On Plaza Street in downtown Healdsburg, there’s a lot of action these days. The on-again, off-again Burdock Bar (107 Plaza St.), “temporarily closed” since late 2022, will reopen Monday, June 5, as a pop-up spot for chef Jamilah Nixon-Mathis.
Known for her Southeast Asian fusion dishes she sells through her Jam’s Joy Bungalow food truck and retail locations (101 E. Cotati Ave., Cotati and 150 Weeks Way, Sebastopol), Nixon-Mathis is bringing her Joy Bungalow menu to Burdock for takeout and to Duke’s Spirited Cocktails next door (111 Plaza St.).
Watch for longtime favorites like the mouth-bending Charlie Hustle & Hot Mama fried chicken sandwiches, banh mi and fried chicken skins. New items will include specials like Nixon-Mathis’ Crying Tiger steak frites and mochi fried oyster mushrooms.
Pop-up service begins on Tuesday, June 6, in conjunction with the weekly Tuesdays on the Plaza music events (running through late August). The pop-up also will be open 1 to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday through September.
The collaboration with Duke’s Spirited Cocktails, owned by winemaker Bill Foley’s entertainment group, will “bring our unique and affordable food to downtown Healdsburg,” Nixon-Mathis said.
Burdock formerly provided food to Duke’s, but the relaxed, munchie-friendly Jam’s Joy Bungalow menu feels like a much better fit. Nixon-Mathis will operate independently of Duke’s and the Foley organization.
Meanwhile, Goodnight’s Bourbon + Chop House will open this summer at 113 Plaza St., another Foley-owned property. The much-anticipated steakhouse promises to be “a local pioneer in a new frontier of classic Western-styling dining experiences,” according to the website. The restaurant is named for Texas Ranger Charles Goodnight, the inventor of the chuck wagon.
New chef at The Madrona: Chef Patrick Tafoya has been named executive chef at The Madrona following the departure of longtime toque Jesse Mallgren. Tafoya most recently was executive estate chef at Round Pond Estate in Rutherford. He has worked at the Duck Club and owned a restaurant called P/30 in Sebastopol, which closed in 2011. Stay tuned for an interview with Tafoya and his visions for the revitalized Healdsburg restaurant and inn.
