Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007 - (Page 44)

coastalhealdsburg Healdsburg By Robert Plotkin Few towns of 11,000 people can offer what Healdsburg does: Manhattan sophistication behind Civil War era facades. For many travelers, it would be a treat to find one element of big city quality —a literary bookstore, a decent baguette, a sophisticated children’s store — but Healdsburg has that much and more. Where to Stay The Madrona Manor is a large Victorian Mansion built in 1881 on the top of a rise a few minutes drive from town. It offers 18 rooms and guest cottages on over 8 acres of garden and a pool. The restaurant serves local food with a white towel draped over the arm. The Hotel Healdsburg is located on the plaza and caters to more modern tastes. There is a spa, pool. café/ newsstand and the Dry Creek Kitchen restaurant. Flying Goat Coffee is so stylish you may not want to appear with a bed-head for your morning cappuccino on the plaza. The interior is sculptural and the espresso machine matches the dyed red of the barista’s hair. Bicyclists congregate in the patio of the Oakville Grocery, which serves gourmet sandwiches and is caty-corner to the plaza. The Downtown Bakery and Creamery has a “foam mistress” who can spoon thick, dense foam into your cappuccino. You can also purchase high quality tarts and gelato. Where to eat In addition to the Dry Creek Kitchen at the Hotel Healdsburg and the restaurant at the Madrona manor, are many more fine restaurants. Everyone really hip looking said that BARNDIVA is the coolest restaurant and that its bar scene is the best in Healdsburg. The chickens that are killed and the vegetables sautéed are all raised locally. Ravenous Café is housed in a white clapboard house just off the plaza and has become a favorite among locals and visitors. Bistro Ralph, is a small restaurant featuring locally raised ingredients has become very popular. Willi’s Seafood and Raw Bar served great sashimi appetizer and the best calamari I have ever had. Where to shop Toyon Books is an independent bookstore that exercises editorial control over their booklists. The bad writing has been culled from the herd leaving a small store, dense with good books. Scout is a very high quality children’s store that also has books and wooden toys. The proprietor handed me a boy’s shirt with a distressed collar and asked me to feel the “hand” of the fabric. I ended up buying it and much more at one of the most sophisticated children’s stores I have ever seen. The Toy Chest is another great place to take a child. It is a toy store, but it is largely devoid of Chinese plastic toys. Come buy the wooden training bicycle, which sits swoopily on an elevated shelf. Where to drink There are 70 vineyards around Healdsburg. A drive out of Healdsburg’s plaza will lead to Westside Road, a tree shaded rise with views of the valley below. You will find Mill Creek, the hipster Roshambo Winery and gallery, Rabbit Ridge, Belvedere, Hop Kiln, Rochioli, Davis Bynum and Porter Creek vineyards and then the Road becomes River Road where you will find Korbel a few miles down the road. The Dry Creek Valley has been producing Zinfandels since Prohibition. Sample some of them at Geyser Peak Winery, Silver Oak Cellars, Ferrari-Carano, Fritz, Lake Sonoma, Preston Vineyards and Winery, Quivira, Dry Creek, Passalacqua, Lambert Bridge, and Everett Ridge vineyards. Where to Stay Madrona Manor 1001 Westside Rd • 800.258.4003 Hotel Healdsburg 25 Matheson St • 800.889.7188 Where to Eat Flying Goat Coffee 324 Center St Oakville Grocery 124 Matheson St • 415-381-8293 Downtown Bakery and Creamery 308 Center St • 707.431.2719 BARNDIVA 231 Center St • 707.431.0100 Ravenous Café 420 Center St • 707.431.1302 Bistro Ralph 109 Plaza St • 707.526.3096 Willi’s Seafood and Raw Bar 707.526.3096 Where to Shop Toyon Books 104 Matheson St • 707.433.9270 Scout 125 Matheson St • 707.431.0903 The Toy Chest 401 Center St • 707.433.47.43 44 coastaltraveler summer

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007

Coastal Contents Coastal Connoisseur Coastal Surfer Coastal Review Coastal Rider Coastal Map Coastal Maifesto Sausalito - Tiburon Mill Valley Muir Beach Stinson Beach Bolinas Olema San Geronimo - Nicasio Fairfax Inverness - Inverness Park Point Reyes Station Point Reyes Station and Dillon Beach Sebastopol Petaluma Sonoma Coast Healdsburg Mendocino - Redwood Coast Lake County Napa Santa Cruz Monterey Carmel-by-the-Sea Big Sur

Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007

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