When chef Dustin Valette opened his namesake restaurant just off the Healdsburg Plaza in 2015, the luxe food scene of the northern Sonoma County town was still in its infancy.
Michelin had all but forsaken Healdsburg after the 2012 closure of Cyrus. SingleThread hadn’t officially opened, and wine magnate Bill Foley’s ventures, including Brass Rabbit and Goodnight’s Steakhouse, weren’t yet on the horizon. Zin Restaurant, owned by Jeff and Susan Mall and one of the early adopters of farm-to-table cuisine, had closed the previous year, leaving a gaping hole in the fledgling foodie town.
Valette saw an opening — literal and figurative — in the former Zin space and an opportunity to carry on the Malls’ ingredient-driven ethos. It didn’t hurt that his grandfather owned a bakery at the location 75 years ago.
In late 2014, the Healdsburg native left his position as chef de cuisine of Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen and dove headlong into restaurant ownership with his brother Aaron Garzini. The dream was to create a casual yet elegant space where diners could sit at the bar with a glass of wine and an appetizer or take an hourslong journey into the “trust me” tasting menu.
In March, Valette marks its 10th anniversary as a Wine Country dining staple that has weathered fires, floods and COVID-19. To celebrate, the restaurant will host a series of wine dinners March 10-16, with favorite dishes from the last decade.
I sat down with chef Valette (who also owns The Matheson and Roof 106 in Healdsburg) to discuss his decade in Healdsburg’s food scene.
How would you describe Valette?
Valette was born from two brothers’ lifelong dream of creating a unique dining experience in our hometown Healdsburg. Our goal is to provide a canvas for local farmers, winemakers and artisans to showcase their crafts.
What would you tell yourself 10 years ago about owning a restaurant?
You’re gonna get gray hair and it’s going to be the most stressful and most fulfilling thing in your life besides your children.
What dish did you know you had to have on the opening menu?
Scallops en croute. It’s a dish I created at Dry Creek Kitchen. Everyone would come from all around for it. I just served it on Saturday to Guy Fieri. The scallop is steamed and it really shows its beautiful simplicity. It’s got sweet, sour, salty and acidic flavors — it’s fricking terrific. That, and the charcuterie we make in-house, we can’t take off the menu, they’re such staples of the restaurant.
What were the highest and lowest points over the last 10 years?
The lowest point was on Jan. 16, 2022. We had weathered the COVID storm and kept all our employees, but we ran out of money. I sold my car, took out a loan and mortgaged everything we had. I told myself we had until Feb. 1 for things to level out or we would have to close. We reopened for regular dining service on Jan. 17 of that year.
The highest point was when we got a Wine Enthusiast Top 100 nod the year we opened. It showed me very quickly that this crazy idea of two brothers bucking all the trends would work.
What celebrity would you love to have at the restaurant?
Chef Thomas Keller from The French Laundry.
What food trend from 10 years ago would you love never to see again?
Inedible garnishes on the plate.
If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
A winemaker. I would love to tell the story of an entire year through a glass of wine. I love making garage wine and started a commercial wine brand. (Valette works with star winemakers David Ramey, Tom Rochioli, Bob Cabral and Jesse Katz to produce limited-edition Valette wines.)
What are your hopes for the next 10 years?
I would love to celebrate 20 years in this location. I hope we can continue on our path, telling the story of Healdsburg, Sonoma County and its artisans and makers who love their jobs. I want to continue that passion and sense of place.
How has Healdsburg changed in the last 10 years?
Healdsburg has changed for the better. People come from all over to visit and get a sense of our lives here, be part of our community and live the dream we have every day we wake up. But how it’s changed for the worse is the same reason. We have to share our heaven with everyone else. It’s the same answer. If you have a cake, the best part is to share it with everyone.
Your dad, Bob, is a regular fixture at the restaurant, visiting with diners and sharing stories of his life as a former Cal Fire pilot. Why is that?
One of my favorite parts of the restaurant is that my dad spends nights talking to guests, enjoying himself and making people happy. My dad was focused on protecting our community as a firefighter but never got to reap the rewards. I watch my dad with a glass of wine at the restaurant, and it’s nice to see him sit back and enjoy people.
What keeps you in this business?
For 10 years, we have created a place to come and relax and forget about the worries of life — the crazy world outside our doors. You can sit here and have a bourbon at the bar; it feels like coming home. I want to create a place that gives people warmth in their souls. What we do puts such a big smile on my face. I can’t shake how lucky I am.
Valette is at 344 Center St., Healdsburg, 707-473-0946, valettehealdsburg.com
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.