Madrona Manor Sonoma

This is the seventh and final post in our series on Sonoma California!  Other posts in this series include Harvest Moon Sonoma, La Salette Portuguese Cuisine, The Donum Estate, The Sunflower Caffe,  El Molino Central, and Saddles Steak House.

Behind every exquisite dining experience is the genius creativity and dedicated hard work of an executive chef and his or her team. In the case of the Restaurant at Madrona Manor, much credit is due to executive Chef Jesse Mallgren, who has been at the helm of this restaurant since 1999 (!).

Before heading up Madrona Manor, Bay area native Chef Mallgren trained under the area's powerhouses such as Jeremiah Tower and Gary Danko. His training is decidedly French, but like most chefs in wine country, is very influenced by the local produce (including the restaurant's garden), and more recently, by his trip to Japan.

Consistency is important, and Madrona Manor has consistently held onto its one Michelin star rating for the past ten years straight.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner there one our last evening in Sonoma. It was an excellent dinner, with many highlights which I'll share in detail below. We decided to get the Tasting Menu, which requires participation of the entire table. $98 USD per person, with an additional $55 for optional wine pairing. For several courses there was a  choice between two options. We tried to pick the two different options so we could sample more. 
 
We started with one of their signature dishes, The Smoked Egg. The presentation was dramatic, with an egg served covered with a glass full of smoke. As the server removed the glass, wisps of smoke wafted out and filled the air. Inside the egg was a smoked sabayon (a foamy thick cream made by whisking egg yolks, sherry, and lemon), watercress purée, prosciutto, and potato. I absolutely loved the burst of flavors in such a delicate presentation. It was a perfect way to start the meal.

Bryan's first course consisted of Bulgarian Osetra Caviar served with a shiitake gelee, cute dollops of creme fraiche, and tiny little slices of onion. It was excellent.

I loved my first course, Hokkaido Scallop Crudo served with mountain potato, fresh wasabi, and persimmon vinegar garnished with just a bit of onions, cilantro, and large crystals of sea salt. I was tickled and pleased that they gave me chopsticks with which to eat this course.

For the second course, Bryan had a delicious Onion Velouté that came with a slow cooked egg (he is breaking up the yolk in the photo), banyuls vinegar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Lovely flavors.

For the second course I enjoyed some beautiful, large French white asparagus, served with Mangalista lard vinaigrette, hazelnuts, and micro herbs. Mangalista is a breed of pigs from Hungary with distinctive curly hair (they sort of look like sheep) and known most for its lard, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids, is "lighter" than normal lard, and contains more unsaturated fat.

This dish was pleasant, although I personally preferred Bryan's onion velouté during this course.

We both opted for the King Salmon for our next course, served over a sunchoke puree and topped with a  lovely spring garlic pesto. A splash of Meyer lemon and tiny onion flowers completed the dish. The salmon was beautifully cooked, so soft and tender. The course screamed spring and brought back nostalgic memories for me of such great West Coast ingredients that I don't see as much in Hong Kong.

For the fourth course Bryan (who loves duck more than I do), had the Liberty Farm Duck with beluga lentils asparagus, black garlic, and sherry vinegar. Though I don't love duck, I even thought this dish was very well executed.

I got the Japanese Wagyu, which came with estate kale, rice topped with Japanese furikake (a blend of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and seasoning) and aged soy sauce. The beef was absolutely delicious, and I enjoyed the accompaniments on the side.

For dessert, we really enjoyed the dense German-style cake Almond Kuchen, which came with a rhubarb gel and a sour cream sherbet.

We finished off the meal with a simple assortment of mignardises including chamomile marshmallow bites, creamsicle truffles, and caramel honeycomb.

General Thoughts

We really had a lovely, relaxed time at Madrona Manor. The pace was perfect, the service was excellent, and the food was very, very good. The environment is definitely a bit older feeling, like you're eating in another century in an old Victorian mansion. The word "Manor" is actually quite appropriate.

The restaurant is associated with the larger Madrona Manor, a distinguished Victorian estate built in 1881 that has several rooms where you can stay, the restaurant, as well as other relaxing activities (sit by the pool, perhaps?). It reminds me of other similar types of properties where you can stay at a cozy B&B like environment while enjoying phenomenal food on the premises -- place like The Restaurant at Meadowood or Single Thread Farms.

Healdsburg, the city where the restaurant is located, is a lovely town to explore as well as use as a base for exploring nearby vineyards and wineries.

If you're not quite ready to commit to a long tasting menu, the restaurant also offers an a la carte menu or even an "I'll have One of Everything" share the entire a la carte menu served in five courses for $468 (I think you need a pretty large party for that one!).

Finally, there's a lounge (no reservations) where you can grab a drink and a few bites, including a few of the dishes from the tasting menu (e.g., the smoked egg, scallops crudo, onion veloute), as well as upscale versions of bar standards such as a dry-aged beef burger, french fries, and wagyu tartare.

All in all, there are many reasons to come by Madrona Manor. It's no accident that this place has been here for so long and has consistently been recognized for its excellent food.

Highly recommended

Madrona Manor Sonoma
1001 Westside Rd
Healdsburg, CA 95448, USA

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