SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA)

SingleThread
131 N St
Healdsburg, CA 95448
Dining date: 6/22/18

SingleThread is one of the up-and-coming fine dining restaurants in the greater Bay Area. Opened at the end of 2016, it has garnered two Michelin stars, 4 stars from the SF Chronicle and was recently named a ‘One to Watch’ by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants team. Chef Kyle Connaughton and wife Katina run this restaurant, which is part of the inn and farm that they also operate. The cuisine here is a blend of Japanese and Californian; tickets were $295 each, gratuity-inclusive.

We spent some time at the rooftop garden terrace as our table was getting set up.

The dining room is intimate, made up of a couple of adjoining rooms seating around 50. Most tables had a prime view of the open kitchen.

The first course was one of the most impressive I’ve ever come across, visually. It featured over a dozen individual dishes, a myriad of flavors and textures.

early summer in sonoma

halibut kobujime stonefruit, tosazu, succulents

artichoke summer herbs, mangalitsa pork jowl, geoduck

morel mushroom lamborn pea, torpedo onion, malted potato

poached foie gras braised and dried cherry tomatoes, wild spring greens, roasted chicken consomee

black cod ‘fukkura-san’ broth of ember grilled cod bones and saikyo miso

american wagyu coal roasted beets, tatsoi, bone marrow

sonoma grains ‘okoge’ mugi mochi, ice filtered beef broth

buttermilk and thyme sherbet sumac and blueberry

chamomile ice cream strawberry, poached rhubarb, oat streusel

wagashi black sesame, japanese cheesecake, anise hyssop

The food was excellent. Halibut, paired with seasonal fruit, was a highlight with its light, delicate flavors. The black cod was another highlight, arriving at the table in a donabe, and finished with a savory sauce made of the bones and miso. The american wagyu was another strong point, paired with roasted beets and bone marrow. Service and hospitality was also excellent – it was highly attentive, gracious and very personable. I would definitely return to SingleThread.