I recently went to SingleThread in Healdsburg, California for dinner. This is their autumn menu and it was a wonderful experience. The service is very friendly and personable. Prior to arriving, they asked for names of all guests and greeted us by name as we entered the restaurant. Waited for a bit in the initial lobby room where there’s a window to the kitchen and they gave us some sort of apple tea to enjoy while your table is being prepared for your first course. As you’re led to the table, the first course of 10 bites is already set around and on a centerpiece with flowers from their nearby farm as well as some moss. Details on the pictured food below:
1 . Mid Autumn in Sonoma – this course comes in two parts. The first ten dishes are already set for you when seated at the table. They recommended to start with the oyster and then choose how you want to go from there. The other dishes were various fish or sashimi, a santa barbara snail with some orange that went well together, beets, panna cotta, sushi roll, and an incredible pepper.
2-4 Mid Autumn in Sonoma part 2 – I thought the first course would ‘just’ be the first ten dishes that were set up when you first get to the table, but then they deliver three more hot dishes as part of the first course. I don’t remember exactly what the first two photos were, the last one was the chawanmushi with santa barbara uni. The chawanmushi uni was great! Overall, the first course was 13 dishes and they were all tasty (outside of the beets one but I don’t really care for beets much), and this is probably the most impressive single course I’ve ever had at any restaurant.
5. Sawara – Hibiscus, Pomegranate, Kanpyo, and Bone Tare – Spanish mackerel that included a hint of wasabi, another nice dish
6 and 7. Aka Amadai – Matsutake, Turnip, and Green Yuzu – Tilefish followed by a tempura matsutake mushroom. The tilefish was just OK. the tempura matsutake mushroom was good
8. Duck Liver Parfait – Black Apple, Brown Butter, and Salanova – Possibly one of the best ‘salads’ I’ve had in my life, it came with a duck liver pate underneath.
9. Guinea Hen Katsu – Malted Candy Roaster, Chanterelle, Burgundy Truffle, and Caramelized Jus – Another very good dish, they mentioned that it was the second night they’ve had this dish on the menu. The guinea hen is also covered in some spinach dust.
10. Grape – Verjus, Shio Kombu, and Gyokuro – palate cleanser, refreshing but not particularly special
11. Duclair Duck – Upstate Abundance Potato, Jimmy Nardello, and Habanada – Another tasty dish, my duck was great.
12. Zakkokumai – Farm Eggplant, Black Garlic, and Duck Mousse – This was presented as something like seven different types of eggplants. They show a basket of the different eggplants from the farm when this dish was set on the table. There’s a pickled eggplant that was nice, an eggplant with dashi which was good, and then eggplant over rice. I was getting full at this point, but overall I was disappointed by this last main course. The eggplant rice donburi dish just didn’t work for me.
13. Not listed on menu – corn ice cream, ‘cornmeal Twinkie’ with creme fraiche – I guess it’s time for corn desserts. Corn ice cream served with what was basically a cornmeal twinkie, served with a corn tea. I like corn, so I liked this corn dessert.
14. Healdsburg Corn – Toasted Husk, Miso, and Black Pepper – This came along with the corn ice cream and twinkie, you need to unwrap the corn husk prior to eating. Another corn dessert!
15 – 18. Wagashi – Goma and Spice, Farm Herb and Strawberry, Chocolate and Mochi, Lemon Thyme and Pine Nut – These came out as a set. I didn’t get a good photo of the fourth dish here which was a cookie. Nice desserts, but nothing special.
19 – Corn Tea – They give more corn tea at this point. I guess they really need to get rid of the corn from the farm.
20 – Take Home Menu – At the end of the meal, they’ll give you a menu with a bouquet that is sitting at your table when you first sit down. Inside is the menu, a note from owners/chef, and some Komatsuna seeds for growing some Japanese greens at home!
Overall, a very good meal. I wouldn’t say it was my absolutely favorite meal in terms of my personal taste of food, but still very good. I highly recommend SingleThread.
Gdmf13
That sounds, and looks absolutely amazing.
El_Disinfecter
the food and plating looks incredible here – especially compared to the french laundry post from a few days ago
catsRawesome123
I LOVE Singlethread, the “starter” table spread remains one of my favorite “dishes” of any restaurant, ever. So much fun to eat through
4 Comments
I recently went to SingleThread in Healdsburg, California for dinner. This is their autumn menu and it was a wonderful experience. The service is very friendly and personable. Prior to arriving, they asked for names of all guests and greeted us by name as we entered the restaurant. Waited for a bit in the initial lobby room where there’s a window to the kitchen and they gave us some sort of apple tea to enjoy while your table is being prepared for your first course. As you’re led to the table, the first course of 10 bites is already set around and on a centerpiece with flowers from their nearby farm as well as some moss. Details on the pictured food below:
1 . Mid Autumn in Sonoma – this course comes in two parts. The first ten dishes are already set for you when seated at the table. They recommended to start with the oyster and then choose how you want to go from there. The other dishes were various fish or sashimi, a santa barbara snail with some orange that went well together, beets, panna cotta, sushi roll, and an incredible pepper.
2-4 Mid Autumn in Sonoma part 2 – I thought the first course would ‘just’ be the first ten dishes that were set up when you first get to the table, but then they deliver three more hot dishes as part of the first course. I don’t remember exactly what the first two photos were, the last one was the chawanmushi with santa barbara uni. The chawanmushi uni was great! Overall, the first course was 13 dishes and they were all tasty (outside of the beets one but I don’t really care for beets much), and this is probably the most impressive single course I’ve ever had at any restaurant.
5. Sawara – Hibiscus, Pomegranate, Kanpyo, and Bone Tare – Spanish mackerel that included a hint of wasabi, another nice dish
6 and 7. Aka Amadai – Matsutake, Turnip, and Green Yuzu – Tilefish followed by a tempura matsutake mushroom. The tilefish was just OK. the tempura matsutake mushroom was good
8. Duck Liver Parfait – Black Apple, Brown Butter, and Salanova – Possibly one of the best ‘salads’ I’ve had in my life, it came with a duck liver pate underneath.
9. Guinea Hen Katsu – Malted Candy Roaster, Chanterelle, Burgundy Truffle, and Caramelized Jus – Another very good dish, they mentioned that it was the second night they’ve had this dish on the menu. The guinea hen is also covered in some spinach dust.
10. Grape – Verjus, Shio Kombu, and Gyokuro – palate cleanser, refreshing but not particularly special
11. Duclair Duck – Upstate Abundance Potato, Jimmy Nardello, and Habanada – Another tasty dish, my duck was great.
12. Zakkokumai – Farm Eggplant, Black Garlic, and Duck Mousse – This was presented as something like seven different types of eggplants. They show a basket of the different eggplants from the farm when this dish was set on the table. There’s a pickled eggplant that was nice, an eggplant with dashi which was good, and then eggplant over rice. I was getting full at this point, but overall I was disappointed by this last main course. The eggplant rice donburi dish just didn’t work for me.
13. Not listed on menu – corn ice cream, ‘cornmeal Twinkie’ with creme fraiche – I guess it’s time for corn desserts. Corn ice cream served with what was basically a cornmeal twinkie, served with a corn tea. I like corn, so I liked this corn dessert.
14. Healdsburg Corn – Toasted Husk, Miso, and Black Pepper – This came along with the corn ice cream and twinkie, you need to unwrap the corn husk prior to eating. Another corn dessert!
15 – 18. Wagashi – Goma and Spice, Farm Herb and Strawberry, Chocolate and Mochi, Lemon Thyme and Pine Nut – These came out as a set. I didn’t get a good photo of the fourth dish here which was a cookie. Nice desserts, but nothing special.
19 – Corn Tea – They give more corn tea at this point. I guess they really need to get rid of the corn from the farm.
20 – Take Home Menu – At the end of the meal, they’ll give you a menu with a bouquet that is sitting at your table when you first sit down. Inside is the menu, a note from owners/chef, and some Komatsuna seeds for growing some Japanese greens at home!
Overall, a very good meal. I wouldn’t say it was my absolutely favorite meal in terms of my personal taste of food, but still very good. I highly recommend SingleThread.
That sounds, and looks absolutely amazing.
the food and plating looks incredible here – especially compared to the french laundry post from a few days ago
I LOVE Singlethread, the “starter” table spread remains one of my favorite “dishes” of any restaurant, ever. So much fun to eat through