Barn Diva

Healdsburg, CA

I struggled with our decision to dine at Barndiva for our final dinner in Healdsburg. We were staying at Hotel Healdsburg, so it made sense to try the popular Dry Creek Kitchen. We could have gone to Douglas Keane's new steakhouse Shimo or returned to the beloved Cyrus. I was a little apprehensive to keep our reservation at Barndiva simply because many of my friends have actually dined there, and while they enjoyed their meal, they didn't seem wowed and they know we're critical eaters. But I was intrigued by the menu, so we kept our plans.

Bread

Upon entry into the converted barn, from the unique coat rack made of shoes mannequins to the dramatic high ceilings, the long bar and various beautiful types of artworks hanging upon every wall, it was an impressively designed restaurant. I wish I could say the same about the tables, which were wrought iron, small and awkwardly positioned for our legs, not very comfortable. We decided to go with the tasting menu, five courses for a very reasonable $75 per person. We were started off by bread, which was unimpressive, but nicely presented on a cutting board with a small amount of butter and salt.

Our great drinks

We were recommended by Goldie, who had been at BarnDiva the weekend before, to go with the dealer's choice for our drink order. You give a couple parameters to the bartender and they come up with a custom drink and Goldie loved hers. Chu-Toro received a champagne drink with grapefruit bitters and yuzu infused simple syrup which she really enjoyed. I was pleasantly recommended a Fantome Saison beer, from a Belgium brewery I had never heard of located in Ardennes forest. Thomas, our server, explained that this beer is produced only six times a year, using local herbs and flowers forged from the forest during the particular season, creating a unique flavor profile that has made it his favorite beer. I must admit, it was not undersold, and as I continued to drink it throughout the evening with different dishes, the complexity of the flavors appeared. Thomas did a great job of keeping it chilled and refilling my glass also, a very nice touch of service for a casual venue. In fact, the service all evening was excellent.

Crispy Sweetbreads, Poached Quail Egg, Cauliflower

Our first course was crispy sweetbreads, atop a puree of cauliflower with slivers of almond, golden raisins, and tiny cauliflower crowns with a poached quail egg. The combination of ingredients was well balanced, although I thought the flavor of the sweetbreads was lost in its crispy preparation. A nice start nonetheless.

Crab Salad - Grapefruit, beets, avocado

Next up was a beautifully presented, refreshing crab salad with bright colors of two types of beets, grapefruit and avocado. I never go out of my way to order beets, but enjoy them when they are featured on a dish like this, adding to the great presentation and an earthy flavor. 

Whole Roasted Chicken

Carved Tableside

I've never been a great fan of ordering chicken at restaurants for a new reasons. First off, it seems easy to make at home, its chicken. Secondly, it's usually dry, bland and overcooked. But I am a huge fan of presentation and I admit my interests were peaked when I saw table side carved chicken on the menu. Plus, after having some amazing chicken at Bouchon and Bottega, I have a newfound respect for a roast chicken, especially since ours at home don't ever turn out the way I want. Thomas did a great job carving the bird with precision while causally carrying on a conversation with us  about the restaurant, the chef, ingredients and our dogs. 

Chicken, Purple Potatoes, Carrot, Garnet Yam, Parsnip, Jus

All the while, he was able to put together a gorgeous dish; the freshly cut chicken sat above a mixture of purple potatoes, carrots, yams and parsnip. The jus was poured on, providing a rich, savory sauce for the perfectly cooked juicy bird. One of the best chicken courses I've ever had. At this point, we were getting a little full, root vegetables can do that to you quick.

Fillet Mignon, Morels, Potato Puree, Carrots, Endive Sous-Vide

Our final protein course was the special of the evening, not on the menu, a generous fillet mignon cut topped with morel mushrooms cooked in a creamy buttery sauce with a puree of potatoes, carrots and endive. The endive carried an interesting flavor, prepared sous-vide with salt and pepper, then quickly seared before plating. It was clear that careful thought had been added to the details of the balance of the dish. The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, and carried a strong buttery flavor in each bite. Another winning entrée. 

Yuzu and Apple Sorbet, Grapefruit, Florentine cookie

We struggled through finishing our chicken and steak, but were delighted to receive our pallet cleaner, a large scoop of yuzu and apple sorbet with the best Florentine cookie ever. A perfect fruity, light, creative sorbet to wash down our meal.

Passion fruit ice cream, Chocolate ganache, shortbread, passion fruit reduction

At this point, we were destroyed. There was no way we could eat any more. Except, the next dessert topped the previous one, offering an odd pairing of passion fruit and chocolate. This dessert has single handedly made me look forward to all passion fruit-chocolate combos in the future because it was phenomenal. The ice cream started off fruity and ended rich and creamy. I'm a big chocolate ganache fan, so no complaints having it with the great ice cream. The chocolate shortbread was different, a little too hard, making it difficult to break, but did offer a nice textural contrast to the rest of the dish. The tart reduction balanced out the dessert overall and the Florentine cookie was again awesome. A perfect ending to a very well executed meal.

We really enjoyed our meal filled with good ingredients, great execution and a friendly staff. Plus, when whether permits, they are really dog friendly and welcome four legged friends on their large patio making it Shaddy Approved. We know the first place we'll hit next time we're in Healdsburg and can't wait for our next great meal there.

Rating 8/10

February 20, 2011