The only things missing from Lauren Kershner’s vision of a Victorian-inspired salon are the swish of crinolines and hissing gaslights.
Soft lighting, broody paneled walls in pine needle green, velvet sofas in conversational arrangements and an upright piano set the scene inside the century-old Pagani family winery at Jack London Village in Glen Ellen.
The property’s history reaches back generations, first as home to the Miwok, and Spanish missionaries, then as a sawmill built by General Vallejo in 1839. Later, it became a gristmill (the grinding stones and water wheel remain), a distillery and a winery. Local author Jack London might have been seen strolling past when Arnold Drive was little more than a walking path.
After several restaurants came and went from the space, it stood empty for several years, gathering cobwebs until 2020, when Kershner embraced the possibilities of the raw space and got to work remodeling.
In 2022, Kershner opened Songbird Parlour as a hub for her catering company, private events, dinner parties and semi-regular pop-ups with guest chefs — but it was not officially open to the public.
In November, Kershner added restaurateur to her lengthy list of projects, including Goodness Gracious catering and Valley of the Moon Kombucha.
“We put together this beautiful space, and we wanted to have people here five days a week. We want to get the community in here,” said Kershner of the five-night-a-week restaurant she operates with partner Kenneth De Alba.
Walking into Songbird is literally a walk through the history of Sonoma Valley as diners make their way through a hallway museum leading to the restaurant. Photos from the historical society celebrate residents, including culinary writer M.F.K. Fisher, World War II general Henry “Hap” Arnold and the Indigenous peoples who lived on the land for thousands of years. Even Hunter S. Thompson, who lived briefly in Glen Ellen, gets a nod.
Inside, the 42-seat restaurant opens to a soaring ceiling and open kitchen where executive chef Eric Moulton creates a seasonal, hyperlocal menu with “posh yet approachable dishes,” according to Kershner.
That includes a recent dish with prawns, coconut curry and Nardello chile.
“Oak Hill farm had a ton of Jimmy Nardello peppers, so it landed on our menu,” said Kershner of the mild frying peppers that arrived in America in the pocket of an Italian immigrant. Now part of Slow Food’s Ark of Taste, they’re considered an endangered heritage food, though in Sonoma County, they seem to be on menus from Petaluma to Cloverdale.
“We don’t come with a dish until we see what the farm has,” Kershner said.
Songbird’s menu is well-curated, with just a handful of flavorful, expertly crafted dishes rather than a laundry list to please every palate. Plant-forward dishes are well represented with Sunray Farms ‘leaves and things’ salad ($16), pickled beets with Grazin’ Girl Gorgonzola ($18) and caramelized winter squash with figs and Cabernet vinaigrette ($18).
While I only had a chance to try about half the menu, some dishes are calling me back for a return visit — halibut crudo with white peach and makrut lime granita ($24) or seared salmon with vadouvan (French curry) brown butter ($36). The regionally-focused wine list includes boutique producers Hill of Tara, Idle Cellars and Toje.
The restaurant plans to add a happy hour and host several upcoming events, including an immersive six-course Southeast Asian dinner with chef Jessy Manuel on Dec. 16.
“We’re creating a space where people can indulge their passions, whether for food, wine, music or simply connecting with others,” Kershner said.
Best Bets
Caramelized Cassidy Ranch winter squash, figs in Cabernet vinegar, $18: Sweet crescents of squash sweetened by pomegranate seeds and seasonal figs make winter’s long, dark nights a little brighter.
Head-on prawns, $28: I usually shy away from food that puts up a fight — or threatens to stab me with its antennae, but these crustaceans came mostly peeled with most of the work already done. Pop off the head, give it a little suck and drench the body with creamy coconut curry sauce and Nardello chile sauce. A squeeze of grilled lemon brings the dish entirely into focus.
Fried farm potatoes and leeks, $14: Husky wedges of fried potatoes get a crispy dusting of fried leeks and esplette (a fruity, dried chile with just a hint of heat) from Seven Moons Farms. A fat smear of tomato aioli cools everything down.
Duck confit, $38: This pared-down riff on cassoulet includes a nicely cooked thigh and leg with crisp skin and moist meat that can only come from the confit process. The salty duck gets a sweet kick from pear mostarda, and earthy beluga lentils ground the dish.
Espresso braised pork belly, $22: Striations of crisp meat and fat make pork belly one of my favorite dishes. The dish is almost perfect, glazed with an espresso and red wine reduction and atop a fat pile of maitake mushrooms. I’d love to see the fat rendered more and the skin crispier for that perfect bite of savory, umami-laden belly.
Open from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Reservations suggested.
14301 Arnold Drive, Suite 3, Glen Ellen, 707-343-1308, songbirdparlour.com.
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.