Our History
Barndiva grew out of our desire to celebrate the exquisite food sheds of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties from Healdsburg to the ocean, with special attention paid to following the breadcrumbs up Hwy 128 through the Anderson Valley to Philo, where we have dry farmed apples, figs and chestnuts on a ridge above the pacific for the past three decades.
While the family farm is still the heartbeat of our enterprise, Barndiva, designed and built as a unique destination for European style dining and parties, has grown in ways we never imagined. We are now spread over 1/2 acre in the center of town with two properties and adjacent gardens. We have elevated our dining experience to a Michelin Star level of three consecutive years, and host a unique range of extraordinary food and wine experiences throughout the year. We still lose money at farming.
Lukka Feldman is the driving force guiding our full range of hospitality and wine programs. Geoff Hales is our numbers guy, Jil Hales is Barndiva’s creative director and produces eat the view, our blog.
Our Team
The Barndiva Team in Healdsburg
Seasonality is the lodestar of our ingredient and technique driven kitchens. For 19 years we have explored the extraordinary food-sheds of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties seeking out farmers and artisan producers who believe as we do that truly nourishing food experiences start in the soil, the vineyard, the field. Food and drink are a direct reflection of the passion of all who produce them.
Our kitchens brigade is lead by the inventive Erik Anderson, a hands-on, from-the-ground-up chef whose arresting food journey through some of the most renown kitchens in the world including Noma, Auriga, TFL, The Catbird Seat, eventually leading him to Coi, in San Francisco, where he earned two Michelin Stars.
Scott Beattie is our Beverage Director. A legend in the cocktail world since the publication of ‘Artisanal Cocktails:Drinks Inspired by the Seasons from the Bar at Cyrus,’ he returns to Healdsburg after creating garden to glass cocktail programs throughout the country. Scott’s spirit and NA drinks program at Barndiva is hyper- focused on local artisanal spirits and what he grows and forages at the Barndiva farm in Philo and throughout Sonoma County. He leads cocktails classes in Studio B throughout the year.
Emily Carlson is our dynamically talented Wine Director. In addition to curating our award winning wine list and guiding all pairings for our dining and our events, she directs our three collaborative annual wine events: Pink Party in Spring, Fête Blanc in Summer, Fête Rouge in Fall.
Susan Bischoff leads our event team which includes bespoke barndiva weddings and rehearsal dinners, and all manner of unforgettable celebratory and team building events.
They all believe, as we do, that no matter how delicious the dish, beautiful the room, extraordinary the floral arrangements, or seductive the lighting, genuine hospitality is what the guest remembers most. It is what makes a dining experience memorable when you travel from your home, from around the corner or around the world, to join us in ours. We were proud to have been awarded a Michelin Star in 2021 and again in 2022.
The Farm Team in Philo
Daniel Carlson designs and directs our extensive garden programs, which he had done from Philo for the past 7 years. He is currently working at the historic nursery at Great Dixter in Rye, England. Misha Vega and Moises Lopez help oversee Barndiva Farm’s extensive floral and vegetable/herb programs. We are known for the magnificent floral arrangements that fill our rooms and gardens.
