There’s nothing quite like October in Wine Country. It’s smack in the middle of harvest, which means the sweet smell of fermenting grapes wafts over town. It’s also the time of year when leaves on trees change colors, painting the hillsides brilliant shades of pink and yellow and orange and red. We even celebrated a tremendous rainfall earlier this month, putting an end to fire season and significantly reducing dangers associated with the draught. There’s excitement in and around Healdsburg these days as well. Here is a sampling of some of the events and happenings that have caught our attention.
• After 17 years of excellence, Barndiva restaurant was awarded a Michelin star earlier this month—the first time the eatery has received the honor. Owners Geoff and Jil Hales were surprised by the news, which came as a ringing endorsement of new Chef Jordan Rosas and new Pastry Chef Neidy Venegas. The restaurant certainly deserves the accolades; Barndiva has been cranking out delicious farm-to-table food for years, and the staff perfected touchless ordering during the COVID-19 pandemic. Barndiva also has built a stellar special events program, and its Studio Barndiva space has quietly become the most popular spot in town for weddings and parties. Congratulations to everyone involved.
• Mill District has partnered with the local Craftwork coworking space to offer The Design Dialogues, a three-part discussion series about architecture and design. We held the second of these talks earlier this month; the subject was what makes Healdsburg special and panelists included Kirsten Ring Murray, principal/owner of Olson Kundig; Andie Cochran from Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture; and Cass Calder Smith, principal of CCS Architecture Interiors. The third and final installment of the program is scheduled for November 9 and will unpack what food says about who we are. Participants were expected to include local chefs Kyle Connaughton and Dustin Valette. For more information or to reserve tickets, click here.
• Veterans’ Day is a day of tribute and gratitude in Healdsburg. This year’s ceremony will be held in Plaza Park at 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 11, and will comprise a special flag raising and gun salute to honor those who serve the country. The ceremony will commemorate those who have served in the past, those currently enlisted in the service, and those who will join and serve down the road. The event is sponsored by the American Legion Sotoyome Post 111 in partnership with the City of Healdsburg. Similar events are scheduled for Windsor, Geyserville, and Cloverdale throughout the same day. Mill District thanks all veterans for their sacrifice and service.
• The new place for power lunches in Healdsburg: Roof 106, one of two new restaurants from Chef Dustin Valette. The al fresco, second-story rooftop dining spot announced this month that it will now be open Thursday to Monday from noon to 10 p.m. The same hours apply for the Wine Wall, a wall inside The Matheson restaurant that boasts 88 different wines which guests can sample by the glass. The Matheson itself is open Thursday to Monday for dinner service only. (Our advice is to try them all.)
