No matter how many times I visit Healdsburg there's one thing that always stands out: great food, and lots of it.
First stop, Barn Diva for a fantastic lunch of salad, fries and quiche. Of course the salad wasn't just any salad, it was chock full of avocado, blue cheese, beets, shaved carrots and crunchy croutons married with a creamy tarragon dressing. Add a side of fries - which are really more of a cross between a chip and a fry - to go with the rich quiche and you are ready to hit the winery trail.
Our one and only winery visit this trip was Schlumberger (an old favorite) where reservations are recommended and a seat beside the lovely, relaxing fountain in the courtyard a must. We took this opportunity to listen to the hypnotic symphony of water trickling and wine glasses clinking in the warm, embracing late-season sun.
After a check-in at the hotel and a power nap we headed out to the Russian River Brewing Co in Santa Rosa. I'll admit, beer isn't my first love but the sampler seemed necesssary. We tried all the samples with mixed reviews: I liked the sour versions (Supplication, Temptation and Consecration) and my companion liked the Redemption or the blondes (what a surprise.)
All that wine and beer tasting created quite the appetite so we headed to Catelli's in Geyserville. Featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (or Triple D) you SHOULD believe the hype: amazing 12-layer lasagna , homemade ravioli (in two sauces) are just a few of the dishes to die for. Oh, and the bread which feels like a course on it's own. Hint: if you order the lasagna it arrives with two large pieces of very garlicky, buttery bread.
Once the plates arrived I asked my dinner companion if he wanted a taste of my ravioli (which of course he did.) Asked the same question about his lasagne I hesitated oh-so-briefly to which I was told "take some now before it's gone". Although a nano-second to me, the lasagne quickly disappeared and I made a mental note to visit Healdsburg - and Catelli's again soon.
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