Dry Creek Kitchen

After 15 minutes at the table, the waiter looked insulted when I asked for a menu. The waiter was snotty and pretentious, the food good and beautifully presented but expensive which would have been ok had the service been better. My daughter asked for her steak ""medium"" only to be infomed that ""Chef prefers ""medium rare"". General Manager Dan stopped by the table and he was great. The whole service sequence seemed to be out of sync and clumsy, especially dessert. They cleared the crumbs, reset the table for dessert but we had no dessert menu. Beautiful room but very street-noisey making it hard to hear the waiter. Generally, the evening was a bust. more

Great Healdsburg restaurant. The food is always top notch, and the atmosphere is inviting. more

We walked in on a long weekend. Since there was a wait of 10 mins, the Manager seated us in the lounge next door where we enjoyed a quiet 10 mins in front of the the fire place. The Manager went out of his way to make us comfortable since we had a baby in the group. Excellent Food. Every dish that came to our table was very tasty. The Five Herb Gnocci was exceptional. \r \r Would go there again Pros: Tasty food, good service Cons: Pricey more

I have been to the Dry Creek Kitchen on several occasions between 2005 and as recently as December 2007 at Christmas and after happening upon the poor reviews here - I felt I needed to put by two cents here. My main goal as an avid foodie is to find food which has been taken care of and served by people who actually like what they do.\r \r The December dinner was a great experience - I was able to make reservations and also easily change them for Christmas eve for four people. We all had the fixed price dinner with wine and where served by someone we had not had on a previous visit. The waiter was friendly and informative, and allowed for the right amount of time between courses (very important for a 6 course meal) and checked on us no more or no less than what we expected. They were also kind enough to substitute out one of the courses which contained an item which one of our party was allergic with no problem and the substitution was of the same level of quality. In short - a wonderful staff.\r \r In terms of the food - I cannot say enough good things about the menu and the attentiveness to flavor and texture. This is not a bland, boring meal that you sail through and say it was good or great - it is food that demands attention and draws the diner in to experience the flavors. It is not to say that this is some sort of stuffy, snobbish fare of miniscule proportions so delighted in by some of today's ""top chefs"", but rather a series of small dissertations on the essence of a particular flavor. The filet mignon is perfectly seared, the pork belly something that I would ask for on my death bed and the various soups and risottos are perfectly portioned and just exactly what you want in a meal - something familiar from childhood mixed with something new. \r \r I have also frequented The Farmhouse Inn, Manzanita (avoid), and Zen in Healdsburg, but always come back to Dry Creek Kitchen. Pros: Fixed price dinner, warm and friendly staff, easy to make reservations Cons: There isn't a place like this in LA! more

Don?t believe the hype? Probably a good move if you?re planning on visiting Dry Creek Kitchen. True, Dry Creek does have an extraordinary menu with delicious food and even more scrumptious desserts. True, the wait staff is attentive, friendly, and sharp. False, the experience is worth the expense. While Dry Creek will give your mouth a thrilling adventure, it will also empty your wallet. If money is not a concern, go for it. However, if you want to pinch a few pennies, there?s plenty more to choose from in Healdsburg.\r ? Recommendation: Sashimi, mini foie gras burgers, and the sorbet sampler. Pros: Delicious food, attentive service, great atmosphere. Cons: Very expensive and probably just as good as other less expensive restaurants. more

Rude employees from beginning to end. The wait staff to manager treated us as if we didn't belong there. Very snotty employees. I have never been treated so demeaning at a restaurant. When we asked the manager if we could speak to the owner, he proceeded to speak another language and pretended he couldn't understand me. Very immature. You would think for the amount of money spent here customer service would be exceptional, however it is exceptionally bad. Food is nothing to rave about, ambience ok, but the service makes the whole experience not worth it. Very overpriced, poor service, and snooty employees. I will never go to this restaurant again nor will I ever recommend it to anyone. There are other restaurants in Healdsburg that are quality. Pros: Gnocci Cons: Poor customer service more

Despite the other reviews., we had a perfectly great meal here. On a tasting menu as part of Hotel Package our expectations were not that high. Its a very pretty, very Sonoma looking place, Very Beige. Big Chairs.\r The dishes were inventive , but not fussy. We had all the deserts on the menu (don't ask) and they were sublime. No corkage fees on Sonoma Wines, which is nice, the outside patio is big and airy. Way less stuffy than a lot of the local joints in this area. We had a great waiter , Richard as I recollect, who told us his life story and all about the town. He will extremely informed about the food and especially the wine, good service overall. Pros: NO CORKAGE FEES ON SONOMA WINES Cons: HAD TO WAIT A WHILE TO BE SEATED WITH EMPTY TABLES, ALWAYS A DOWNER more

I wish I read the reviews before making reservations. My family gathered recently for a birthday celebration. The service was so slow it became a point of amusement. The staff was snooty and treated us almost with contempt, as if we should be honored to be spending our money there. The food was underwhelming, nothing to write home about. Thank heaven for good wine.....not that it arrived in a timely fashion. The dining room is beautiful and atmosphere is absolutely perfect, but I have never felt so unwelcome in such a lovely place. Never again. Pros: Lovely atmosphere Cons: You can't eat atmosphere more

Can't really figure out what this place is known for - the service was uneven, the food was ok but not amazing, and all the hype seems to fuel an attitude of ""aren't you so lucky to be eating here."" Just because something is artfully arranged on a plate doesn't make it good. For the money, we expected a little more on every level, and having to walk outside to the next building just to use the bathroom was the icing on the cake. Pros: Decor, Wine List Cons: Average food more

We went for lunch and what a disappointment. I had the Vegetable Market Composition. It appeared in a trio which I suppose makes it a composition. Perhaps trio has been claimed by other chefs and Charlie Palmer prefers composition as a description of three bad servings of food all of which have no relationship to one another. Well part of it was fair, but the really bad part was the porcini risotto. It looked bad and tasted worse. Skip this restaurant and head elsewhere on the square in Healdsburg. Overpriced to the max and I think the restaurant may have spent their money on big plates and didnt put enough aside for food. Thank goodness for this poor budgeting and tiny portions because I would not want food prepared so poorly and then wasted. more

Absolutuely the worst dining experience I can remember in a long time!!! The staff is rude, the bartender was a jerk, and the service non-existent. I dine out frequently and have never been treated so poorly in any restaurant. The level of pretention on the part of the staff was enough to make my dining partner and I chuckle out loud when we finally left, frustrated and still ravenous. The food was weak at best, terribly boring cheese plate and wine list. The dining room itself is about the only thing the place has going for it. I strongly recommend dining elsewhere when in Healdsburg. Pros: nice space Cons: rude staff, poor service, not-so-great food more

Every dish was easily the most flavorful concoction I've had in quite some time... They incorporate mostly every day items--at least, for NorCal--and make them sublime, in texture and flavor. My foie gras with grilled peached, and figs and honey dessert (including to-die-for baked alaska, fig gelato, and poached figs) were fantastic, and even my ""market vegetable composition"" main course, with fettucine w/ mushrooms, eggplant tart, and mini-cast iron pot of veggies was sublime. Granted, the service is quirky--we arrived early, but were seated on time at a table that had been empty when we arrived, and our waiter was a little odd... including knowingly asking me how our strong red wine went with my veggie plate... but was also, to his credit, genuinely interested in the answer.... I am still too amazed by the food to feel anything else! more

Our first visit to Healdsburg was highlighted by our dinner at the Dry Creek Kitchen. The dining room had a comfortable relaxed, but elegant quality. The staff was attentive without be obvious. The food was beautifully presented and paced well. I was not thrilled with the fish soup on the tasting menu but the other selections were wonderful, concluding with a fabulous Baked Alaska. The manager was friendly and informative and seemed to have a watchful command of the dining room and the staff. Staying at the hotel was a treat, and very luxurious but the restaurant was my favorite of the entire experience. Highly reccommended for a get away weekend. Pros: staff, ambiance, food more

I first dined here 6 months after they opened. Back then the food was not memorable at all and the service was too young, inexperienced and sloppy at best. Well now (jan 05, 3 years later) the service has not improved much, the exceptions were the stellar hostess and our server who was good. The bartender was literally a train wreck. Overlooked on our table when we were sat was a oil spill or stain in the center of the tablecloth. A bad pairing was the very sweet sorbet on the oysters. The ""confit"" foie was a little bloody and the texture wasn't pleasing. The stuffed rabbit leg was very dry. Desserts were good. Wine list exceptional. Cannot recommend, but would stay at the hotel again. Pros: the room Cons: , overall service more

I have dined at Dry Creek Kitchen twice in the past and enjoyed it very much. On a recent day-trip we called the restaurant but were told they were fully booked. However, they advised that they have walk-in seating on the patio and in the lobby. We told them we would be there in 10-15 minutes. On arrival, 2 of the 6 tables on the patio were occupied. When we asked about walk-in seating we were advised that all walk-in tables were ""spoken for"". There were no people waiting; there were several empty tables; the receptionist was extremely rude! Pros: food, ambience, wine list Cons: , "walk-in" seating-not more

Staff was courteous enough, but it was a 2.5 hours dinner (and not the ""good kind"" of 2.5 dinner, i.e. for a long, nice tasting menu). After sitting down and not seeing a waiter for 10mins, he finally took our drink order. It took another 10mins for him to tell us they were out of mint for my drink (and still the glass of wine for my girlfriend was not yet delivered). No apologies for the drinks arriving much later -- I was however charged for the mint-based drink that never arrived. About the food -- passable, but nothing to write home about. I am not a salt freak, but my thick-cut pork chop was woefully underseasoned, as was my girlfriend's salad (even more unusual given the toppings: white anchovies). Ambience is chic enough, but pls set expectations low and you might have a decent time. Pros: Ambience, Local free parking Cons: , Average food more

Charlie Palmers Dry Creek Kitchen is renowned as it should be due to its impeccable food and service! The staff is very knowledgeable about all the wines on the wine list that goes forever! All the food was amazing as we ordered the chefs tasting and had an opportunity to sample a lavish selection from striped bass to scallops to quail to flank steak. Ohhhh, and the local cheeses after dinner - absolutely amazing! We got to take our desserts and leftover vino upstairs to our hotel room! Attention to detail oozes from all four corners of Hotel Healdsburg and Charlie Palmers Dry Creek Kitchen. Were making our long weekend rendezvous to Hotel Healdsburg and Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen an annual affair! Pros: Amazing Food, Perfect Service, Educated Staff more

The Dry Creek Kitchen was far from overcrowded over Barrel Tasting Weekend. After the meal, we understood why. The restaurant fell dramatically short of expectations. Their Fois Gras starter ($19) was served over a bread pudding. The savory taste of the liver and the slight sweet taste of the bread pudding, although similar in texture, was a combination that simply didn't work. The waiter brought out our duck entree ($27) took it back when he saw we weren't ready, and by the time he returned it, it simply wasn't warm enough. We asked for them to re-heat it, and it still wasn't warm enough, and the absence of taste didn't help. Judging by the other Cityseach reviews, I'm glad we didn't stick around for coffee and dessert. I wouldn't go back there even on someone else's expense account. Have Charlie Palmer's restaurants become insipid Wolfgang Puck type franchises? Cons: , expensive more

I ate at Dry Creek Kitchen a few months ago. While the food was average (though a disappointment for the cost) the service was truly terrible. Rude, indifferent hostesses and a sarcastic dining room manager presided over the scene. I wrote to Charlie Palmer via one of his New York restaurants (he obviously logs no time at Dry Creek, that's for sure) and never heard a word. In my view the only redeeming quality of the experience was the nice dining room and the wine (and waiting for my table in the hotel bar next door). I give them 6 months... more

Good service (actually almost over the top) and nice ambiance. Food was extremely disappointing to say the least. Way overpriced and bland. Good thing we had a gift cetificate and did not have to pay for much. Would not return. Pros: Service, Dining Room Cons: Food, Prices more