Dry Creek Kitchen

05/25/2008 Posted by ShrutiNair

We walked in on a long weekend. Since there was a wait of 10 mins, the Manager seated us in the lounge next door where we enjoyed a quiet 10 mins in front of the the fire place. The Manager went out of his way to make us comfortable since we had a baby in the group. Excellent Food. Every dish that came to our table was very tasty. The Five Herb Gnocci was exceptional. Would go there again

Pros: Tasty food, good service

Cons: Pricey

03/16/2008 Posted by cowtippler

I have been to the Dry Creek Kitchen on several occasions between 2005 and as recently as December 2007 at Christmas and after happening upon the poor reviews here - I felt I needed to put by two cents here. My main goal as an avid foodie is to find food which has been taken care of and served by people who actually like what they do. The December dinner was a great experience - I was able to make reservations and also easily change them for Christmas eve for four people. We all had the fixed price dinner with wine and where served by someone we had not had on a previous visit. The waiter was friendly and informative, and allowed for the right amount of time between courses (very important for a 6 course meal) and checked on us no more or no less than what we expected. They were also kind enough to substitute out one of the courses which contained an item which one of our party was allergic with no problem and the substitution was of the same level of quality. In short - a wonderful staff. In terms of the food - I cannot say enough good things about the menu and the attentiveness to flavor and texture. This is not a bland, boring meal that you sail through and say it was good or great - it is food that demands attention and draws the diner in to experience the flavors. It is not to say that this is some sort of stuffy, snobbish fare of miniscule proportions so delighted in by some of today's "top chefs", but rather a series of small dissertations on the essence of a particular flavor. The filet mignon is perfectly seared, the pork belly something that I would ask for on my death bed and the various soups and risottos are perfectly portioned and just exactly what you want in a meal - something familiar from childhood mixed with something new. I have also frequented The Farmhouse Inn, Manzanita (avoid), and Zen in Healdsburg, but always come back to Dry Creek Kitchen.

Pros: Fixed price dinner, warm and friendly staff, easy to make reservations

Cons: There isn't a place like this in LA!

02/20/2008 Posted by molly2739

Don’t believe the hype? Probably a good move if you’re planning on visiting Dry Creek Kitchen. True, Dry Creek does have an extraordinary menu with delicious food and even more scrumptious desserts. True, the wait staff is attentive, friendly, and sharp. False, the experience is worth the expense. While Dry Creek will give your mouth a thrilling adventure, it will also empty your wallet. If money is not a concern, go for it. However, if you want to pinch a few pennies, there’s plenty more to choose from in Healdsburg. • Recommendation: Sashimi, mini foie gras burgers, and the sorbet sampler.

Pros: Delicious food, attentive service, great atmosphere.

Cons: Very expensive and probably just as good as other less expensive restaurants.

11/06/2007 Posted by langas

Rude employees from beginning to end. The wait staff to manager treated us as if we didn't belong there. Very snotty employees. I have never been treated so demeaning at a restaurant. When we asked the manager if we could speak to the owner, he proceeded to speak another language and pretended he couldn't understand me. Very immature. You would think for the amount of money spent here customer service would be exceptional, however it is exceptionally bad. Food is nothing to rave about, ambience ok, but the service makes the whole experience not worth it. Very overpriced, poor service, and snooty employees. I will never go to this restaurant again nor will I ever recommend it to anyone. There are other restaurants in Healdsburg that are quality.

Pros: Gnocci

Cons: Poor customer service

08/28/2007 Posted by jglisson

Despite the other reviews., we had a perfectly great meal here. On a tasting menu as part of Hotel Package our expectations were not that high. Its a very pretty, very Sonoma looking place, Very Beige. Big Chairs. The dishes were inventive , but not fussy. We had all the deserts on the menu (don't ask) and they were sublime. No corkage fees on Sonoma Wines, which is nice, the outside patio is big and airy. Way less stuffy than a lot of the local joints in this area. We had a great waiter , Richard as I recollect, who told us his life story and all about the town. He will extremely informed about the food and especially the wine, good service overall.

Pros: NO CORKAGE FEES ON SONOMA WINES

Cons: HAD TO WAIT A WHILE TO BE SEATED WITH EMPTY TABLES, ALWAYS A DOWNER

04/10/2007 Posted by jjstyle

I wish I read the reviews before making reservations. My family gathered recently for a birthday celebration. The service was so slow it became a point of amusement. The staff was snooty and treated us almost with contempt, as if we should be honored to be spending our money there. The food was underwhelming, nothing to write home about. Thank heaven for good wine.....not that it arrived in a timely fashion. The dining room is beautiful and atmosphere is absolutely perfect, but I have never felt so unwelcome in such a lovely place. Never again.

Pros: Lovely atmosphere

Cons: You can't eat atmosphere

04/11/2006 Posted by rickem

Can't really figure out what this place is known for - the service was uneven, the food was ok but not amazing, and all the hype seems to fuel an attitude of "aren't you so lucky to be eating here." Just because something is artfully arranged on a plate doesn't make it good. For the money, we expected a little more on every level, and having to walk outside to the next building just to use the bathroom was the icing on the cake.

Pros: Decor, Wine List

Cons: Average food

11/07/2005 Posted by urbancritic

We went for lunch and what a disappointment. I had the Vegetable Market Composition. It appeared in a trio which I suppose makes it a composition. Perhaps trio has been claimed by other chefs and Charlie Palmer prefers composition as a description of three bad servings of food all of which have no relationship to one another. Well part of it was fair, but the really bad part was the porcini risotto. It looked bad and tasted worse. Skip this restaurant and head elsewhere on the square in Healdsburg. Overpriced to the max and I think the restaurant may have spent their money on big plates and didnt put enough aside for food. Thank goodness for this poor budgeting and tiny portions because I would not want food prepared so poorly and then wasted.

10/11/2005 Posted by lolasmommy

Absolutuely the worst dining experience I can remember in a long time!!! The staff is rude, the bartender was a jerk, and the service non-existent. I dine out frequently and have never been treated so poorly in any restaurant. The level of pretention on the part of the staff was enough to make my dining partner and I chuckle out loud when we finally left, frustrated and still ravenous. The food was weak at best, terribly boring cheese plate and wine list. The dining room itself is about the only thing the place has going for it. I strongly recommend dining elsewhere when in Healdsburg.

Pros: nice space

Cons: rude staff, poor service, not-so-great food

09/06/2005 Posted by onepenguin

Every dish was easily the most flavorful concoction I've had in quite some time... They incorporate mostly every day items--at least, for NorCal--and make them sublime, in texture and flavor. My foie gras with grilled peached, and figs and honey dessert (including to-die-for baked alaska, fig gelato, and poached figs) were fantastic, and even my "market vegetable composition" main course, with fettucine w/ mushrooms, eggplant tart, and mini-cast iron pot of veggies was sublime. Granted, the service is quirky--we arrived early, but were seated on time at a table that had been empty when we arrived, and our waiter was a little odd... including knowingly asking me how our strong red wine went with my veggie plate... but was also, to his credit, genuinely interested in the answer.... I am still too amazed by the food to feel anything else!