Cuisine:

• Californian
• American
• New American

Bistro Ralph Description:
One of Healdsburg's first refined dining venues, this high-ceilinged sliver of a restaurant blends in with the boutiques facing the town square. Intriguing decorative elements that subtly evoke country field debris (pinecones, wire, an antique bike wheel, wild birds on canvas and ceiling) plus orange seats perk up the clean design of the interior. The place holds its own, despite fairly standard and pricey bistro fare. Simple pounded ahi carpaccio with avocado chunks, or a wedge of iceberg lettuce, bacon and blue cheese dressing make pseudo-lean lead-ins. Choose from substantial mains like duck leg confit with lentils or diver scallops with sweet potato purée. Potato shallot gratin soothes, but accompanying burnt and stringy short ribs tarnish the potential depth of the plate. There's also too-precious regard for oven-fired, oily rolls used to greet diners. Dessert is the best bet; it tends to keep chocolate in radar range, from a simple sundae to profiteroles. First-name basis locals often populate the bar stools for a glass of exclusively Sonoma wine.


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