farm to table

Single Thread Restaurant (update), Healdsburg, CA., 5/7/25

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exterior – 131 North St, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Single Thread was first visited in Dec. 2018 when it had just been elevated to a 3 Michelin star rating.   The physical room has aged well and the service is still first-rate.  This trip we ‘shot the wad’ and stayed in one of their upstairs guest rooms.  There are 5 of them, all nice-sized, very modern and a good bit of food comes with your room in the form of snacks and breakfast, which was on par with dinner.  Chef Kyle Connaughton and wife/Head Farmer Katina bought the property and a 5-acre farm in 2014, opened the restaurant in 2016 and the farm now provides much of the produce served in the 10-course tasting menu.  The farm-to-table menu has major Asian influences to it and a seasonal theme – this one was about ‘Mid-Spring in Sonoma.’  Pairings are available as is an extensive wine list.   Nicely no supplements were offered for sale for the menu.  Everything was good but nothing crossed into the spectacular zone for me, which at this price it should.  It’s a restaurant that rates highly on many lists and one you should visit if you’re in to farm-to-table but bring your platinum card and plan to spend around 3 hours. Continue reading →

The Root Cafe, Little Rock, AR., 12/12/24

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building – 1500 Main St, Little Rock, AR 72202

The Root Cafe sources as much as possible from small farms and producers in Arkansas.  They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner at different times during the day Tues – Sun.  Opened in June 2011 in the SoMa district of downtown Little Rock by Jack and Corri Sundell, it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  A second location in Breckenridge Village opened in 2022.  The Sundell’s philosophy is to create a more sustainable food system for Arkansas and have even used that principle in the design of the building, landscape and public events they sponsor.  It’s a small interior but lots of patios are enclosed in plastic to provide climate control.  A large mural of vegetables is on the wall of the building next to the parking lot.  Inside the decorations are funky and historic with lots of photos to look at.  There is a counter at the entrance where you place your order and a self-serve beverage area in front of it.  After you order and pay you receive a token to place on your table and they bring out your food.  Each token seemed to describe one of the farms they trade with.  The food was well thought out and I like their philosophy but nothing we had sang with flavor. Continue reading →

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan, Sacramento, 10/31/24

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Building – 1215 19th St, Sacramento, CA 95811

Mulvaney’s Building & Loan gets its name from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life where George Bailey learns that his business  actually holds the community together.  Owners Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney wanted to honor the community that has been good to them and so chose that name.  They serve New American cuisine in a farm-to-table restaurant whose menu changes with the seasons and local availability.  The restaurant is in 1893 firehouse with the original brick walls and open ceilings and exposed ductwork.  It’s a medium sized room but next door is a larger room, that can be rented and a patio joins the two.  White cloths are on the tables, music is in the background, art is on the walls and there are lots of windows(the old firehouse doors being repurposed as such).  Staff was super friendly but a bit slow.  However, the food was interesting and worth waiting for.  Hope you’ll give it a try. Continue reading →

Nourish, Sequim, WA., 7/12/24

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building – 101 Provence View Lane, Sequim, WA 98382

Nourish is a farm-to-table place open for dinner Thurs – Sun. They operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen with house made dishes using local ingredients.  They offer both indoor and outdoor dining with parking on both sides of the building.  The menu changes weekly and is a 3-course fixed price with several choices for each course.  The wine list was better than most and they also offer cocktails and beer.  The indoor space had carpet on the floor with metal and unstained wood for the walls with lots of windows.  The metal tables were unclothed, the ceiling was open and there was a large amount of space overall.  The food was really good with clean straightfoward flavors.  I love the idea that the menu changes that frequently, it would make me go often if I lived nearby.  Service was super friendly, efficient and helpful.  Hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think. Continue reading →

Grove Restaurant, Grand Rapids, 9/29/23

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exterior – 919 Cherry St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Grove was a medium-sized place that offered a number of dining options.  A Tasting for 2 ($125) included bread, 5 courses of your choosing and dessert and is available on Fri. and Sat,  A Taste of Grove ($50) was 3 courses and available Tues thru Thursday, and the Grove Experience ($300) serves the table the entire menu.   The prices are per table on the first and last option and per person on the middle.  The portions are not scaled, though, so the last option is better if you have 4 or more people.  We chose the 5 course but were hard pressed to pick the courses, every server had a different opionion.  It was a comfortable, modern  looking place with larger natural wood tables nicely spaced on wood and tile flooring with a lowered ceiling and lighting.  Music was in the background but the designer had made a successful effort to keep the noise level amenable to conversations.  A full bar with counter seating took up a portion of the room and there were lots of plants on the walls and placed around.  It opened around Feb. 2022 after the Covid shutdown as a new concept with a rennovated interior.  Service was friendly and helpful, especially in directing the meal plan.  He brought each dish separately so we could enjoy it rather than filling the table with too much at once. It is recommended if you find yourself in GrandRapids. Continue reading →

Cafe Mamo, Grand Rapids, 9/28/23

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exterior – 1601 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 

Cafe Mamo is a small place where the menu changes every week based on what they get from local farmers.  The couple that opened it in July 2021 are Chef Michael Goessman and Sommelier Summer Knoop.  On a corner lot, the building looks like a drive-through cleaners from the outside but inside is new and cozy.  Inside are seats for about 32 people at natural wood tables and chairs with a few seats at the kitchen counter and they added the patio that can house 16 more guests outside.  They named the cafe for Goessman’s garden-loving grandmother.   Windows look out to the street and patio while music plays indoors.  There was a full bar, nice wine selection and the Chef was in the house and managed to speak with all the guests at one time or another.  Service was helpful and enthusiastic which made for a delightful experience.  If you find yourself in this part of Michigan I would encourage you to try and have a meal here – the food is good and innovative and the menu changes regularly.

Set-Up

interior
interior
interior
Frankie checked out the patio
menu
wine storage / display
wine front
wine back

 

Food

We ordered Rolls and butter to go with the Tomato Pumpkin Soup.  The rolls, two to an order, are a regular on the menu and served with good butter.  They are soft and doughy and presented with softened butter.  If you’re looking for crusty bread these won’t fill the bill but if you want a yeasty dough fix this is it.  The soup was thick and needed a touch of salt to clarify the flavor.  The pumpkin worked fairly well with the tomato but it needed a bit more seasoning to give it zest and depth.  It would rate okay.

Tomato pumpkin soup and rolls
inside rolls
closer soup

 

Spaghetti was dressed with midnight roma pomodoro and pecorino.  It was a flat cut spaghetti that was cooked nicely al dente in a good sauce.  Some browned breadcrumbs added a nice crunch and the sauce adhered well to the pasta.   A tasty pecorino cheese added flavor.  My objection to the plate was a price of $25 for what felt like a appetizer portion of food.  If I had ordered this as my entree I would have left hungry but as an appetizer it was good and tasty but seemed overpriced.

spaghetti
closer

 

Half Chicken was served with garlic and baguette.  This plate was said to be a regular on their menu and it truly is a star.  It reminded me a lot of the Zuni Cafe’s chicken in San Francisco.    The skin was perfectly crisped and underneath the chicken was the baguette that had been soaked in the chicken juices.  It also absorbed some of the wonderful thicked jus that was plated with the chicken.  This was a plate of food to swoon over.  It had terrific flavors and textures and made you want to lick up every bit of it.

Half chicken
turned

 

Porchetta Rosmarino came with a hearty salad and lemon, according to the menu.  It was thin slices of pork belly that were well seasoned with rosemary.  It was full of flavor and very tender with a tiny crispy layer on the edge.  The “hearty” salad was a mix of incredibly fresh greens that were dressed with oil.  The lemon on the side was great with them.  The plate was one with lots of flavors for the eater to savor.

Porchetta
closer

 

Dessert was brown sugar Ice Cream with chocolate chunks topped with olive oil.  It came in 3 small scoops.  It was not a heavy creamy ice cream but still easy to eat and well flavored.  The olive oil topping was new to me and turned out to be a nice one.

brown sugar ice cream
closer
Frankie posed with some wine

Orchard Kitchen, Langley, WA., 8/17/23

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seating area – 5574 Bayview Rd, Langley, WA 98260

The Orchard Kitchen was the most farm-to-table place I’ve eaten.  The summer dining tasting menu was served behind a barn, housing the kitchen, in between the planted fields that have served as farms since 1914.  Chef Vincent Nattress and his wife Tyla own Ebb Tide produce, the farm that surrounded us and produces much of what is served there.  They offer one seating at communal tables Thursday through Saturday with an ever-changing menu, depending on what is fresh and available.  In the winter they move indoors and also offer cooking classes.  Chef Vincent is from Whidbey Island and he and his wife returned there buying this 5-acre farm after operating another restaurant elsewhere and wanting to get back more to basics.   Chef starts off the evening with an explanation of what’s to come and acknowledges that the menu is just as new to him as the diners.  They offer wine pairings to go with the menu but also have wines by the bottle and glass but no liquor.   As the evening went on and people relaxed our table came alive with conversation and bonding over fun food.  It helps that they have great weather that can support outdoor dining but regardless it was a wonderful experience filled with fine food and new friends. Go if you can, it’s magical. Continue reading →

Trattoria Stella, Traverse City, 9/30/21

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building

Trattoria Stella opened in 2004 in the basement of a refurbished and re-purposed mental hospital.  An upscale restaurant, it offers a farm to table concept with Italian overtones through a changing menu supplemented with daily specials offered.  The kitchen makes pasta, bread and cheese and a full bar is available.  The large place has lots of brick arches and cozy spots with lowered lighting throughout.  The white cloth covered tables are nicely sized and set with black napkins with music in the background.  They have a large wine list with lots of local wines.  We ordered some of their nightly specials for our meal. Continue reading →

Farm Club, Traverse City, 9/30/21

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front

Farm Club is a collaboration of several people to offer a restaurant, bakery, brewery and general store in one place on the Leelanau Peninsula.  The sales area and restaurant are in a modern barn with tons of windows that look out at the additional outside seating areas.  The brewery is on one end of the building and we didn’t go there but you can order their beer with lunch.  At the entrance are shelves of products and produce you can buy as well as breads, cookies, etc.  Light wood is on the tables, cabinets and bench seats, concrete is on the floor and music is in the background.  There is lots of outdoor seating and some tables have umbrellas.  Inside there is table service but for outside you make you order and come get it when your buzzer goes off. Staff were efficient and helpful, but the food was souless – good but not great.  Given its freshness things should have been more flavorful and some of the preparation was lacking. Continue reading →

Willows Inn on Lummi Island, Washington, 8/25/17

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Willows Inn
Willows Inn

The Willows Inn is several hours of driving north of Seattle and a short ferry ride to the small Lummi Island.  The setting is lovely, overlooking the water and surrounded by greenery.  The Inn has a few rooms available for rent on the property as well as some places on the island but not on the property.  Plenty of parking is by the buildings or across the street near the entrance to their private beach front.  There is a nice porch on two sides of the main building, all with great views, a nice living room like room and a good sized dining room with individual tables.  After checking in, where there are a number of house made snacks to try, you are invited to enjoy the bar until dinner is served promptly at 6:00.   Dinner is an extended tasting menu that started on the shaded porch and then you are escorted into your table in the dining room.  Wine pairings are offered and it looked like generous pours however we chose to order our own wines off the almost all locally sourced wine list.   Continue reading →