Just a little north of San Francisco, Valette Restaurant in Healdsburg, CA has quickly become one of the hottest tickets in town and in the San Francisco bay area and for tourists… and for good reason.
The food, the service and the atmosphere are all of the highest caliber.
I have been a fan of Chef Dustin Valette long before he opened this fabulous restaurant and use to enjoy his food often at other locations.
Valette Restaurant, was opened in 2015 and born from the minds of Mr. Valette and Aaron Garzini and their shared lifelong dream of creating a unique dining experience in their hometown of Healdsburg. Mission accomplished.
The meals provide a canvas for local farmers, winemakers and artisans to showcase their crafts in an intimate and fine dining experience that takes hospitality to a new level. High quality, yet honest food paired with warm and impeccable service is what you will find here. What you will also find is a fine collection of boutique, small production wines to pair with your food.
Yes, please.
For our recent visit, we choose the Chef’s tasting menu option.
What does this include you may ask?
Everything one needs for a fabulous experience is my answer.
For the tasting, you get multiple courses but the chef decides what goes on your plate. Tasting menus that are chef inspired seem to be exploding in popularity. Personally, one of the reasons that I enjoy this type of meal the most, is that as a guest I can sit back, relax and know I will have a fantastic time without worrying that I choose the wrong dish. I can enjoy my fellow dining companions and what’s in my wine glass.
Another benefit to the Chef choosing the courses for the diners at the table, is that at Valette, each guest is served a different dish with each course allowing everyone to try a bite of the other dishes and get a better feel for the kitchen style and skills. Try a little bit of everything and enjoy the artistic presentation of each plate together.
There is a wide range of choices presented in the menu to appease all taste buds coming through the door. Each course was presented with well orchestrated choreography and flawless execution.
The hospitality staff here are on point. Our server, who I have enjoyed having as our host upon several past visits, is one of my favorite people on the payroll and has been around since the opening of the restaurant in 2015. The entire team works like a well oiled machine.
It was a multi-course experience to die for. I will be back again with another wine loving group soon to introduce the experience to others. I would highly recommend it to visitors!
Dustin Valette, owner/chef of Valette in Healdsburg
With a combined forty-seven years of restaurant experience between the two brothers, Dustin and Aaron know how to provide a memorable experience for all guests. This is a favorite for both locals and tourists so reservations are recommended beforehand.
There is bar seating however if you want to chance it and stop in and there is no table currently available. With a full bar and a great seat to watch the chef in the open style kitchen, the bar can be a great place to be. I know I will be back again, although I have yet to sit at the bar for dinner or drinks. I did enjoy the two fabulous cocktails that seen here with my meal and kudos to the bartender as well.
Thanks for hospitality Dustin and Aaron and team… Bravo.
See you again soon.
SOME FAVORITES ~ WHAT WE ATE:
Crispy Skin Wild Bass
ItsNotA ‘Snickers Bar’VALETTE RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN HEALDSBURG
From the website: “The dream of Valette began nearly two decades ago between two brothers.
While enjoying a glass of wine on their father’s porch overlooking the beautiful Alexander Valley vineyards of Sonoma County, Dustin Valette and Aaron Garzini envisioned opening a restaurant together which would provide a canvas for Sonoma County farmers, winemakers and artisans to showcase their craft. The restaurant would be located in Healdsburg, the heart of Sonoma County – and the location where their great-grandfather operated bakeries.
They would serve high quality, yet honest food; offer warm and impeccable service; and house a collection of boutique, small production wines. At the time, Aaron was establishing himself as a dynamic server and sommelier in Sonoma County and Dustin was in New York learning the culinary craft that would be his lifelong passion. They never lost sight of their dream.
In 2015, Valette Restaurant opened its doors to the public, showcasing the brothers’ combined forty-seven years of restaurant experience and a deep dedication to Sonoma Country and its food and wine community.
The wines that we make in California and the wines that inspire us to make wine.”
“Our wine list represents the quality and diversity of California – with a special emphasis on Sonoma County – as well as wines from around the world that inspire us, pair with our food and are simply delicious! The wine list is designed with the ingredients and flavors of the menu in mind. This is a dynamic, evolving wine program built by our winemaking community.”
344 CENTER ST
HEALDSBURG, CA
phone contact: 707-473-0946
