Troubadour

Melissa and Sean McGaughey began their romance working together at SingleThread (as baker and sous-chef, respectively), and here they've wedded their talents to make a singularly charming Healdsburg destination. The lovely little space is a popular sandwich shop and bakery by day (they also run nearby Quail and Condor); at night transforming to offer an exciting tasting menu that highlights Californian ingredients with flair and technical precision. Classical underpinnings are enlivened with a modern sensibility, seen in a "bouillabaise" of gently cooked rockfish with saffron-yuzu emulsion and a clam croquette, or seared duck breast with malted potato cream and a morel stuffed with chicken mousseline. Naturally, the bread course is a highlight.