Editor’s note: This article was originally published in April 2025. It has been updated with new information. 

It’s hard to miss when driving north on Highway 101 just past downtown Healdsburg. After years of planning and design, the 32-acre, mixed-use development known as North Village is beginning to look less like a construction site and more like a community.

One of the most talked about pieces of the project — celebrity chef Charlie Palmer’s food and wine-focused Appellation Healdsburg hotel — is eyeing a late September opening. 

The Appellation hotel brand is a collaboration between Palmer and Sonoma County resident Christopher Hunsberger, a hospitality veteran formerly with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. In addition to 108 rooms and suites, the hotel will feature a restaurant, rooftop bar, spa and fitness center.

“It’s really coming to life,” said Hunsberger.

Appellation’s food and wine focus will be apparent from the moment guests step into its take on a hotel lobby.

Instead of the classic front desk serving as the focal point, it’s the restaurant, kitchen and circular fireplace that will make the first impression on visitors (the reception desk is set off to the side of the entrance).

The lobby layout also includes dedicated space for the brand’s Crafted at Appellation classes. Workshops at locations throughout Sonoma County have covered everything from planting terrariums to blending freshly roasted coffee beans.

“It will be very different than any other hotel reception experience, at least that I know exists today,” said Palmer.

Rooms and suites are spread throughout a dozen or so buildings. In addition to a spa with eight treatment rooms, there are two pools (one for adults only) and a fitness center with training equipment and class offerings. No details have been released, but a local membership option is said to be in the works.

Many residents at neighboring Enso Village — described as a Zen-inspired senior living community — appear to have already settled in. Above approximately 12,000 square feet of retail space, the framework for 53 affordable apartments is coming together. There will also be 27 middle-income qualified townhomes as part of the North Village project.

Appellation Healdsburg is still taking shape, but the number of final stretch touches are growing with each day. Mature olive trees are being planted and tile is being set. It won’t be long before an assorted four dozen fruit trees and 24 raised culinary beds are integrated into the landscape.

It’s been more than two decades since Palmer opened Dry Creek Kitchen at Hotel Healdsburg. Every Thursday night, locals are invited to take advantage of the restaurant’s three-course Sonoma Neighbor Menu for $55.

Palmer said he looks forward to welcoming locals to Appellation Healdsburg as well.

“Yes, it’s a hotel and yes, there’s going to be people coming here hopefully from all over the place, but first and foremost, it’s about welcoming locals into another great piece of Healdsburg,” said Palmer. “I want that bar to be full of locals. I want the restaurant and spa to be full of locals.”

Rates at Appellation Healdsburg are expected to start at just above $500 a night, plus a daily resort fee of $45. 165 Foss Creek Circle, Healdsburg, appellationhotels.com

Local hotels show off renovations, new menus and wellness options

Just in time for spring, several Sonoma County hotels are giving people more reasons to plan a trip or Wine Country staycation.

Vintners Resort just debuted a new resort pool flanked with daybeds, cabanas and fire pits. Day passes are available for locals looking to lounge poolside, but not stay at the property. The next phase of renovations at the Santa Rosa property includes refreshed rooms and a lobby facelift. 4350 Barnes Road, Santa Rosa, 707-575-7350, vintnersresort.com

The Restaurant at Farmhouse Inn is now serving breakfast and lunch. Dinner service now includes a la carte offerings in addition to the three-course, prix fixe Taste of Farmhouse menu. 7871 River Road, Forestville, 707-887-3300, farmhouseinn.com/restaurant

Calling all spa lovers! Thanks to a new partnership with UK-based celebrity skin designer Fatma Shaheen of Skin Design London and Montage Hotels & Resort, a pair of new facials just launched at the spa at Montage Healdsburg. The new treatments include the SDL Vitamin Skin Glow Facial ($495) and SDL Face Tight Facial ($975). 100 Montage Way, Healdsburg, 707-979-9000, montage.com/healdsburg

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Travel and lifestyle guide USA Today 10Best recently released a roundup of the “10 best small towns in the West.” From the mountain ranges of Utah to the Oregon coast, one Sonoma County locale shined as a must-visit for small-town luxe: Healdsburg.

The list, curated by a panel of editors and voted on by readers, highlights charming, scenic western towns with diverse offerings for locals and visitors. Clinching the No. 3 spot, Healdsburg ranked on the 10Best list for its “award-winning wineries, farm-to-table dining and a walkable town square.”

It’s not the first time (nor will it be the last) that the north county town of just over 11,000 people was lauded by national publications. Condé Nast Traveler ranked Healdsburg among the best cities in the United States (for the second time) in October 2024. A year prior, Travel + Leisure magazine called it “the jewel of California Wine Country.”

From foodies and wine lovers to outdoor enthusiasts, people can find plenty to do in the delightful town of Healdsburg. Here’s where to start:

Dining

Healdsburg’s dining scene might be one of the biggest draws of this Sonoma County town. The three-Michelin-starred SingleThread restaurant consistently ranks among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. And SingleThread alums Melissa Yanc and Sean McGaughey started their own wildly successful bakery, Quail & Condor, which The New York Times named among the best in the country.

Aside from the highly publicized eateries, other Healdsburg restaurants are worth their share of praise. For breakfast, it’s hard to go wrong with the new Acorn Cafe, which boasts an inspired tiramisu French toast, a Seussian green eggs and ham, and the fattest pancakes ever. Lunchtime is a breeze — head to Iggy’s Organic Burger for a solid burger (and side of Angela’s Organic ice cream), or The Parish Cafe for Louisiana-inspired po’boys on Costeaux French bread.

For dinner, bring a partner to the hidden gem Guiso Latin Fusion for Salvadoran pupusas and Caribbean paella. In search of great cocktails to enjoy with dinner and friends? Chef Dustin Valette’s epic three-story restaurant and cocktail bar, The Matheson and Roof 106, has you covered with an ever-changing menu and a rooftop cocktail lounge.

Wine

Healdsburg is awash with tasting rooms pouring Wine Country’s finest, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend an arm and a leg to get a taste of the good life. The unassuming Arnot-Roberts tasting room, hidden in an industrial setting off Healdsburg Avenue, pours uncommon wine varieties (like Trousseau and Falanghina) at a shaded, rustic tasting bar. Tastings are $45 per person.

For last-minute weekends plans, J Vineyards & Winery offers its Signature Tasting flight ($35 per person) daily, no reservations necessary (except for groups of six or more). This summer, the winery will host its Bubbles & Beignets event (July 6), serving up fresh beignets paired with estate wines — a great primer for Bastille Day (July 14).

Recreation

With premium access to the Russian River, Healdsburg’s Veterans Memorial Beach gets tons of action as the weather heats up. Beachgoers can partake in sunbathing, swimming and paddling — made even more accessible via the nearby Rivers Edge Kayak & Canoe Trips, offering watercraft rentals as well as guided paddle trips.

People can enjoy the area’s classic redwoods at Riverfront Regional Park, which features hiking, biking and horseback riding trails around a scenic lake. It’s also a great place for a large group picnic — grab all the provisions you need at Big John’s Market.

With the town’s vast assortment of eateries, wineries, art galleries and more, there are endless possibilities for a perfect day in Healdsburg.

The post Healdsburg Named Among Best Small Towns in the West by USA Today appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

For those whose primary experience of honey centers on a squeezable plastic bear, a visit to Healdsburg’s new honey tasting room, La Ruche (“the hive” in French), is an eye opener.

There’s wildflower honey from a boreal forest in Northern Canada, pine honey from Greece and creamed honey from Redwoods Monastery in Humboldt County, plus selections from three local specialty producers. Owner Nicole White says what she loves about honey is that it’s so different depending on where it comes from.

“If you’re into food and taste and experimenting, that’s what I think is really fun about this,” she says.

Walk-in guests can enjoy casual tastings — coming soon are seated tastings with cheese, charcuterie and mead. White hopes La Ruche helps others appreciate what a delicacy honey is, and how much there is to learn.

“If you want to geek out about honey,” she says, “there’s plenty to geek out about.”

409A Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg. 707-909-0514, laruchehealdsburg.com

This story was originally published in The Press Democrat. Read the full story here.

The post Healdsburg’s New Honey Tasting Room La Ruche Offers ‘Plenty to Geek Out About’ appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Healdsburg’s Molti Amici, which closed abruptly in November last year amid financial struggles and embezzlement accusations, will reopen this spring with a fresh vision and a new name – Bistro Lagniappe.

Chef Jacob Harth is leading the charge at the new Healdsburg bistro. He first captured local attention last September at a pop-up preview of Winnie’s, a seafood restaurant centered around responsibly sourced West Coast seafood.

While Winnie’s is still in development, Bistro Lagniappe is set to make its debut this spring with a menu focused on wood-fired dishes inspired by both California and French countryside cooking.

“Bistro Lagniappe will showcase California countryside cooking inspired by the rural routiers (roadside restaurants) and bistros of France, informed by the best ingredients from Sonoma County,” Harth said.

Though the menu is still in the works, Harth described his cooking style as “minimalist and straightforward, allowing our exceptional local artisans to shine.”

A new chapter

The Bistro Lagniappe announcement ends months of speculation surrounding the future of the 330 Healdsburg Ave. space, which had been vacant since Molti Amici’s closure. It comes in the wake of the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Molti Amici co-owner Jason Cutrer against the shuttered restaurant’s founder, Jonny Barr. The lawsuit had sought more than $1.5 million in damages.

In a joint statement released April 11, Cutrer and Barr said, “While we will not be working together moving forward, we have worked collaboratively to reach an agreement that enables each of us to focus on our respective paths and future endeavors.”

Harth said Thursday that Cutrer is no longer in the public-facing role he assumed after the closure of Molti Amici, but that Cutrer and other Molti Amici investors will retain ownership stakes in Bistro Lagniappe.

The menu

The Healdsburg Avenue space will give Harth a key tool to use in crafting his cuisine. A large wood-fired oven, which can reach temperatures of 1,200 degrees, is a centerpiece of the expansive patio behind the restaurant.

The oven was built by chef Ari Rosen when Campo Fina occupied the space. (The Italian restaurant closed after 10 years in 2022, with a downtown Healdsburg funeral parade mourning its loss. It was forced to shutter due to skyrocketing rent, according to Rosen.)

“It’s a powerful heat source and has been used in people’s homes for hundreds of years,” Harth said.

Though brick ovens are a favorite of pizza-makers, the Lagniappe menu will feature comfort dishes like cassoulet, gratins, roasted oysters and wood-fired fish – no pizzas.

A chef with national recognition

Before taking over the former Molti Amici location, Harth earned national acclaim for his Portland-based restaurant, Erizo, which was named one of Eater’s “16 Best New Restaurants of 2019.”

Erizo’s menu was built around a sustainable seafood tasting experience, with an emphasis on invasive species such as purple sea urchins, bycatch and seasonal seafood from sustainable fisheries.

Taking sustainability a step further, Harth even obtained a commercial fishing license to harvest rarely used seafood, like sea grapes and gooseneck barnacles.

Bistro Lagniappe will initially be open for dinner, with plans to expand into weekend brunch down the line.

The post High Profile Chef Takes Over Molti Amici Location in Healdsburg appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Navigating the Healdsburg food scene can be perilous for new restaurant owners. Locals have strong feelings about the lack of affordable, family-friendly restaurants in the upscale tourist mecca, while restaurant owners face steep rents and skyrocketing food costs that can easily break them.

The new owners of The Burrow (formerly The Wurst) are trying to straddle the line with their forthcoming restaurant — and after seeing a draft of the menu, things look hopeful.

David Baeli and his wife, Elise (a Healdsburg local), are transforming the longtime burger and sausage palace into a casual café with approachable yet inspired appetizers, salads and sandwiches, a handful of entrées and a weekend brunch menu. The couple also focuses on a strong craft beer selection with “only independent-certified brewers.”

This isn’t their first restaurant rodeo. David Baeli co-owned Hops and Hominy in San Francisco, known for its Southern-style cuisine (now closed). The couple moved north for a more family-centered life and now have a 3-year-old (the chief taste-tester for the kids’ menu). Baeli hopes to open the new restaurant in May. Follow their progress at theburrowhb.com or instagram.com/theburrow_healdsburg.

The Wurst will continue as a catering operation under former owner Melissa McDowell. Stay tuned for more details. 22 Matheson St., Healdsburg.

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

The post New Restaurant Taking Over The Wurst in Healdsburg appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Got plans Friday night? The people behind the TOWN dinner series — short for Traveling Off-Season For Wine Night — are taking their dinner theatrics to new heights and the community is invited.

You don’t need a ticket. Just be in downtown Healdsburg around 9:15 p.m., March 7. Exactly what’s planned is on a need-to-know basis. But anyone who’s been to a TOWN dinner will likely tell you the sky’s the limit for what co-founders Arthur Murray, of Flambeaux Wine, and Alexander Harris (who goes by A3l3xzand3r), of The Harris Gallery Art & Wine Collection, can dream up and turn into reality.

“Always be on the lookout when we’re planning an event,” said Harris. “We like the show to go above and beyond.”

The TOWN dinner series kicked off its 2025 season at Montage Healdsburg’s Hazel Hill in early February, and as promised, the “Banquet of the Gods”-themed affair was the antithesis to a stuffy wine dinner. Murray, Harris and guest winemaker Jesse Katz, owner of Aperture Cellars, donned their finest togas for the evening.

“I probably have done more wine dinners here [Montage Healdsburg] than anyone in this room I can imagine, and I am going to move to togas from here on out. This is a comfortable outfit and I am loving this,” Katz joked before going on to describe Aperture’s Sauvignon Blanc.

Even Pegasus, the mythical winged horse featured in countless Greek legends, dropped by. OK, Pegasus was, in fact, a white horse from Sonoma County wearing a pair of wispy wings, but you get the idea.

When Harris and Murray created TOWN, the goal was to attract out-of-town visitors during the off-season. That’s still a priority, but the unconventional dinner series has earned a dedicated local following and the duo said this Friday’s secret show will allow more of the community in on the spectacle.

Details on the event are very hush-hush, but we’re told it will take place as TOWN’s “Revolutions” dinner at Hotel Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen winds down and guests head outside to prepare to depart. The theme “Revolutions” is said to pay tribute to both the French Revolution and the Bohemian Revolution.

At some point, an arguably wild idea took hold to have an elephant on the guest list.

Why an elephant? It’s an important symbol with historical ties, particularly in Paris. The site of the Bastille and the Moulin Rouge both featured elephant shaped structures in the 1800s. Though you may not remember mentions from school, Hollywood embraced the history and symbolism in the movies “Moulin Rouge!” and “Les Misérables.”

Ultimately, the elephant in the room idea was nixed for not only a more elevated experience, but a choreographed opportunity to invite the community in on some fun.

“Let’s just say it is something that has never happened in downtown Healdsburg,” said Murray.

Visit the TOWN website and @towndinners on Instagram for the latest updates. Heavy rain would cancel the show.

The post TOWN Dinner Series Founders Plan Secret Show In Healdsburg for This Friday appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Small-town charm meets big-time flavor in this Sonoma County gem, where vibrant downtown streets, world-class wineries and a thriving food scene await. Whether you’re exploring unique boutiques, savoring farm-to-table meals or taking in stunning landscapes, this town offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. From scenic hiking trails to delicious dishes at every corner, we’ve curated a guide to the best spots for an unforgettable day in Healdsburg.

Ah, Kouign-amann, with your layers upon layers of flaky dough and sugary bliss. Don’t worry if you can’t pronounce it — the friendly weirdoughs (their term!) at Quail & Condor bakery (149 Healdsburg Ave.) know the drill.

Healdsburg’s chic downtown packs a punch and is best navigated on foot. Pop into Harmon Guest House (227 Healdsburg Ave.) to see the latest installation of its rotating artist series, then head to Levin & Company Community Booksellers (306 Center St.). For 30-plus years, this family-owned bookstore and its upstairs art gallery has offered a snug space for contemplation and escape.

Nearby, the popularity of downtown newcomer Acorn Cafe (124 Matheson St.) is no surprise, with dishes like shakshuka and lemon ricotta hotcakes, topped with lemon lavender ice cream from local favorite Noble Folk. At Acorn, settle in on the patio by the plaza, or opt for a grab-and-go sandwich and hit nearby Fitch Mountain for heart-pumping hiking trails with a view.

For a more serene outdoor adventure, set your sights on Aesthete Farm & Winery (5610 Dry Creek Road), a short drive away in Dry Creek Valley. Home to more than just vineyards, guests are encouraged to roam the 24-acre property, meet the social herd of rescue sheep and goats, and taste wines from rockstar winemaker Jesse Katz. If Dry Creek is flowing at a mellow pace, the winery has Adirondack chairs by the water that are the place to be.

Back in town for drinks and dinner, start at Lo & Behold (214 Healdsburg Ave.) for a Happy Trails gin cocktail or the World’s Best Vodka Soda, crafted with local Young & Yonder vodka, and maybe a pre-dinner snack of kimchi noodles, made fresh daily. Then finish at the casual Tisza Bistro (165 Healdsburg Ave.), a warm, neighborhood-y spot for crispy potato latkes with smoked salmon, dumplings and schnitzel — a dinner date that’s hard to break.

The post How to Spend a Perfect Day in Healdsburg appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

When Noah Jeppson showed his husband Corey Rawdon a listing for a historic, Gothic-style Victorian in downtown Healdsburg near the plaza, Corey’s response was immediate, but not in the way that Noah had hoped.

“Oh, it was a hard pass,” Corey remembers, laughing. This was in September 2020, and the couple, who were living in Tahoe, wanted to move closer to San Francisco for work — and to put down some small-town roots in the hope of starting a family together.

“I knew Noah was going to fall in love with it though,” says Corey. “It had the walkability, it had the charm. It was a project we could put our own imagination into, to create something.”

Corey, a marketing executive, and Noah, an experiential graphic designer, had renovated several homes together in the past and knew the draw of bringing an older home into the present.

“When you’re in an old house, you realize you’re the caretaker of the house and you want to do what you can to preserve it, to understand the stories and put together the story of the house,” says Noah.

The home had been built in 1884 by one of Healdsburg’s earliest residents, a German immigrant who owned a bar and later served the town as fire chief and mayor. After the owner raised his family, the home had been used as a boarding house and apartments. Though it was in good structural condition, much of the Victorian character had been lost over time.

“Every family that had lived in this house had done something different and made it their own, so we weren’t afraid to do that as well… We wanted to bring back the warmth and the color and the joy,” says Noah.

The couple kept the floor plan intact with separate formal rooms for dining and socializing, but wanted to layer in color and functionality, including a laundry room, a full-size bath downstairs and a new wall of cabinets in the kitchen.

“We drew inspiration from the house itself and what would’ve occurred during the time it was built — having a drawing room, a formal front parlor. But then we wanted to create space for the future, first and foremost for family,” says Corey.

As they restored the home, the couple uncovered traces of the past that helped them understand its history. Behind an existing section of wall, Noah found a school slate used by an early resident who became the town’s first high school graduate. Elsewhere, he found the written signatures of the builders scrawled on walls, old newspapers used as insulation, hand-forged nails — and best of all, a previously boarded-up hidden passageway.

“Noah cannot resist the opportunity to explore,” says Corey. “I was on the phone with him, and he was showing me a section of the wall in the dining room, pushing and tapping on it, and then he said, ‘I’ll call you back. I’m going to get a sledgehammer.’ So he goes and gets the sledgehammer and knocks a hole in the wall, and it just keeps going back into a void.”

“Of course that was just like another invitation to keep exploring some more,” laughs Noah. Later, the couple enlarged the hole and turned it into a passageway connecting the formal front parlor to the dining room, which they use for guests.

Painting and decorating the space was an opportunity to layer in more historical perspective. Corey chose a bold trio of colors — wall, trim, ceiling — to define each room, a look that he and Noah call “Victorian Pop.” Each room is meant to pop on its own, explains Corey, but some colors become touchpoints that echo throughout the home for continuity. The warm rose-tan in the living room is repeated on the ceiling of the upstairs hall, for example, and the slate-brown window trim reappears in a bedroom. It’s a vivid, design-forward approach to color.

“‘Fortune favors the bold’ is a saying I’ve always lived my life by,” says Corey. “It’s only color. If it doesn’t work, you can always paint over it.”

Noah focused on the home’s decor, sourcing historic furniture, art, and architectural details on Craigslist and at local antique stores. They each had a veto authority over the other’s choices.

“But we didn’t allow each other to say, ‘I kind of like it but I wish it were something different,’” explains Corey. “It was either ‘that’s a no’ — or you had to let the other person run with it. But in allowing ourselves that freedom, we were able to work together almost without trying to. It just naturally happened.”

For the past few years, all of the couple’s energy and time has been poured into the house and its many needs. “So it’s like, OK, this year for Christmas, we’re giving each other an antique mantel and tile for the kitchen,” says Noah.

Corey, who grew up in Tennessee, contributed some family heirlooms — his grandmother’s bell, which sits on the table in the formal parlor, a sprig of cotton he picked in Tennessee on the mantle, and a wagon-wheel light in the small outbuilding that the couple use as a shared office.

Neighbors and friends often remark that the home the couple has created together feels a bit like a museum. “And we’re like, sure, it is. But it’s the everyday museum,” says Corey. “The look is highly curated and feels special, but it’s still approachable, and you can go up and touch everything. You can live in it. You can use it. It’s not just for looks.”

Corey and Noah are now turning their attention to deepening their roots in the community. They’ve built a little free library on the corner of their lot and are currently finishing a renovation of their front garden, creating a space where they can chat with neighbors and their dog, Bash, can play. They both volunteer with the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society, and Corey now serves on the board of the group. And last summer, they were the host family for a college baseball player who was spending the summer in Sonoma County as a member of the Healdsburg Prune Packers baseball team.

They say they are looking forward to becoming even more a part of the fabric of the town and their neighborhood in their next chapter of life. “Raising kids takes a village,” says Corey. “Part of moving here was to find and build our own community, to have that village so that when we have kids, we have that support system.”

They’ve named their home the Heartwood House, a name they picked in honor of the prime local redwood used in its construction back in the 1880s. But beyond that, the couple say that the name Heartwood House has come to embody a spirit of warmth and community.

“We do just have a lot of heart put into our home,” says Corey. “We’ve found new meaning in this old house.”

The post As Local Couple Restored Their Historic Healdsburg Home, They Uncovered Traces of Its Colorful Past appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Healdsburg’s 109A Plaza St., formerly Burdock, has gotten a bright orange paint makeover in preparation for the arrival of Dutch Door Donuts, a Carmel-based doughnut shop opening a second location in northern Sonoma County.

These aren’t Dunkin’ style but made-to-order masterpieces of fried dough that come in seasonal flavors like passion fruit and hibiscus, miso caramel, salted brown butter and almond sesame cinnamon. For purists, there’s also vanilla, chocolate and cinnamon.

Co-owner and chef Tucker Bunch founded a chain of fresh beignet shops in the Houston area and is a former instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. Bunch has worked with a local team to bring Dutch Door to Healdsburg, which he thinks will be a good fit for his artisan doughnuts.

“We don’t have racks of doughnuts cooked in the middle of the night before,” Bunch said. “We use a long-fermented dough process and roll and hand-shape the doughnuts.”

Then, they’re quickly fried and flavored with various glazes, nuts and toppings. Bunch said each will cost between $4.50 and $5, in line with other gourmet doughnut shops like Johnny Doughnuts in Santa Rosa.

“We get to sell joy every day,” he said.

Dutch Door Donuts will open in late spring. dutchdoordonuts.com

In the meantime, check out some of the best doughnut shops in the county here.

You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.

The post Dutch Door Donuts’ Made-To-Order Artisan Doughnuts Coming to Healdsburg appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.

Geography site WorldAtlas recently released a list of eight timeless towns in California — quiet locations off the beaten path, steeped in rich Golden State history. From Los Angeles county to the North Coast, two local destinations made the list for their long-lasting significance to the state: Sonoma and Healdsburg.

“These eight California towns provide a unique glimpse into a simpler, historic lifestyle, transcending the usual tourist trails with their rich legacies and picturesque charm,” WorldAtlas stated.

Beyond the tourist hotspots and heavily publicized establishments, here’s where to go in Sonoma and Healdsburg to experience the towns’ timelessness.

Sonoma

As the birthplace of the state’s Bear Flag, Sonoma honors its place in California history with a monument on the town plaza commemorating the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt that took place in the heart of the county.

Other vestiges of times past can also be found in the town, like the old Sonoma Barracks, the Mission San Francisco Solano and Gen. Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo’s abode. Tourists and residents alike can learn more local history via a free Sonoma Plaza History Tour in and around Sonoma State Historic Park. The park comprises several historical sites within walking distance of the plaza.

For a taste of modern culture, WorldAtlas noted the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (551 Broadway), where you’ll find rotating exhibits featuring acclaimed Bay Area artists. The Sebastiani Theatre, opened in 1934, provides an eclectic mix of comedy acts, indie movies, local concert performances and more.

Stay near the plaza to find some of the best places to eat. For brunch, try a farm-fresh egg sandwich or avocado toast with mimosas while dining on the garden patio of Sunflower Caffe. The Girl & The Fig offers innovative French fare like wild flounder meunière and steak au poivre. If you want to extend your local history tour, head over to the Swiss Hotel — which has been around since the late 1800s — for wood-fired pizza, chicken parmesan and housemade butternut squash ravioli.

Finish your Sonoma day trip with a pint of Guinness and live music at Murphy’s Irish Pub. Or try a glass of local natural wine in Sonoma’s new communal wine tasting space, Dos’ Bar.

Healdsburg

The town of Healdsburg is anchored by its historic Plaza, established in 1857. WorldAtlas noted Healdsburg’s prominence as an early winegrowing region, with early settlers “shaping a robust viticultural tradition.”

People can learn more about the town’s history at the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society, which features rotating exhibits and houses collections of historic tools, furnishings, paintings and Indigenous artifacts. For a more modern speed, check out the Healdsburg Center for the Arts, where various local artists exhibit their work.

It’s no secret that Healdsburg has an impressive dining scene. Among the eateries WorldAtlas recommended are Costeaux French Bakery, Noble Folk Ice Cream & Pie Bar and Michelin-awarded SingleThread. After dinner, enjoy a natural wine tasting at Williamson Wines or sip Champagne at the Parisian-style Healdsburg Bubble Bar.

For more ideas of where to go, eat, sip and stay in Healdsburg, check here.

The post Sonoma and Healdsburg Are Among Most ‘Timeless’ Towns in California appeared first on Sonoma Magazine.