Valette Healdsburg is one of those fine dining experiences you don’t get to enjoy every day, yet it has a very familiar, neighborhood feel to it with excellent food and a highly trained staff. What I mean is this is one of the top fine dining experiences in Healdsburg, the other being Dry Creek Kitchen where Chef Dustin Valette worked prior to starting his own restaurant and the other is the recently opened Single Thread (read more about Single Thread Restaurant here). What I appreciated most about Valette was the amazing level of detail both in the service, the atmosphere and most importantly the food. This is truly a local gem with the cozy, local feel to it yet with exquisite high caliber food, service and overall incredible experience. 344 Center St, Healdsburg, CA 95448.

The cool open kitchen faces out towards the dining room so guests can see the chef’s cooking throughout their meal and really feel a part of the experience.

Chef & Owner Dustin Valette. Chef Dustin is extremely friendly, talented and nice. We first met at the Chef Charlie Palmer Project Zin Charity Event held at Dry Creek Kitchen which you can read more about here.  Chef Dustin served an incredible dish that evening and we briefly chatted before I learned he had one of the most acclaimed restaurants in town.

After a day in Wine Country sometimes a refreshing cocktail is the best way to prepare for a delicious dinner including Food & Wine pairings. The cocktails here are on par with those at Duke’s which is saying a lot since they are the newest cocktail destination in town. I am quite a tough judge when it comes to cocktails and the Valette one I had was divine!

A little cheese & charcuterie plate we enjoyed before we started the 5-course tasting menu which is $75 per person (excluding tax). Add on a wine-tasting menu for an additional $45 per person (excluding tax). We did the food & wine pairing which is what I recommend.

The delicious Pumpkin Soup with creme fraiche we started with. So rich, creamy and comforting. I had heard from my friend Sarah (a local and regular here) that their soups were to die for and she was spot on!

The three entrees. We each had a different one as the entire menu is basically a surprise and each guest experiences something different. Talk about special and curated.

The Black Cod paired with Benovia Chardonnay which was delicious!

A huge thanks to Valette for hosting me to experience your amazing restaurant. It truly was a night to be remembered both for the delicious food, perfect wine pairings, gorgeous setting, and exquisite experience. Thanks again for having me!

I recently had the pleasure of doing a cooking demo with Chef Dustin where he created his favorite Mac’n Cheese Recipe. See that video below and get the recipe on the blog here!