Valette

The story

Valette in Healdsburg: Californian Seasonal Dining on Center Street

Valette, a seasonal Californian restaurant at 344 Center St. in Healdsburg, carries a Michelin Recommended listing for 2026. Brothers Dustin Valette and Aaron Garzini opened it as a showcase for Sonoma County farmers, winemakers and artisans.

The kitchen and its sources

Dustin Valette cooks, and the menu names its suppliers right on the page. Liberty Farms duck breast comes with an apricot tamarind gastrique, and Mt. Lassen steelhead trout is served mi cuit with smoked steelhead and dill pollen. Some produce comes from an estate farm 100 yards from the restaurant. The seasonal Californian approach shows in dishes like chilled English pea soup and Sonoma County organic salad.

Dishes to start with

The table section runs from house cured heritage meats and house made mustards with toasted focaccia to American Kobe beef tartare and PEI mussels with chorizo. There is also a fava bean falafel with piquillo hummus for those skipping meat. For a larger commitment, the chef offers a "Trust me" tasting menu at a minimum of five courses.

Wine and dessert

Valette makes its own wines, and the list was recognized with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2016. Corkage is $25 per standard bottle, waived for each bottle bought from the house list. Desserts include salted brown butter ice cream and a spiced carrot cake, and the coffee is roasted locally by The Flying Goat.

Indoors and out

Dinner is served in the dining room or on the outdoor patio. Parties of seven or more commit to the chef's five-course tasting menu, which suits the small size of the house.