American Gothic, single wire. Seth Minor
Eat the View is more than a tagline attesting to a commitment to source food grown with sustainable and ethical intent. View is context. It’s what you get by paying attention in the moment. Beyond what a guest comes to eat and drink, our hope has always been that you will be nourished by everything you see and interact with here; that those elements will play over the entire experience in a way that you can, hopefully, play forward.
But while it is our aim that food, cocktails, wines, flowers grown at the farm, art and antiques gathered from farm and wine communities from around the world - basically everything you see and touch here - will give pleasure, the Barndiva experience is ultimately a willing collaboration between us. One that starts with the understanding that talent, resources, and above all else time, is finite and precious. Yours especially, but ours as well.
The pandemic was challenging in different ways and to different degrees for all of us. While we had no control going into it, we find ourselves in a slipstream of desire coming out, propelled by a greater appreciation than ever of how dependent we are on one another. It’s not just an awareness borne out in our kitchens where we were up close and personal as we tried to stay open, accommodating a sudden shift toward To Go menus and on and off openings and closings, safe-distance dining in our gardens. During those first awful months people across the world came to see who keeps the lights on. Beyond the kindness of strangers - which we should always recognize and cherish - we witnessed writ large the skills and talents of fellow human beings in all walks of life. They honored their professions under the most trying circumstances, a community of strangers in hospital settings and emergency services, people who drove through the night, filled shelves, cleaned floors, basically kept things going while most of us Zoomed the days and nights away or found a safe tree to stand beneath while the dogs did their business.
We’re not philosophers and we don’t have a crystal ball. What we do know is that when you’re sitting in a room with candlelight, filled with the fragrance of flowers and food, the low murmur of other people is a social incantation we all need. For all the other things we learned to rely upon in the time of Covid - the healing power of nature, the fact that solitude isn’t empty but can be rich and full - it is obvious to us, as we hope it is to you, that the most important care we need to give right now is to one another.
For everyone working in hospitality right now, Labor is the biggest problem facing a return to social life. Much of it is for reasons that go beyond what you may be reading about a workforce that enjoys being ‘on the dole,’ or is still afraid to re-enter the marketplace. It has to do with a lack of affordable housing, with access to reliable transportation and child care. All these things are directly connected with workers not being paid a truly livable wage, including necessary benefits. The team we have built during the pandemic - and are now expanding - understands that addressing equity in pay between front and back of house is long overdue. They believe, as we do, that everyone working alongside them should have full healthcare as a foundational piece of employment. I like to think it helps that Barndiva is such a beautiful place to work, the ingredients we prepare so fresh and precious, it makes the long hours we put in worth the effort. But first and foremost, people have to feel valued. A service charge instead of a gratuity is a very important step we are taking that will allow us to extend health benefits and raise compensation. Getting back to that notion of willing collaboration, we hope we can depend on your support for keeping it in place.
Our executive chef Jordan Rosas moved to Healdsburg a few weeks before we closed down for the first time. For all the dishes he hoped to create here in bucolic, small-farm obsessed wine country, he was suddenly faced with getting creative in a To Go box. Our great thanks to him, our brilliant pastry chef Neidy Venegas, and our incredible lead sous chef Francisco Aguilera for hanging in there, continuing to dream forward, cooking delicious food despite the challenges. Food is people, before and after what happens in the soil, in the pan. It’s the way we interact as we nourish one another. Whatever happens going forward - and we fully understand this is a transient industry at heart - we will always be grateful to the indefatigable Cathryn Hulsman, to Chappy, Natalie, Felix, Hayden, Terra, Manuel, Raul, Abel, Paola, Carolina, Jessy, Robyn, and dear Lynn (who never stopped baking to celebrate every birthday). To Jade, Ryan, and Evan whose plans after they left SingleThread were put on hold and found safe harbor here during a dicey time when we were swabbing down everything anyone touched, and stayed on.
Once we are fully staffed, look for the return of The Pink, White and Red collaborative wine parties; for an Industry Night with great playlists and movies on the wall of the Studio; look also for a collaborative ceramic and floral gallery show unlike anything we’ve ever done before. Art is central - as are design and florals - to who we are, and what we do. When we relocated staff operations inside, we weren’t just surrounded by empty dining rooms. The art and sculptures we’ve collected over the years helped sustain us; they lent the light filled space and our experience of work and service during those strange months a hopeful gravitas. As we gather again together as community, try and support the arts - and artists - in any way you can. Healdsburg, with its many wonderful galleries, is a great place to start.
We move into a very busy summer with a dynamic woman to help lead our managerial team. We are thrilled to welcome Moira Beveridge, who brings with her not just an impressive resume in all aspects of hospitality but a true passion for it. She’s also got significant wine chops. Come in and meet her!
As for our floral program, which has guests gasping in appreciation every service, it is now led by the extremely talented Nick Guili (holding Camellias, above), who took over from Daniel Carlson, and also wears the hat of Barndiva farm manager. Nick has expanded the program to include the ability to order arrangements for any special occasion you may be celebrating. (For those of you who miss Dan - and we do - he is happily thriving in England, working at Great Dixter, one of the most esteemed and thrilling gardens in England.)
In closing, let me say for Lukka, Geoffrey, Isabel and the entire staff, that while we are very happy to meet all the new customers who have made their homes in Healdsburg (Windsor, Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, et al) over the past year, we will always be grateful to our long time clientele and the many friends of the Barn who patronized us through the darkest months of 2020-21. You buoyed us up, and kept our lights on. It is a true joy to see you once again filling our gardens and dining rooms. You know who you are. We are so grateful to you all. Stay tuned…
Barndiva is open Wed - Sunday for lunch and dinner - we will not close when we have larger celebrations in the studio. Brunch has expanded to include Saturday. Come and Eat the View with us!
@saverestaurants #staytuned #stayhealthy @stayhealdsburg #healdsburgchamber #eattheview #barndiva #healdsburg #thisishealdsburg #sonomacounty #mendocinocounty #sommtablehealdsburg #sonomastrong #ediblemarinwc #lovehealdsburg @barndivahealdsburg @sonomamag @winecountry @slowfoodusa @chef.jordan.rosas, @spontaneidy, @wckitchen, @independantrestaurantcoalition, @BarndivaHealdsburg, @CityofHealdsburg, @HealdsburgChamber @tockhq @socomeatco @feedsonoma @eatersf @maisonhealdsburg @franciscoa_ @prestonfarmandwinery @michelinguide @trytoputacorkinit