HEALDSBURG, Calif. -- The small sign for Middleton
Farm is as discreet as the place itself, yet it caught our eye
as we drove along a winding road in wine country. We made a U-turn
and doubled back to the dirt driveway, which we rolled along slowly
to avoid the roaming peacocks.
A solitary figure in front of a barn turned to look at the
arriving strangers with a knowing smile. It was winter, the
trees were going bare and the region's vineyards fallow, but
Nancy Skall seemed none too surprised that we had happened upon
her eight acres.
"We still have some garlic and broccoli and the persimmons
are just about ripe," Skall said, noting the organic strawberries
and pears were all gone for the year. Then the 75-year-old woman
in the red flannel shirt and baseball cap told us how she and
her husband had retired from San Francisco and opened the farm
and how she had managed it on her own for five years since Malcolm's
death.
It was the kind of vacation-making discovery that used to
occur all the time in now-overrun Napa Valley. But Middleton
Farm isn't in Napa. It's just outside for-now-less-famous Healdsburg,
a straight shot one hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge in
Sonoma County. Healdsburg, like St. Helena in Napa, sits at
the convergence of several winery regions -- most prominent
and notable are the Russian River and Dry Creek valleys, home
of such famous wineries as Kendall-Jackson and Gallo, as well
as dozens of honored, though less commercial, brands.
We first stumbled upon Healdsburg in late 2004 during a road
trip to the better-known enclaves of Sebastapol and Sonoma.
Everything about the town -- its easy access, a central square
lined with shops, and a burgeoning food and hospitality scene
-- left us puzzled as to why it hadn't appeared on our travel
radar screens.
We quickly realized that Healdsburg's anonymity -- its late-1970s
slogan "Buckle of the Prune Belt" evidently didn't do much
for its stature -- is almost certain to end in coming years.
On that first trip, we noticed quite a bit of construction that
prompted us to ask around. Chatting up a cashier at a gas station
on the edge of town, we heard: "They're finally finding
out about us. This place is about to explode."
Healdsburg, population 11,000, is on the brink. But fortunately,
for what will inevitably be a limited time only, it remains
the quintessence of charm and elegance. If Napa's crowding teaches
us anything, it's that this up-and-coming phase is brief and
ought to be savored.
By the time we returned to Healdsburg last winter, we had
a clear and well-researched agenda: Check out new restaurants,
drive the valleys, visit some new wine tasting rooms and other
shops on Healdsburg Plaza -- the central square -- and soak
up the atmosphere.
We found that many locals credit chef Charlie Palmer with
sparking the current boom by doing something somewhat unchef-like:
opening a hotel. His Hotel Healdsburg broke the mold in area
lodging, which had been dominated by bed-and-breakfasts of unpredictable
quality.
We checked into the elegant 55-room hotel that features minimalist-modern
decor, with hardwood floors and walls adorned only by the occasional
black-and-white nature photograph. Sitting as it does at the
edge of the square, it is a cocoon of comfort with perfect access.
Attached to the hotel is Palmer's superb Dry Creek Kitchen,
which offers top-end service while paying strict attention to
the chef's edict that the restaurant use almost exclusively
fresh ingredients grown or raised in the Northern California
countryside. It also offers a wine list with more than 600 Sonoma
entries.
Following Palmer's success -- and there were plenty of naysayers
in advance of Hotel Healdsburg's opening -- the region has boomed.
New wine tasting rooms have opened, including several right
on the square, as well as two hotels, the high-end luxury Le
Mars and a refurbished, modernized 105-year-old Inn on the Plaza.
Inside Le Mars is one of the nation's most widely honored new
restaurants, French-chateau-looking Cyrus. And, since any emerging
dining scene requires some avant -garde entries, there's also
Barn diva, where a variety of excellent and moderately priced
bistro classics are served inside a massive red barn that looks
old-fashioned but was built recently.
Healdsburg offers visitors a choice between an active or passive
vacation -- or something in between. One day we wanted nothing
more than to while away the time in the handsome Flying Goat
Cafe while pacing ourselves through the 10-tasting-room s self-guided
tour of the area surrounding the plaza. There also is a professional
Healdsburg Walking Tour (www.healdsburgwalkingtours.com)
that takes visitors through the same tasting rooms as well as
past some of the beautiful Victorian houses near the square.
But we chose to spend our time munching on crunchy grilled chicken
and gruyere sandwiches by the outdoor fire at the charming Oakville
Grocery.
On another day, we were more ambitious, wanting to take in
the surrounding regions. Many folks rent bicycles, which would
have been lovely had it not been chilly and windy. Instead,
we took Westside Road southwest into the Russian River Valley
and popped in at some small wineries, including Hop Kiln and
Roshambo. Our meandering led us to the little town of Graton,
about 15 miles south of Healdsburg, where we devoured a ham
and brie sandwich and the quirkier hot open-faced egg salad
sandwich at the rustic Willow Wood Market Cafe. Then we wandered
into the Far West Trading Company, a shop of tchotchkes where
we picked up some unique gifts. After lunch, we drove back past
Healdsburg and took the West Dry Creek Road to its peak, about
13 miles northwest, where the elaborate and highly-landscaped
Ferrari-Carano Castle stands.
On our last afternoon in Healdsburg, we were tired of the
haute cuisine and the fancy art galleries, so we ordered a pizza
and sat out on the deck of our hotel suite, feeling fortunate
that we had found Healdsburg when we had.
Contact Steve Friess, a freelance writer in Las Vegas
and co-host of "The Strip" podcast, through his website,
www.thestrippodcast.com.
* * *
If you go: Healdsburg, Calif.
How to get there: Healdsburg is about
65 miles north of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge on Route
101.
Where to stay
Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson St.
800/889-7188; www.hotelhealdsburg.com
Modern-rustic, gorgeous and right on the plaza. Rooms $260,
includes buffet breakfast.
Healdsburg Inn on the Plaza, 112 Matheson St.
800/431-8663; www.foursisters.com/healdsburg.htm
A restored 105-year-old inn . Rooms $200-$325, includes
gourmet breakfast.
Grape Leaf Inn, 539 Johnson St.
866/433-8140; www.grapeleafinn.com
Bed-and-breakfast, with excellent food but odd-shaped rooms
and some busy decor. Rooms from $200.
Where to eat
Barndiva, 231 Center St.
707/431-0100; www.barndiva.com
Outstanding comfort food. Dishes $10-$22.
Cyrus Restaurant 29 North St.
707/433-3111; www.cyrusrestaurant.com
Named one of Esquire's 10 best new restaurants in 2005.
Tasting menus start at $58 per person.
Dry Creek Kitchen Hotel Healdsburg, 317 Healdsburg Ave.
707/431-0330
Elegant American gourmet dining. Includes $69 six-course
tasting menu or $109 with wine pairings.
Oakville Grocery, 124 Matheson St.
707/433-3200
Quaint outdoor eating on the edge of the square. Creative
sandwiches for lunch. Dishes $6-$12.
What to do
Plaza Farms, 106 Matheson St.
707/433-2345
Five shops in one spacious area along the square.
Arches Gallery, 322 Healdsburg Ave.
707/431-1396; www.archesgallery.com
Local artists sell a variety of styles of paintings in a
former bank.
Middleton Farm, 2651 Westside Road
707/433-4755
Organic produce for sale to Bay Area restaurants and tourists.
Healdsburg Area Winery Tours
888/633-6090; www.healdsburgwinerytours.com
Six-hour tours of the Dry Creek region wineries , $85 per
person.
Information
www.healdsburg.com
www.wineroad.com
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