Valette in Healdsburg
Let me make a sweeping statement: No one can run a successful restaurant without passion. You have to love it to put up with the often challenging clientele, the thin profit margins and the long hours.
Yet restaurant people, like the best hoteliers, are a special breed who love what they do and thrive on making people happy.
This thought came to the forefront when I was visiting Valette in Healdsburg, the subject of my Sunday review in The Chronicle.
The restaurant is the dream of two brothers: Dustin Valette and Aaron Garzini. They opened it earlier this year, taking over the space that formerly was Zin. The building, in fact, was owned by their great-grandfather so this further solidifies the family ties. A plaque with his photo is on the wall outside of the entrance.
The brothers used the raw wood ceiling and mottled concrete walls as the basis of the decor; over the kitchen is a handsome stainless steel cooler that holds links and haunches of house-cured meats. It was designed and fabricated by another brother.
While not every dish is great — some combinations seem to have too many ideas jammed onto the plate — the experience is enhanced by this feeling of fun, family and passion. It’s certainly a restaurant worth checking out.
To read the review on sfchronicle.com, click here.
