SingleThread (Healdsburg, CA)

Single Thread Farm - Restaurant - Inn
131 North St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-723-4646
www.singlethreadfarms.com
Fri 07/26/2024, 08:15p-11:10p





After a day of wine tastings at Palmaz, Jarvis, and Opus One, we headed over the hill to Sonoma Valley for dinner at SingleThread, which was sort of the main impetus for this trip. Opened in late 2016 by the husband-and-wife team of Chef Kyle Connaughton and Head Farmer Katina Connaughton, SingleThread has established itself as a premier dining destination in Wine Country, and is a spot that I've been wanting to try for years. The cuisine served is Californian farm-to-table (and yes, they actually have their own farm), but strongly inspired by the traditions of kaiseki.

About the Connaughtons: Kyle was born in January 1976 and hails from Upland, a sleepy city in the Los Angeles region arguably most known for its skateboarding culture. At age nine, he had a life-changing sushi meal that set him on the path to becoming a chef, and furthered his interest in the cuisine during trips to Japan with his father. Meanwhile, Katina was born in October 1976 and also comes from Upland. The two were high school classmates, and have been together ever since meeting at a punk rock concert when they were 15. After Kyle turned 17, he began apprenticing at Peter Uno's Kishi, a longstanding Japanese eatery in the neighborhood. In 1995, he transitioned over to Pavilion in nearby Claremont, and it was also around then when daughter Chloe was born. He attended the California School of Culinary Arts from 1997 to 1999, during which time he worked at Spago, Campanile, and The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena.

Following completion of his AOS degree, Kyle began teaching at his alma mater, now known as the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (the name change came in '99). In this two-year span, he also served as a chef de partie at Suzanne Goin's Lucques and A.O.C., and interned at Water Grill, then under the command of Michael Cimarusti. 2001 saw the birth of daughter Ava, as well as Kyle's enrollment at the California Sushi Academy, where he trained under Andy Matsuda (of the Sushi Chef Institute) and worked at Hama Sushi in Venice. That same year, he also started running 561 Restaurant, Le Cordon Bleu's on-site training restaurant, and in 2002, staged in Northern California at both French Laundry and Chez Panisse.

In 2003, the Connaughtons relocated to Hokkaido so that Kyle could work at Michel Bras Toya, located at the Windsor Hotel in Toyako. During his three years there, he also rotated through the property's sushi, soba, izakaya, and kaiseki restaurants, and was even a stagiaire at Kyoto's iconic Kikunoi Honten. In addition, it was in rural Hokkaido where Katina first started to get involved with agriculture and foraging. The couple departed from Japan in 2006 in order to move to England, where Kyle helped open The Fat Duck's development kitchen. This gave him the opportunity to train at the likes of Umu (a kaiseki spot in London), Mugaritz, Arzak, Ginza Sushiko, and Les Créations de Narisawa. Katina also continued to grow her gardening expertise during this period in the UK.

In 2011, the two returned to the US, settling in Sonoma County, and Kyle began developing curriculum for the Culinary Institute of America while Katina further honed her agricultural skills, even earning a degree in the field. In 2014, Kyle co-founded Pilot R+D, a culinary science research kitchen, though he later stepped back from the project in order focus on SingleThread. Thus, the Connaughtons teamed up with New York real estate developer Tony Greenberg (they later formed Vertice Hospitality) as well as numerous other investors, and purchased property for their five-acre farm, restaurant, and ryokan-inspired inn.

After being announced in January 2015, SingleThread ended up soft-opening in late November 2016, and soon began racking up praise. In March 2017, Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle penned a four-star review and later awarded "Restaurant of the Year" honors, just a couple months after Michelin bestowed two stars. Three stars came in November 2018, and have been retained ever since. In November 2020, the SingleThread team, in collaboration with Bill Price, welcomed the arrival of a new 24-acre farm in Dry Creek Valley, the former home of Noci Sonoma. The World's 50 Best Restaurants folks included SingleThread on their ranking for the first time in October 2021, at #37, and the restaurant has remained on the list since then, achieving #50 in 2022, #68 in 2023, and #46 in 2024.




Our SingleThread experience commenced with a visit to the aforementioned 24-acre farm, which abuts Dry Creek. The farm supplies much of the produce for the restaurant, and also offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and various workshops.


From the farm, we went back to our hotel in Downtown to change, then headed to the restaurant, where we enjoyed preprandial drinks on the rooftop.


Here we see the selection of beverages available. Click for larger versions.


Our snack included what seemed like senbei-like rice crackers.


We opted for a duo of libations specially crafted for the restaurant: the SingleThread, Abel Vineyard, Anderson Valley 2020 [$35] sparkling wine (from Brick & Mortar), and the SingleThread, Pilsner with Brettanomyces 2022 [$18] beer (from Russian River Brewing).


Shown above is the evening's 10-course menu, which even came with komatsuna seeds to take home. Pricing was a pre-paid $485 a person, plus 9% tax, (optional) 20% gratuity, and a $5 Tock order fee. Click for a larger version.

As far as drinks go, SingleThread's wine list is one of the most impressive I've seen, with particular strengths in the areas of Champagne, German Riesling, Loire Valley, California Chardonnay, California Pinot Noir, Burgundy, and Rhône. It's managed by Wine Director Chris McFall, an Austin native who previously worked at the likes of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston and Lazy Bear in San Francisco. Along with Wine Shop Manager Julien Tremblay, he also helps run SingleThread Wine, an online retailer. Corkage is a pricey $150 a pop, with a limit of two bottles.


1a: MID SUMMER IN SONOMA
A meal at SingleThread begins with an impressive array of zensai, artfully plated on a wooden board in the center of the table, replete with various vegetation, and serves as an introduction to the restaurant's ethos:

• Shigoku Oyster, Green Apple, Pickled Crab Apple – I began with a lone oyster, sourced from nearby Tomales Bay, which ate wonderfully fresh, zippy, and nearly minty at times thanks to the use of yuzu and an apple mignonette. A fitting, invigorating start.
• Kanpachi Zushi, Shiso, Daikon, Umeboshi – A bite of rolled sushi highlighted a clean, saline cut of amberjack, set against a wonderfully zesty, sticky, "pesto" rice.
• Fairytale Eggplant Agedashi, Pistachios, Vinegar Gel – A bite of Fairy Tale eggplant was a joy texturally. It veered almost olive-y at first blush, while that vinegar offered up a great hit of acidity on the back end.
• White Corn Panna Cotta, Tsar Nicoulai Reserve Caviar, Sorghum – Corn was transformed into a creamy, mildly sweet panna cotta, one deftly perked up by the saltiness of a caviar quenelle.
• Ebodai, Brokaw Avocado, Jimmy Nardello Peppers – Butterfish arrived with a potent, yet elegant oceaniness that linked up easily with the almost tomato-esque sweetness of a Jimmy Nardello XO.
• Shima Aji, Gooseberries, Wakame – Slices of striped jack sashimi were superb texture-wise, and showed off a fresh, enlivening, nearly nutty brine that matched up perfectly with the kelp.
• Golden Sesame Dofu, Barrel-Aged Ponzu, Nori, Wasabi – A block of gomadofu featured a soft-yet-substantial consistency, while its restrained nuttiness was well-complemented by the tartness of ponzu and the sting of wasabi, not to mention a top layer of charred seaweed powder.
• Masami Wagyu Beef Tartar, Radish, Negi, Shiso – A steak tartare delivered texturally, and featured some delectably fruity nuances countered by an almost briny character, all while shiso wraps lightened things up.
• Madai, Mango, Pickled Kohlrabi, Hibiscus & Citrus Kosho – The seabream's sophisticated savor made sense with the brightness of its accoutrements without ever getting overwhelmed.
• Dry Creek Peaches, Yuba, Shichimi – Local yellow Suncrest and white Arctic Gem peaches were super juicy, their sugariness juxtaposing swimmingly with the savory-spicy kick of shichimi.

1b: MID SUMMER IN SONOMA
Our parade of sakizuke continued with three warm dishes:

• Malted Upstate Abundance Potatoes, Australian Black Truffles, Arugula – Aerated potatoes were creamy and luscious, yet light, and sported a bitterness that paired particularly well with the musk of those black truffles.
• Shio-Yaki Ayu, Farm Herb Vinegar, Negi Greens – Salted-grilled sweetfish came out delightfully smoky, its char working hand-in-hand with the brightness of a green onion salad and especially that lively vinaigrette.
• Santa Barbara Honey Mussels, Dashi, Lemongrass – A lone dashi-boosted mussel had a fantastic mix of savory and saline that balanced perfectly with the herbaceousness of lemongrass. This was my favorite of the appetizers, and likely the best mussel I've ever had.

Wine service tonight was mostly handled by Sommelier Maria Miyashiro, and we kicked things off with the Suenen, Le Mont-Aigu, Champagne, Blanc de Blancs 2014 [$395]. The sparkler showcased a heady nose brimming with honeyed toast and stone fruits, along with a trace of floral--delish. On the palate, I found plenty more brioche, joined by apricot and pear, all supported by a healthy dosing of acidity, a full, lush body, and a backing of minerals. The bubbly was drinking great tonight, but could easily get even better with some more age. Just lovely.


2: STRAWBERRY MORIAWASE | Bluefin Tuna, Halibut, Shiroika, Myoga, and Sorrel Sauce
This fun, almost whimsical ode to the ubiquitous sashimi plate served as our first proper course, and didn't disappoint. The trio of seafood included locally-caught halibut, white squid from Japan, and sustainable Baja bluefin. I was especially impressed by how well the meltingly tender, fatty, umami-laden tuna meshed with the tartness of the strawberry (one of the first things Katina learned to farm in Hokkaido) and raspberry, while the brightness of sorrel vinaigrette and mustard greens really completed the equation. Seemingly straightforward, but super smart.




3: TOMATO PICNIC | Bonito, Gazpacho, Spot Prawn, Crescenza, and Sesame
Up next was a multi-part celebration of tomatoes. I began with a shot of gazpacho, which proudly conveyed the super concentrated essence of the fruit in an almost bracing manner. I then tore into the "rose" of smoked katsuo, and reveled in how the intensity of the fish meshed with the lighter flavors of a tomato three-way: fresh, sorbet, and gelée. Off to the side was a bowl of crescenza cheese atop tomato marmalade, which was a match made in heaven with those stout cylinders of toasty brioche. However, my favorite thing here just might've been that delectably sweet-n-saline shrimp mousse, paired with fried green tomato--yum.


4: PECAN PARFAIT | Salanova, Apricot, and Almond
A salad effectively highlighted apricot in four different ways: grilled, chutney, "chewy" dehydrated leather, and fresh. The stone fruit was joined by duck liver shortbread and parfait, drizzles of ume-infused honey, spiced almond crumble, savory almond cake croutons, and lettuces from the farm. The key here for me really was that interplay between the various forms of apricot and all the sweet-nutty sensations on the plate, while there was this almost brown butter-like richness present that helped even out the bitterness of the veggies. Really clever.


Our second bottle was something that I was much iffier about, the Charles Krug, Pinot Noir, Napa Valley 1974 [$385]. I'd never had a 50-year-old California PN before, so I was a bit nervous, but fortunately, the wine made a strong showing. Aroma-wise, it had that P-funk I was looking for, its significant barnyard elements definitely speaking to the age of the juice, but never in an overly domineering fashion. Taking a sip, I found it surprisingly vivacious, and quite fresh for its age, with a good amount of red fruit still kicking around in there, along with herbaceous, vegetal nuances. This exceeded expectations for me, and compared favorably to the '74 BV we had the previous day.



5: TACHIUO | Summer Squash, Farm Herb Dofu, and Citrus Basil
Summer is beltfish season, so I was happy to see it on the menu tonight. Sourced from Tokyo Bay, the fish arrived wondrously smoky, and was delicious just by itself, but I also loved the counterbalance offered up by the squash, herbed tofu, and especially the utterly energizing citrus basil sauce. Meanwhile, accompanying the tachiuo was a tempura-fried squash blossom stuffed with fish mousse that was as good as any I've had.


6: CUCUMBER | Tomatillo, Soy, and Wasabi
Here was cucumber from the farm, made into a sorbet, with wasabi powder, a soy milk custard underneath, tomatillo jellies, and fresh cucumber. I loved the back-and-forth between the brightness of the cucumber and that wasabi, with an assist from the tomatillo, and I even detected what I believe was rice cracker in there. A suitable palate cleanser ahead of the heartier courses to follow, with some great textures to boot.


7: MASAMI WAGYU | Hakurei Turnip, Pickled Ramps, Spring Onion, and Green Peppercorn
For our penultimate savory course, local Wagyu had the lusciousness and the fattiness I was anticipating, but at the same time, boasted an austerity that I found rather endearing. The beef married particularly well with the zingy peppercorn jus, while the various forms of Allium and Japanese turnip effectively evened out the heftiness of the meat.



8: ZAKKOKUMAI | Morels, Tofu Mousse, Carrot, Lotus Root, and Genmaicha Miso Butter
I'd heard about SingleThread's mixed grain rice, served in a donabe produced by Nagatani-en out of the city of Iga in Japan's Mie Prefecture, so this was the course I was most looking forward to (fun fact: the Chef actually co-wrote a book on donabe cookery). What we had this evening was locally-foraged morels and shiitakes, the former stuffed with duck, augmented by duck jus, set over a base of Koshihikari rice and caramelized farro verde. I was a big fan of the earthiness of the mushrooms, and how flawlessly they coalesced with the nutty, smoky qualities of the grain. At the same time, the veggies lightened the mood, as did the pickles on the side. An utterly cozy closer--I could've easily eaten a few more bowls of the stuff.



9: HEALDSBURG PLUM | Noyaux, Ume, and Caramel
The creation of Pastry Chef Emma Horowitz, dessert brought forth a tribute to summer plums, sourced from a "legendary" local farmer. I started with the Dippin' Dots-esque presentation of plum sorbet, white chocolate, and crème de Noyaux, then moved on to the cylindrical feuille de brick pastry filled with plum and cacao nib. However, the star of the show was that ombré entremet cake, made with white chocolate, plum purée, and plum pie crust; it did a bang-up job conveying the sugary, jammy nature of the stone fruit, and I loved the booziness of it all.


Along with the mignardises course below came a homey chamomile-mint-ginger tea.


10: WAGASHI | Blackberry and Amazake / Lemon Verbena and Strawberry / Peach and Matcha / Lemon Thyme and Pine Nut
Last up was an assortment of Japanese-inspired petits fours:

• I started with the strawberry jam and herb semifreddo, which had this surprisingly "hammy" character that I didn't mind.
• Next was a white chocolate egg with blackberry compote.
• Moving to the bottom tier, a matcha chiffon cake played the bitterness of the green tea against peach pâte de fruit and white chocolate mousse.
• Finally, we had a rather fetching corn sablé cookie with lemon-thyme ganache.

At the end of the night, we were presented with our menus, which included the bouquets that were at our place settings at the beginning of the meal--a thoughtful touch.

I'd been waiting a long time to try SingleThread, and the experience was worth the wait. The heart of the restaurant is the use of kaiseki as a framework to re-interpret California cuisine and re-envision what it truly means to be "farm-to-table," an expression that's seemingly lost much of its meaning. The kitchen's reverence for seasonality, or should I say microseasonality, is evident, integral, and fused with both classical technique and modernist precision. Service, meanwhile, was top-notch, as expected, and was able to convey that sense of omotenashi that the team is striving for. Not surprisingly, SingleThread was the highlight of this recent NorCal trip, and quite possibly my top meal of 2024 thus far.