s Gulch Ranch is one of the largest). Dedicated to heritage rabbit breeds, humane handling and sustainable practices, Shevchenko’s micro-operation has gained the rapt attention of some of the Bay Area’s top toques, including Dominique Crenn of San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn, Yountville’s French Laundry and St. Helena’s Meadowood.
“We have a large clientele for rabbits,” said Shevchenko, “and we actually can’t keep up with demand right now.” Which is good, because the burly, heavily tattooed 41-year-old, whose resume includes feeding carnivorous zoo animals and training dogs for the Iditarod, isn’t the kind of guy you’d see behind a desk.
Calling it the “meat of the future” in a recent magazine article, Bel Campo Meat Co. President Bronwen Hanna-Korpi has joined a handful of local chefs from Sonoma County in embracing rabbit, including the Farmhouse Inn (7871 River Road, Forestville, (707-887-3300), Backyard (6566 Front St, Forestville, (707-820-8445) and Spinster Sisters (401 S A St, Santa Rosa, 707-528-7100). All have featured rabbit on their menus for years, served braised, roasted or as confit.
Mental barrier
But for many diners, there’s still a mental barrier. Though the game animal was a table staple for centuries, as beef consumption jumped in the 1960s rabbits were all but forgotten, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. And there was squeamishness about eating domesticated rabbits, often seen as pets or as childhood friends like Bugs Bunny and the Easter Bunny.
That’s starting to change.
Simon Masiewicki of Old World Rabbitry
Low in saturated fat and highly sustainable, rabbit meat is coming back to the table as the environmental costs of larger meat animals are becoming more evident, according to Shevchenko.
Ideal for small-scale farms this traditional game fodder breed quickly, require only a fraction of the water and feed (they can be raised without grain), and breed like, well, rabbits.
Most of the animals are harvested at just 8-10 weeks (primarily males), he said, can be processed on-site (unlike large animals), and have no religious restrictions on their consumption.
Hand feeding
“They grow really fast,” said veterinary tech and farmhand Simon Masiewicki, who nestles a kit (baby rabbit) in his paw-like hands. He gently blows on the animal’s head to calm it. Hand-feeding the rabbits with fists filled with grass, he’s clearly invested in the animals.
Based on what Shevchenko describes as “Raised Right” principles, Old World Rabbitry animals are bred in a low-stress environment with on-site vet care and a few scratches behind the ear.
“We want to change the (existing food) system from the ground up,” said Shevchenko.
“When I started farming as I child, it was to follow traditional animal farming to be respectful and have humane practices that people could admire for its ethics, while also perfecting genetics and taste.
“More than just that, I wanted to blend the best of modern nutritional science with old world techniques, combining elements that had never been combined before now,” he said.
Grow own feed
Though the five-acre farm that Shevchenko and Masiewicki are rehabbing is still mostly covered with weeds and crumbling outbuildings (including a former studio used by Otis) remnants of an orchard remain, and a newly constructed greenhouse incubates hydroponically sprouted barley grass to feed the rabbits.
The farm currently grows 80 percent of the feed using recycled water, and along with yucca, garlic and oregano, the rabbits are primarily fed a wild diet rather than commercial pellets.
Good food means better meat and helps with fertility, according to Shevchenko. Meaning even more rabbits.
“I got into rabbits as a healthier meat,” said Shevchenko. To stay healthy, “We have to do things that are very particular, and spend a couple extra dollars raising the animals,” he said.
After all, top restaurants won’t pay a premium (up to $9 per pound) for poorly-handled meat.
“What we do is a boutique product,” said Masiewicki.
“We are creating something sustainable because we want people to feel good about their food.”
Having grown up in a traditional Ukrainian family in Michigan, Shevchenko credits his grandfather with passing down the “Old Ways” of tending a farm and how to cook traditional Eastern European dishes that include game meats like rabbit.
”My grandfather taught me a lot,” he said, “but now so many of those traditions are gone.”
“In the Old World, you raised your animals from birth, gave them names and nurtured them, kept them healthy.” says a statement on the Old World Rabbitry website.
“You looked them in the eye and treated them with respect by feeding them foods that you planted and allowing them to eat natural forage, giving them fresh air and open fields to roam. You did all of this knowing that one day they would give their lives so you could sustain your own, and those of your family and neighbors.
“It was called the ‘circle of life’ so you fed your animals the most balanced-by-nature foods. The ‘Raised Right’ projects that we are learning and teaching about will be the best way to understand the meats that we could offer.
Sold at the moment mostly to high-end restaurants, rabbit hasn’t returned to its common roots — yet.
Shevchenko sells to local butcheries including Thistle Meats (160 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, 707-772-5442) and online at oldworldrabbitry.net.
He hopes to see his rabbits become more widely available in the future.
“You are supporting a revolution,” said Shevchenko. A rabbit revolution.
Want to support Old World Rabbitry’s Barnraiser? Rewards include a private dinner with Dominique Crenn, a dinner at the farm, rabbit meat or a dinner at The Lazy Bear in SF.Click here for details.
But an age of Twitter, Yelp, Facebook, Tablehopper, Chowhound, Zagat, Foodspotting, etc., official reviews tend to be, well, kinda after the fact and pretty out-of-touch. Not that crowd-sourced reviews are all that brilliant, but you at least get a good sense of the place. And sometimes get far better information from people who’ve asked the right questions and ordered some of the best dishes.
My beef with critics? They’re missing the STORY of the chef, the food, the ideas behind the food, the inspirations and the successes and failures. They’re simply documenting a couple of meals. Very subjectively. Which to me, feels useless.
Case in point…
This week, Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about Harvest Table, a new St. Helena restaurant by Charlie Palmer.
Here’s part of the review…
“However, a few items, while good, seem to come out of left field. Pan-roasted shrimp and grits ($14) with slices of andouille sausage and bits of bacon would do New Orleans proud, but seemed like an unlikely contrast to such dishes as foie gras torchon ($26) with rhubarb and pistachio.”
“Most recently hailing from the acclaimed 1833 Restaurant in Monterey, Mezick said Palmer had only one request when it came to the Harvest Table menu: Shrimp and grits.
Raised in Virginia, Mezick’s roots are in Southern cooking, and this signature dish ($14) was a perfect fit for Palmer’s Progressive American style of cuisine. Made with Anson Mills grits (a Southern institution for stone-ground heirloom grains), shrimp, bacon, Andouille sausage, cheddar cheese and a secret blend of Mezick’s favorite herbs and spices, it’s heartbreakingly good.”
Hmmm. That doesn’t sound out of left field. In fact, if you had only read Bauer’s review, you might avoid it altogether. Which would be tragic since it’s one of the best dishes on the menu.
SO here’s the takeaway: Read food critics with a grain of salt. They aren’t omnipotent, and sometimes they get it really, really wrong by not knowing the story behind the food.
What’s your take? Do you read critical food reviews? And are they all that useful anymore?
[Caveat] Bauer knows food, and is one of the hardest working guys in the biz, and his reviews can easily make or break a restaurant — which I am certain he knows. He does not take his job lightly. He probably also doesn’t spell the chef’s name incorrectly (which I did through my story), use improper grammar or have spelling mistakes all over his work (like I do). As a food writer (I am NOT a critic, but I also pay for my meals as a general rule), I’m very fallible. So I’m not here to cast aspersions on someone I respect immensely. I’m just questioning how useful they really are to readers anymore.]
Pupusas and curtido at Homemade Tortilla in Santa Rosa, CA. Photo: Heather Irwin.
Pupusas and curtido at Homemade Tortilla in Santa Rosa, CA. Photo: Heather Irwin.
There’s no real mystery as to what Homemade Tortilla restaurant does best. This tiny Roseland taqueria, far off the beaten path, is a Master of Masa*, hand-making fresh corn tortillas, gorditas, huaraches, sopes and pupusas daily. Let’s just say after two trips, grocery store tortillas are dead to me.
Sopes with carnitas at Homemade Tortilla in Santa Rosa, CA. Photo: Heather Irwin.
Mexican Food 101: If, like me, you’re not as well-versed in Mexican cuisine as any self-respecting Californian should be, here’s the fork-1-1: Masa is a kissing cousin to cornmeal, mixed with water and fried. Like any dough, it can be shaped and cooked in a thousand ways. Most folks don’t bother making them from scratch anymore, but once you’ve tasted the real deal (like a warm, perfectly cooked baguette), you don’t go back. Gorditas, sopes and the like are simply different masa delivery devices.
Now that you’ve got that chewy, light base, Homemade Tortilla piles on the goodies — carnitas, al pastor, asada, lettuce, queso, nopales, salsa verde— and you’ve got a mix and match extravaganza.
Gordita at Homemade Tortilla in Santa Rosa ,CA. Photo: Heather Irwin.
Best bets: The Huarache (named after a sandal because the base looks like a footprint) can be topped with meat, then gets lettuce, salsa verde and sour cream ($6.95) has the texture of pizza dough, but with much more flavor, and is a full meal. Sopes are English muffin-sized discs of fried masa ($2.95 each) can be topped with queso and the other above fixings. A favorite: Gorditas stuffed with al pastor ($4.95), which are crispy and decadent. And if you’re craving a torta (sandwich), the Pambazo is a four-napkin feast with chile-sauced soaked and fried bread filled with chorizo and potatoes (papas con chorizo, $6.95). Don’t miss a side of curtido, a fermented Salvadoran slaw similar to sauerkraut.
Horchata (cinnamon rice milk) washes it all down like a champ, though I’m still pretty partial to a tart-sweet Jarritos Tamarindo (tamarind soda) to really keep my tastebuds buzzing.
Homemade Tortilla makes it easy on non-Spanish speakers with pictures on the video menu board and friendly English-speaking staff who will guide you through (and not make fun of you when you ask what flavor the Horchata is today) in a bright, clean environment. Not to mention that Fru-ta has a Michoacan ice cream store right next door for your post-tortilla desserting.
Let’s keep this spot our little secret, though. We don’t want just anyone hoarding our homemade tortillas.
Homemade Tortilla 2770 Stony Point Ave., Santa Rosa, (707) 521-9977. Open daily from 9a.m. to 9p.m.
*So, Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo is, without a doubt, one of the most knowledgable humans on the planet when it comes to authentic Mexican cooking. He was kind enough to make the distinction between mixing up Masa Harina with water (think of it kind of like using Bisquick for pancakes) versus the very old way of soaking and grinding the corn, then hand pressing them, as they do at El Molino Central in Sonoma. Sando wrote a great blog on making them from hand here.
The heart of summer is about getting outside, so the wines to consider drinking should taste great with outdoor activities. From outdoor picnics, swim parties and barbecues to nights under the stars with live music, the most satisfying wines are incredibly light and refreshing, or ready to pair with grilled meats.
WHITES for Outdoor Summer Concerts
If You Like… Dutton-Goldfield 2014 Green Valley Vineyard Green Valley of Russian River Valley Gewürztraminer ($25)
With a gorgeous perfume of rose water and dried rose petals, this is a sublime white wine, edgy and offering a suggestion of brine to go with a core of ripe pear. Given no time in oak, it dances on the palate and is delicious on its own, yet will be a worthy companion to spicy summertime appetizers.
You may also like… Borra Vineyards Markus 2014 Lodi Nativo ($19)
An inventive and refreshing blend of Kerner, Riesling and Bacchus grapes, this wine comes from historic vineyard sites in the heart of Lodi. Mokelumne Glen Vineyards is the only place in the state where Kerner is currently grown. Floral and exuberant in crisp citrus flavor, this wine goes down amazingly easily, and the screwcap closure makes it friendly for evening picnics.
CHARDONNAY for Swim and Garden Parties
If You Like… Artesa 2013 Estate Reserve Carneros Chardonnay ($35)
Made from estate-grown grapes in the heart of Carneros, this is a fuller-style Chardonnay, textured and weighty without being over the top. A bite of crisp apple sparks the palate, followed by substantial undertones of honey and vanilla. A hint of ginger adds to the complexity.
You may also like… Cannonball 2013 Sonoma County Chardonnay ($15)
This delightfully straightforward and inexpensive wine will please a crowd with its flavors of creamy vanilla, pineapple, peach and Meyer lemon, framed by a modest use of oak. Ripe and layered, it will pair well with kabobs and grilled vegetables, or shellfish you might have hauled in.
ZINFANDEL for Independence Day
If You Like… Elyse 2012 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel ($37)
Here’s a mouth-filling, juicy Zinfandel with dusty tannins and a floral, violet-like aroma. There’s also plenty of briary blackberry and black cherry, and it’s savory in leather and black pepper notes, too. Enjoy it with sophisticated meats, including prime bacon burgers and Asian-spiced ribs.
You may also like… Angels & Cowboys 2012 Sonoma County Proprietary Red ($24)
A Zinfandel-based blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah and Malbec, this brawny wine begs for service with grilled meats. It’s fruity in blackberry and blueberry, with licorice and a hint of chocolate rounding out the palate. It’s full-bodied and smooth, perfect for outdoor nights with meat on the fire.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON for Grilled Steak
If You Like… Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 2012 Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($55)
This is a rich, full-bodied wine with small amounts of Merlot and Malbec. Its sizable tannins are wrapped around blackberry, plum and smoky oak. Accented with chocolate and tobacco, it’s a great wine to pull out for company.
You may also like… Slingshot 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($23)
This is a young, ready-to-enjoy wine with classic Cab notes of black cherry, cassis and even cranberry. The oak and tannins are restrained enough to make it approachable now. It’s not overly complex, but it’s well made and offers juicy fruit flavors.
Lothar Sabrowski of Sonoma shops at Paul’s Produce booth during the Sonoma Farmer’s Market held at Sonoma Plaza. (photo by Crista Jeremiason)
It’s a simple question, asked under a summer sun: What’s hot in Sonoma County? Four notable locals share their favorite spots in the county.
“Spirit Works Distillery at The Barlow in Sebastopol” was Scott Beattie’s response. Beverage director for Meadowood Estate Events in St. Helena by day and Healdsburg resident by night, Beattie, author of the book “Artisanal Cocktails,” is fascinated by Spirit Works’ grain-to-glass operation. “The team at Spirit Works purchases the grain and distills it right there in its warehouse,” he said. “Call ahead and you might actually see them doing it live.” Gin and tonic, anyone?
“Mateo’s Cocina Latina in Healdsburg,” said Ronnie Vannucci, drummer for the rock band The Killers and singer and guitarist with his other group, Big Talk. “I’m a picky eater and I’ve had the opportunity to eat all over the planet. But I wasn’t expecting the creative genius that is Mateo’s,” said Vannucci, who lives in Healdsburg when he’s not touring. Chef Mateo Granados marinates tempeh (fermented soy bean cake) and fashions it into a street taco. “I’ve never tasted anything as good,” Vannucci said. “More people need to know about Mateo.”
“Tuesday’s farmers market on the Sonoma Plaza,” replied Eva Bertran, vice president of marketing at Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Sonoma. She loves the “mass picnic” that breaks out every Tuesday, May through October, at 5:30 p.m. on the plaza. “You get to be like a butterfly and go from table to table, catching up with friends, sharing food and wine,” Bertran said. “It’s a great opportunity to buy local produce, listen to music and enjoy the outdoors. It goes on to dusk, or until the sprinklers go on.”
The hot spot for Donna Zapata, business development officer for Redwood Credit Union in Santa Rosa, is Spud Point Crab Co. in Bodega Bay. She likes taking spontaneous trips to the cooling coast, and when it comes to lunch, Zapata picks Spud Point every time for the prawns and chips. “But no matter what you order, it’s delicious,” she said. “I usually get takeout so I can go sit on a bench near the ocean.” Seafood with a view.
Halibut Ceviche with Prickly Pear reduction, avocado at Harvest Table in St. Helena
It takes a special kind of chef to work for Charlie Palmer. The father of “Progressive American” cuisine has his name on more than a dozen restaurants from New York and Las Vegas to California, including Michelin-starred Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg and newly opened Harvest Table in St. Helena.
But behind the scenes of each restaurant are the boots-on-the-ground executive chefs, all of whom have serious culinary fire power in their own right, doing a balancing act between Palmer’s mission and their own unique inspirations.
In Healdsburg, that role has recently been taken over by Wine Country veteran Andrew Wilson. In St. Helena, Napa Valley newcomer Levi Mezick is poised to make his mark. And while the sibling restaurants are clearly from the same gene pool, they’re as markedly different as the two valleys they hail from.
“Each one of our restaurants is really a reflection of a combination of what I envision and the personality of the chef and the team in each restaurant,” said Palmer.
It’s hard to reconcile the fact that Palmer is the force behind Las Vegas’ Wine Angels — acrobatic showgirls who fly around his four-story Mandalay Bay glass wine tower — and the meditative culinary gardens of Harvest Table in St. Helena, where the only aerial theatrics are in buzzing beehives.
But it’s also not by accident that white-coated kitchen staff can frequently be spotted walking by the dining room with precious handfuls of fresh basil or microgreens from the restaurant’s herb and lettuce garden (one of several gardens on the property that are overseen by culinary horticulturist Laura McNiff).
Or that Executive Chef Mezick and his kitchen are perfectly framed inside a portrait window overlooking the restaurant’s alfresco dining terrace.
Or that the extensive wine program includes a match-your-wits game of “blind” wine selections from the sommelier that let the diner guess what’s in the glass.
As you’re seated, all of these things will be pointed out to you.
After all, Palmer isn’t afraid of a little entertainment value.
Housed inside Palmer’s new Harvest Inn, a picturesque Napa Valley retreat, the 110-seat restaurant feels intimate and friendly, especially when you’re sitting cross-legged on a cozy pillowed corner seat on the sheltered alfresco dining patio.
There’s no doubt, however, that food is the real celebrity here. Noting that St. Helena has played culinary second-fiddle to nearby foodie meccas like Yountville and Healdsburg, Palmer sees the restaurant’s focus on hyper-local ingredients and talented staff as a way to bring back some of the town’s foodie luster.
Like most Wine Country chefs, the casual and chatty Mezick is careful not to overuse the farm-to-table jargon, but it’s not hard to tell he’s proud that a local character like Ray Erickson of Erickson Ranch has deigned to bring the chef some of his “private stash” of Suisun Valley stone fruit.
“He just showed up in his cowboy hat one day and said, ‘I sell peaches and nectarines, and I don’t just sell to anybody,’ ” said Mezick.
The young chef made the cut, and a summer stone fruit salad went on the menu, entirely dependent on what Erickson brings him that day.
“We want a restaurant that locals will enjoy and come to, that’s driven by the season and what’s fresh and good in Napa Valley,” Mezick said.
Most recently hailing from the acclaimed 1833 Restaurant in Monterey, Mezick said Palmer had only one request when it came to the Harvest Table menu: Shrimp and grits.
Raised in Virginia, Mezick’s roots are in Southern cooking, and this signature dish ($14) was a perfect fit for Palmer’s Progressive American style of cuisine. Made with Anson Mills grits (a Southern institution for stone-ground heirloom grains), shrimp, bacon, Andouille sausage, cheddar cheese and a secret blend of Mezick’s favorite herbs and spices, it’s heartbreakingly good.
“It’s sweet, salty, strong and comforting. I love that flavor,” Mezick said, adding that his cooks do as well. “… They’ll look for certain things to eat during the shift, and that’s just one of those dishes they never get tired of.”
Inspired by Shake Shack’s burger (Shake Shack is an East Coast phenom that we can best equate to Gott’s Roadside meets In-N-Out), Mezick’s Harvest Table Burger ($18) is another menu staple that’s got to be eaten to be believed. This two-patty, brioche-bunned beast is easily one of the best hamburgers in Wine Country, which is saying a lot, since burgers are something of a religion in these parts.
You’ll also want to leave room for savory starters that include Pomme Dauphine ($7) with goat cheese fondue; crispy pork head “tater tots” ($6); petite sashimi of whatever’s fresh (halibut was our choice) with a tart, sweet cactus pear emulsion ($13); the pillowy-est potato gnocchi we’ve ever had, with ramp butter and charred favas ($21); and, if you’re there on a lucky day, Mezick’s whole truffled chicken, one of the daily “share” plates for two or more.
Former Dry Creek Kitchen pastry chef Andrew DiClementi has crossed the mountain, and his signature peanut butter bar is on the menu, along with a truly order-worthy homemade selection of ice creams and sorbets.
Service, of course, is five-star — one of the hallmarks of a Palmer restaurant — and the vibe is upscale casual Wine Country, meaning you’ll find winemakers and winery owners rubbing elbows with tourists and neighborhood customers.
“We have an enormous amount of work to do here,” Palmer said, “but we have an amazing situation here, and Levi really embraces what we’re trying to do.”
Harvest Table, One Main St., St. Helena, 967-4695. Open for lunch from 11:30a.m. to 2:30p.m. Wednesday through Friday; brunch from 11:30a.m. to 2:30p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and dinner from 5:30p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday.
In Healdsburg, Chef Andrew Wilson has big shoes to fill. From Michael Voltaggio, the notoriously outspoken “Top Chef” contestant, to well-known local chefs including Mateo Granados, Les Goodman and, most recently, Dustin Valette of Valette Restaurant, Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen has been a training ground for some serious top toque talent.
With a military-like crispness in his appearance and kitchen, Wilson was a quieter choice for the established white- tablecloth restaurant inside the Healdsburg Hotel when Palmer hired him in 2014.
“I had a lot of interested and talented young chefs from New York,” said Palmer of the executive chef position that opened when Dustin Valette left to open his namesake Healdsburg restaurant.
“His sensibility with food is what brought him. He’s not out there trumpeting his name. He’s more of a focused guy in the kitchen and has a strong foothold in Sonoma,” said Palmer.
“That was a deciding factor. It has to be someone who embraces the community. You have to be really happy where you are.”
Wilson has put his stamp on the menu with a “return to simplicity in ingredients,” he said at a recent dinner. That means fewer sauces and fancy preparations, and just letting the ingredients shine through.
“Andrew’s approach to food is a lot about what I’m trying to push for — super quality ingredients, creative but simple food and not seven different garnishes or sauces on each plate. The simpler it is, the less room there is for any error,” Palmer said . With the Healdsburg farmers market just 50 feet from the back door, access to great local products is easy.
“Gayle (Sullivan from nearby Dry Creek Peach and Produce) delivers flats of peaches to us that are still warm,” said Palmer. “We just concentrate on great local ingredients and keep it simple.”
This is traditional Wine Country food, rather than anything too experimental, making it a comfortable favorite of local winemakers (the wine list is hyper- local), well-heeled neighbors and Hotel Healdsburg visitors. Signature dishes for Wilson include Wild King Salmon with morel mushrooms ($34); ahi tuna tartare with soy lime dressing ($17); and seared duck breast ($36) with seasonal vegetables.
“We have to constantly push the envelope and be fresh (at the restaurants),” said Palmer. “Otherwise it becomes mechanical. All of my chefs talk and compare notes and eat each others’ food.
“They’re all in an octopus phase right now,” he joked. “You see that kind of similarity sometimes. But really, at the end of the day, you just got to have love in the dishes.”
Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 431-0330. Open for dinner only from 5:30 to 9:30p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
