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HH BLOG
by SBK | January 6, 2011
Okay, perhaps the title tilts towards hyperbole, BUT… the Master Chef and man behind our Pigs & Pinot event is certainly doing his part. Thanks to a generous $10,000 donation from last year’s 5th annual event, our Healdsburg Junior High School now has five complete media set-ups that include a computer, projector and a “document camera.” The latter of which is essentially a state-of the-art overhead projector, allowing teachers to easily project real-time digital images of lesson plans, book passages, as well as 3D objects. This is the second straight year Pigs & Pinot has donated to the Healdsburg Education Fund. The prior one helped modernize the Junior High library with laptops and wireless Internet.
Here’s what our very own Circe Sher (Marketing and PR Director for HH and h2) had to say about it. “We like to identify one need and try fulfilling it. And after speaking with some of the educators, we discovered that they didn’t always have access to the right equipment to execute their lesson plans. It was slowing them down. Now, rather than worry about trading equipment, they can focus on teaching their class.”
For those of you unfamiliar with Pigs & Pinot, here’s a recap of the 2010 edition. And here’s the event website. Or, for the hyperlink wary, here are the nuts and bolts of it: Charlie Palmer wanted to host an event that would draw people to Healdsburg in the off-season. Not just any event. But the premier event for people who eat pigs, drink pinot, and love life in general. In other words, he wanted to throw an event for just about everyone. Furthermore, he wanted to make it a charity event. Ticket sales and sponsorship cover the cost of the event and all remaining proceeds are donated to the beneficiary, which has recently been HEF.
Pigs & Pinot Strikes Again: March 18-19, 2011.
The event sells out every year. So don’t miss the action. Tickets go on sale SOON. So click here for up to date details on how to get yours.
by Hotel Healdsburg | September 8, 2010
 Food critics often credit Charlie Palmer with putting Healdsburg on the map. It was always on “the map,” of course. If not for its claim to fame as “The Buckle of the Prune Belt” back in the early 1900’s, then for its world class wines in more recent times. But since opening Dry Creek Kitchen in 2001, the powerhouse chef has helped transform Healdsburg into a global dining destination. A culinary Mecca, if you will. And were you to eat dinner at DCK, you’d see why.
While the food speaks for itself, it’s nice to get to know a little bit about the man behind the menu. Which is why we’d like to link to a recent story in Savor Wine Country Magazine about the celebrity chef. Writer Diane Peterson spent some time with Charlie and Lisa Palmer at their 30-acre estate in Dry Creek Valley, and wrote an interesting piece about their life in Sonoma County. Here’s a link to that story. But our favorite part of the piece are the recipes. Presumably a few of Charlie’s favorite dishes. We thought we’d share one of them with you.
Brick Oven Roasted Ratatouille
Serves 6
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, medium dice
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, 3/4-inch dice, blanched
- 2 medium yellow zucchini, 3/4-inch dice
- 2 medium green zucchini, 3/4-inch dice
- 1 medium eggplant, 3/4-inch dice
- 1 cup tomato puree (fresh tomatoes or canned San Marzano)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat pizza oven (or conventional oven to 500 degrees).
Heat canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened. Add the diced butternut squash, zucchini and eggplant to the pan in 2-3 batches and cook each batch for 10 minutes, stirring often (add additional oil to the pan if necessary to lightly coat the vegetables). Add the tomato puree, rosemary and parsley to the pan to heat through, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer mixture to a large ovenproof casserole and mix thoroughly. Top with grated Parmesan. Place casserole in pizza oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.
**
Follow THIS LINK to learn how to make his Fire Roasted Shrimp with Walnut Pesto or his Citrus Spiced Roasted Pork Loin with Market Fresh Wild Onions and Carrots. Or if you’d rather kick back, relax, and still enjoy the exceptional Charlie Palmer food that helped put Healdsburg on the map, stop by DCK for an extraordinary experience.
For reservations, call 707-922-5399.
by SBK | July 3, 2010
Several weeks back, in a post titled SF Chronicle is Hot for Healdsburg, we learned that our little town was making quite a splash outside of our little town. Namely, in the Bay Area media. Well, we’re (more than) happy to report that news has spread to our Southern half of the state as well. And this weekend’s LA Times Travel section is all about Healdsburg.
There’s the story about how the food revolution has transformed Healdsburg from a sleepy Sonoma County village to a food-and-wine haven. These days, writes Janis Cooke Newman, Healdsburg is “where the Slow Food Movement meets the Wine Spectator, and the only downside is that there aren’t enough meals in a weekend to try everything.” Though she admits, it’s not for lack of trying. Lucky for us, she’s rather smitten with Dry Creek Kitchen. In her great roundup of the some of the best places to eat, she writes:
“The actual definition of heaven just might be spending a warm Sonoma afternoon or evening on the arbor-shaded patio of the Dry Creek Kitchen, where you nibble on the house-made charcuterie (with three kinds of mustard) or the salmon carpaccio decorated with tiny edible flowers. If that’s not enough to propel you into paradise, you’ll find 650 local wines on Dry Creek’s wine list. As with Barndiva, the focus here is on local ingredients. On Saturdays, you’re likely to spot chef Dustin Valette at the Healdsburg Farmers Market, planning that night’s menu, but at DCK, those local ingredients receive a dose of sophistication. Think American Kobe flat-iron steak served with a sunchoke mousseline.”
And in another feature about Healdsburg’s “green fever,” writer Bonnie Wach kicks off the story with a rather humorous anecdote about her Beyond Organics biodynamic treatment at our Spa.
“I’m lying naked facedown on a table while a masseuse anoints my feet with a balm of freshly crushed organic Meyer lemon, sage and olive oil. Part of me finds the sensation ‘rejuvenating’ and ‘invigorating,’ as the spa description promised. The other part is fighting the urge to roll over and give myself a good licking. It’s a good thing I didn’t go for the body wrap of local organic honey and Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc.”
She continues, “Welcome to Healdsburg, once an agricultural backwater known as the buckle on the Prune Belt but now the fashionable heart of tree-hugging Sonoma wine country, where the gospel of green (the Earth-friendly and the Abe Lincoln variety) is preached everywhere.”
That’s funny stuff.
In addition to the great coverage on The Spa, the story goes on to spotlight our new sister spot, h2hotel, and the seasonal food and drink menu at Spoonbar. Among other green things in town. (More on this article is forthcoming on the h2blog).
Read it for yourself. And then do the right thing. Book your trip to Healdsburg before toooo many folks find out about it.
by SBK | June 17, 2010
For those of you lucky enough to be in town the past couple weeks, this year’s Jazz Fest was another sparkling success. This little hamlet that we call Healdsburg was center stage for some of the biggest stars in jazz. Our “Jazz and Wine Dinner” at DCK even made some sort of gossip section of the Chronicle. Though not because of the young local prodigy playing guitar (Kai Devitt-Lee), but because of a famous actor/writer who was dining with us. This past weekend, “Festival Jazz in the Lobby” returned to our fireside lounge. Friday night, the packed lobby buzzed with the intoxicating grooves of the Lorca Hart Trio w/ Craig Handy. And the following evening, the Craig Handy Quartet drew an equally enthusiastic crowd. And the energy picked up even more when he was joined by his “Special Guests.” Who were these special guests, you ask? Only Ravi Coltrane and Jason Moran. Yup. They sat in with tenor saxophonist for a truly unforgettable performance.
If you feel like you missed out on those must see events, don’t you worry! This year’s Jazz Festival might be over, but our “Jazz in the Lobby” series happens every weekend, all year long. In fact, tomorrow night (6/18), we welcome Dick Conte and Steve Webber on the piano and acoustic bass. And on Saturday (6/19), the Ken Cook Trio will be in the house with Jason Carr and Neils Myrner. The following Friday (6/25), look out for Susan Sutton and Bill Fouty on the piano and acoustic bass. And on Saturday (6/26), we welcome the Chuck Metcalf Trio with David Udolf and Alan U’ren. Lots of great music to come. And this is to say nothing of July… or August… or, you get the picture.
Jazz in the Lobby: Every Friday and Saturday (7:30pm-11pm)
by SBK | June 9, 2010
Can you taste the difference between a Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley and say, neighboring Russian River Valley? Or Alexander Valley, for that matter? If not, no worries. While some folks are perfectly happy believing a Zin is a Zin is a Zin, others come to Healdsburg in hot pursuit of a deeper understanding of the grape’s complexities. And for these people, we’re excited to offer a new wine series at our Dry Creek Kitchen that’s at once fun and educational. It’s the…
Sonoma County Wine Pioneers Series.
Here’s the scoop: each segment in the Series consists of an interactive seminar and wine tasting with legendary Sonoma County winemakers – as well as up and coming stars. Held monthly (thru November), these Saturday afternoon seminars are designed to be approachable and unpretentious to the novice wine lover, but also engaging to the connoisseur. We kick things off this weekend, June 12th, with “3 Valleys of Zinfandel,” a celebration of Northern California’s flagship grape. And to help answer the question at the top of this post, we’ve invited Shelly Fehlman of A. Rafanelli, Eric Sussman of Radio Coteau, and Joe Healy of Bella Vineyards. These savvy wine pros will illuminate the subtle nuances between Zinfandels from Sonoma’s signature appellations, and they’ll be happy to answer any of your questions. The key is in creating a fun, interactive environment for all.
The seminar is followed by a deluxe tasting of delicious Zinfandels, plus a 3-course prix fixe dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen. Seminar wines may also be purchased at retail price and enjoyed at dinner with no additional corkage fee. Here’s a complete list of upcoming seminars. (Next up… “Sonoma County Sparklers.”)
Cost: $65 per person (not including tax and gratuity)
Seating is limited to ensure an intimate experience, so call now to make YOUR reservation: 707.431.0330.
by SBK | May 27, 2010
When you think of Healdsburg, a few words surely bubble straight to the surface. In fact, bubbles might just be one of them. Wine and fine dining, of course, being the more obvious ones. Jazz, however, has quickly inserted itself into the conversation. Thanks, in part, to the Healdsburg Jazz Festival, our town has become a cultural hotspot for the influential American art form. Now in its 12th year, the annual music fest once again draws some of the biggest and brightest stars in jazz. Think bassist Charlie Haden, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, pianist Geri Allen, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, and of course, the ever-enchanting Esperanza Spalding. So successful has this local event been that David Rubien of the S.F. Chronicle claims that it’s “probably the best small jazz festival in the country, if not the world.”
We tend to agree.
And we’re excited to participate yet again. This year, the Hotel Healdsburg will be hosting three must-see events.
On Monday, June 7th, come to the Dry Creek Kitchen for our “Jazz and Wine Dinner” with the Kai Devitt-Lee Trio. Even though he’s only 16, guitarist Kai Devitt-Lee is already a local fixture who has soaked up experience sitting in with various groups around town. With his fleet fingers and mature approach to improvising, the Healdsburg native is at the start of a promising career. This year he was chosen out of the entire state to be the guitarist with the Californian 2010 All State Honors High School Jazz Band. Don’t miss Kai in his Festival debut. No cover, but reservations are highly recommended. (7-10pm, 707 431-0330)
And the following weekend, don’t miss “Festival Jazz in the Lobby.” All year long on weekend nights we host jazz in duo or trio combinations — sometimes larger — for relaxed yet intriguing musical evenings in our Hotel Lobby. But during the Festival, these “Jazz in the Lobby” nights are all the more special. On Friday, June 11th (9-12pm), enjoy your favorite cocktail or glass of wine while the Lorca Hart Trio w/ Craig Handy fills our fireside lounge with their all-star sounds. Lorca Hart is a brilliant drummer who has worked with some of Southern California’s finest musicians. And on Saturday, June 12th (9-12pm), we’re thrilled to welcome Craig Handy Quartet with Special Guests. As anyone who has ever heard Craig Handy perform knows, the tenor sax player is a wonder to behold. And since it’s not uncommon for some of the other Festival superstars to drop by to play informal sets with the scheduled band, we’re rather curious as to who his “special guests” will be. Stop by to find out for yourself.
Oh, and in case you missed it, here’s a recent story in the Press Democrat about the local jazz scene, and our weekly “Jazz in the Lobby.”
And be sure to check out the Healdsburg Jazz Festival website for complete info about the events and lineups.
We’ll see you here!
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