Happy Friday everyone, any plans this weekend?
Let me tell ya, the suite life is the best life. @Twelfthknight and I love our staycations, and it was only right that I treat him to an early birthday getaway in wine country this past week. It was our first time to Healdsburg, and to be quite honest…we like this quaint beautiful town much more than Napa or Sonoma itself.
235 Luxury Suites is nestled in the heart of downtown Healdsburg and it’s an incredible 3 bedroom stay for couples, families, or small parties. It’s incredibly charming, cozy yet spacious, and still feels familiar like home. We stayed in the Fitch Mountain Suite, decked out with a huge spa tub that I used nightly, dual walk in showers, and giant CA Kings in each room. 235 pays attention to the tiniest details which is what we loved. They even offer light, medium, or hard pillows so that you can sleep optimally :D I’m a firm by the way.
This hotel is located a few steps away from the square of downtown Healdsburg, so you really don’t need to drive anywhere in town. You’re within a few steps to wine lounges, Safeway, Farmer’s Market, bakeries, and coffee shops. In fact, we never drove the entire time we were there, unless you count an Uber briefly. So convenient right?
We would absolutely stay here at 235 again, it felt like a true getaway but so comfortable like being at home. If you’re ever looking to get away and relax in wine country’s hidden gem, I highly urge you to visit Healdsburg. After exploring this little town, we didn’t want to leave, but we look forward to our next trip!
Below, you’ll find our favorite spots and recommendations if you fancy a trip out here yourself. Cheers and thank you for reading!
Where to Eat:
Valette: Dinner
Dinner service was spectacular. Chef Dustin is a rockstar and provided a 5 course tasting menu that blew us away. Valette is the newest kid on the block in downtown Healdsburg and it’s one of those fine dining experiences you’ll have engrained in your memory for a long long time. Below are some of our favorite highlights.
Cocktail: Watermelon Fresca
Favorite app: Dry Boat Scallop en Croute- Squid Ink Puff Pastry with Scallop & champagne inside. Blew my mind!
Entree: Lamb Shoulder and NY Strip Steak.
Dessert: A salty/sweet Deconstructed Snickers Bar (which we still rave about)
Cafe Lucia: Lunch
Downstairs in the 235 hotel courtyard lives Cafe Lucia where Portuguese food meets Wine Country. @Twelfthknight has been to Spain and he talks about the tapas and paella there all the time. Naturally, we came down for lunch and we still talk about their food, overwhelmingly gracious hospitality, and service.
Tasting Plates: House wine, house pickles, blood sausage, sturgeon & capers
Tip: Order the Portuguese Mac n Cheese, we still talk about it today.
Favorite Entree: Seafood Stew with mussels and jumbo shrimp
Where to Drink:
We visited Kelly and Noah of Reeve Wines our second day in Healdsburg and we loved tasting all of their small batch wines. Their estate is picturesque and currently undergoing some exciting renovations which we look forward to seeing on our next trip up. Our favorite wine of theirs were their chilled rose which we had to take home with us. *P.S. Noah is the co-founder and Head wine maker at Banshee Wines in downtown Healdsburg and Reeve is a labor of love by night. Visiting Reeve Wines honestly felt like going to see your friends (who happened to have a winery) and it’s just fun, relaxing, and comfortable. Cheers!
Siduri is located literally a few steps from 235 Hotel. There’s something to be said for the decor and open window/day bed seating that attracts so many people aside from their delicious wine and pairings. I especially liked their cheese board with their pinot and would recommend sitting by the window while you sip and people watch.
Cheers!
It’s a big space. There are plenty of opportunities out there, people aren’t willing to work for it. In order to be successful in anything, you need to be original. Say thank you to those who have helped you (when they didn’t have to) and have some ounce of humility. Authenticity is so important and there is a lack of it.
As time goes on and everyone gets older some of those smells have gone away. We don’t do much on gift giving, in fact we don’t partake in Christmas shopping at all anymore. For us it’s really all about food, family, and banter. Not that it still isn’t, but as we’ve gotten older my Grandparents are no longer here with us and gatherings have become smaller and smaller. The fresh trees haven’t been in our house in a long time, but we do have garlands, Boo (our fur baby in his Christmas sweater) and fairy lights strung up which is nice. I miss certain things from childhood and I hope that one day we find that again.
A favorite wine from this year’s Paso Robles trip: 
