A food tour of wine country seemed like the perfect thing for a Wine Wednesday post! Just like I heard about River’s Edge Kayak and Canoe Trips from The Wine Road, I received an introduction to Tammy from Savor Healdsburg Food Tours from them as well. We woke up bright and early on Sunday morning of our Healdsburg stay and enjoyed another morning of coffee at our country cottage before heading into town for the food tour.
The Farm to Table Tour, which we were on, had five stops, all unique and filling us with good food and wine, so I am going to break it up into a couple of posts to make sure I can cover all the stops.
We met Tammy and the rest of our small group in the Healdsburg Plaza, a wonderful place to hang out, enjoy the gorgeous weather, and people watch.
After some background information on Healdsburg (one of the best places on earth, in my opinion), we headed to our first stop, The Wurst.
The Wurst was opened by Detroit native Charles Bell, who brings some flavors and ingredients of the Midwest to California. And if you are in the mood for something hearty, fun, and flavorful, this is the spot.
Our tour grabbed a couple of outside tables; where else would you want to be when it is a perfect California summer day?! Our table was quickly filled with baskets of fries, dipping sauces, and the sausages that make The Wurst famous around town. Favorites included the sweet potato fries (perfectly soft and crunchy) in beer mustard and the Harissa Hottie sausage (pork, beef apricot, Harissa spice, habanero chili, coriander). You know if there’s spice, I am on it! The Polish sausage was a close second; the flavors reminded me of Easter dinners with Eastern European family.
We loved The Wurst’s laid back feel and casual fare, and the service was warm and friendly. It was a great way to start the tour, and we left feeling a little full already!
Luckily we had a short walk to get ready for our next stop, one of my new favorite spots, Healdsburg SHED. This large, open, and airy restaurant/café/shop is a food lover’s paradise and the perfect place to start your day in Healdsburg, especially if you have a wine country picnic in mind.
It has everything you could possibly want and is buzzing with energy, excitement, and great smells. One of their unique features is their fermentation bar, which serves up kombucha, kefir, and shrubs. I love fermented drinks of all sorts but especially love these healthy ones!
SHED serves up two different wood fired pizzas daily, in addition to all sorts of other specialties.
There are meats and cheeses, prepared foods, garden supplies, cook books, flowers, and so much more. SHED also offers all sorts of classes on learning different things like canning, fermenting, and more. You could easily visit and spend a whole day (and a whole lot of money) at this beautiful spot. I am officially in love.
The highlight of our visit was of course getting to sample some of the culinary delights SHED has to offer. The heat outside didn’t stand a chance against this refreshing shrub, made with fresh fruit and vinegar. It was lightly sweet, tangy, and cool; the perfect drink for a summer day.
We also shared one of the pizzas of the day, a thin, perfect crust dotted with cheese, jalapeno and shishito peppers. The mezze plate of the day was a favorite of everyone, especially the big block of feta and the bright, earthy beet tzatziki. Every bite was delicious, and as we went along, the group chatted more. It’s always fun when you have a group that clicks, and we really enjoyed everyone along the journey.
Both The Wurst and SHED are Healdsburg businesses that we would definitely revisit. I love food tours and the way that they give you a taste of a variety of places; they’re ideal for the beginning of a trip to help set the tone and plan for the rest of the time there. Or, like for us, they make it even more enticing to plan a trip back. . .
Stay tuned for the next stops on the Savor Healdsburg Food Tour, where we’ll taste local wine, chow down on tapas, and finish with a sweet cupcake treat!
