Read Ranch & Coast Virtually Anywhere
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ranchandcoast.com 108 OCTOBER 2024 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE e couple's experiences in Japan have informed Singleread's philosophy known as omotenashi, gracious and attentive hospitality that goes above and beyond. at includes the restaurant's James Beard Foundation award- winning design, created by the firm AVRO/KO. Lighting has the look of modern Japanese lanterns. Woven screens, which serve as room dividers in the dining room, reference DNA sequencing of such kitchen staples as shallots and herbs, and also are a nod to foods' molecular structures. Diners can watch dinner being prepared in the open kitchen that buzzes with activity. e ten-course tasting menu with optional wine pairings and inventive cocktails was a feast for not only our taste buds, but our eyes, with each exquisite plate or glass presented by knowledgeable waiters and sommeliers. Our experience began with bite-size appetizers served up on a beautiful flower-decked display: scallops with farm tomato, corn panna cotta with caviar, Santa Barbara mussels with nasturtium, and basil miso, to name just a few. Courses included moriawase, an assortment of sushi including bluefin tuna and halibut, abalone, and uni with sea lettuce cream, duck liver paté, and wagyu from California's famed Masami Cattle Ranch with vegetables from Singleread Farm. e final course was wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets, perfect little bites to end our experience. After dinner, our waiter presented us with keepsake menus listing all the dishes and ingredients, a packet of seeds from the farm, and a handwritten note from the Connaughtons that read: "As the berries sweeten in the long, warm hours, the bees dance about the flowering squash." We then retreated to the rooftop deck to linger over a glass of wine and watch the sun set over Healdsburg. e next day, my husband and I explored the "root" of it all — the Singleread Farm at Dry Creek, a 24-acre acre property with orchards, beehives, a floral design department, store, and greenhouses where most plants and flowers get their start. We tasted fresh produce and talked with the staff who farm mostly by hand, and without pesticides and herbicides. We also spoke with guests who had dined at the restaurant the night before. All agreed that our experiences were phenomenal. "We've been to lots of fine dining establishments," said one. "But this is hands-down the best." Our next stop was the Forbes Five-Star Montage Healdsburg, a 258-acre wine country resort nestled among the hills, vineyards, and oak groves of Sonoma County. Guests can stay in individual bungalows and suites, many with terraces and firepits, or in a three-bedroom guest house. Also available to lease or buy are fully- furnished Harvest Homes, contemporary single-family retreats featuring indoor-outdoor living, terraces, plunge pools, wine storage, and more. e expansive resort includes a spa, swimming pool, fitness center, a kids' program, and a wide range of activities from cycling to pickleball. We enjoyed a lovely alfresco lunch at Hazel Hill restaurant on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. e restaurant, helmed by Executive Chef Jason Pringle, has a terroir-to-table menu featuring local bounty from fields and farms, and local wines including the inaugural release of Surveyor, the resort's own private estate bottled wine label. At the Scout Field Bar in the lobby, we tasted a 2021 cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc, available only at the resort. Both wines were created in partnership with accomplished winemaker Jesse Katz of nearby Aperture Cellars, who oversaw the planting of more than 15 acres of vineyards at Montage Healdsburg. Katz, a wunderkind among winemakers, was named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" list in 2013 and later, to Wine Enthusiast's "40 Under 40" tastemakers. Over the years, Katz has created eight wines that have received perfect 100-point scores and also crafted a cabernet sauvignon (e Setting Glass Slipper) that sold for $1 million at auction, setting a world record. Be sure to visit Katz's estate winery and vineyard, which specializes in Bordeaux-style wine from cool-climate vineyards. Enjoy tasting experiences by appointment on the outdoor terrace or indoors in private lounges featuring fine art from his father, the acclaimed photographer Andy Katz, who inspired the winery's name, Aperture, the opening in a camera lens that allows more light in. Healdsburg isn't only known for fine wine, resorts, and restaurants. ere are so many spaces to explore, whether hiking the trails, cycling the backroads, or paddling a canoe on the nearby Russian River. My husband and I can't wait to return — there is still much to see and do. detour destinations << Sample autumn in Sonoma County at the three- Michelin Star SingleThread Restaurant, Inn & Farm in Healdsburg PHOTO COURTESY OF SINGLETHREAD