Recently in Healdsburg Category

By Deirdre Bourdet

(1) Healdsburg Farmer's Market. One of the most famous farmers' markets in the Bay Area is mere steps from the square. Unusual heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables grown by local farmers are only the beginning... local cheeses, meats, seafood, and breads round out the offerings and make it clear you are in a very delicious place.

Healdsburg Farmer's Market
Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings (check website for seasonal closure)
North and Vine Streets, Healdsburg
707-431-1956

By Deirdre Bourdet

The heat is on! And few things are more glorious than summer dining alfresco in wine country. I offer only three recommendations here because there are far too many fabulous patios than I can do justice to in the space permitted.

Willi's Seafood & Raw Bar just off Healdsburg's main square has a blissfully shaded garden patio on which to sample their delectable and different small plates. Tuna tartare--normally a snore-inducing must-skip item for me--goes in an entirely new and awesome direction here with cashews and slivered chilies in a cool coconut milk sauce, served atop crispy taro chips. Pumpkin seed-cilantro pesto takes bacon-wrapped scallops to new levels of delicious depravity. If it hits triple digits on the patio, move inside to the bar and have Bob the bartender (or one of his compatriots) cool you down with a cucumber martini.

By Deirdre Bourdet

Summer romances are as old as time, and like clockwork, I find myself falling in love every year around this time. I speak of course of fresh salmon.

Nothing says summer more enticingly than a huge piece of barbecued wild salmon, charred and smoky from the grill, its succulent pearlescent flesh crying out to be devoured. Unless you consider sweet and toothsome and absolutely impossible-to-say-no-to grilled corn on the cob... ; or the intoxicating fragrance of farm-fresh heirloom tomatoes seducing the unwary into $30 salads... or hunks of cold watermelon so juicy that you need a napkin just to think about putting a piece in your mouth.

Submitted by: Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen
Chef: Les Goodman

Wine Pairing Suggestion:
Papapietro Perry Winery 2005 "Peter's Vineyard" Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen, located in Hotel Healdsburg, serves an ever-changing menu celebrating Sonoma County's fresh seasonal ingredients and wines. Each March, Chef Palmer hosts Pigs and Pinot, a two day festival of spectacular food and wine.  This dish is a tribute to Pigs and Pinot and is paired with this year's winning Pinot Noir.


Hotel Healdsburg
25 Matheson Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
800.889.7188
www.hotelhealdsburg.com

Dry Creek Kitchen
Hotel Healdsburg
317 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707.431.0330
www.charliepalmer.com

HEALDSBURG, CA - Don't miss this year's Fourth Annual Celebration of Pigs & Pinot 2009 event, March 20-21, 2009 at Hotel Healdsburg. The weekend will include a series of intimate dining and educational events hosted by renowned Chef Palmer.

Tickets can be purchased directly online and there are several lodging packages available at Hotel Healdsburg which include access to all Pigs & Pinot events, including exclusive access to the Gala Dinner. But space is limited; so make sure you make advance reservations now!

By Robert Farmer

One could spend a lifetime enjoying Wine Country only by its events. The calendar year is jam-packed with themed events that were created to spotlight and celebrate the many and diverse aspects of Wine Country. All wine regions have them, and some are of course more alluring than others. Others still speak to certain people on an acute level. And those nice-market events are where you can find your personal Valhalla.

One such event for me in particular is Pigs & Pinot at the Hotel Healdsburg (800-889-7188; www.hotelhealdsburg.com). Now in its third year, this descriptively titled weekend-long event is the brainchild of chef Charlie Palmer, whose Dry Creek Kitchen is one of the great destination restaurants in California Wine Country. Pigs & Pinot, as you have by now likely surmised, is a celebration of the flavor combination of pork and pinot noirs--Palmer's professed favorite food and wine varietal pairing. The weekend is comprised of a gala dinner, wine and food pairings, and seminars and parties related to all things pork and pinot noir. It's at once decadent and educational--one of the most innovative culinary-themed events in the region. Attendees will be treated to samples of more than 50 pinot noirs from some of the top producers in Sonoma County and the world. The wines are paired with such pork delicacies as charcuterie, homemade sausages, pates, and one-off creations from chef Palmer as well as well-known chefs from San Francisco, New York, even France.

Guests are also invited to check out "swine and wine" seminars and a demonstration-style cooking class. Essentially, when the weekend is over, you'll know about all there is to know about the pairing. And, you might also need to hit the gym. Hotel Healdsburg conveniently has one, and they are also offering special weekend packages for the event. The extravaganza begins Friday, March 14^th, and lasts through the weekend. And to make it even more worthwhile, proceeds from the event benefit Share Our Strengths and Healdsburg's St. John's School.