I never really venture out to Healdsburg, CA as I love going to Napa for my wine country trips, but BottleRock (Napa’s annual music festival) caused us to go in a different direction. Although Healdsburg is not Napa, it’s still a really cute town with plenty of smaller wineries and many places to eat. We started our day with brunch at Barndiva and couldn’t be more satisfied.
Entrance
The restaurant actually looks like a barn! I love the rustic, yet hipster feel of this place.
Inside
The inside of the restaurant is super cute, but it was a gorgeous day out and we wanted to enjoy our meal outside on their patio instead.
Menu
I like their menu – one page and super simple. It makes ordering a little easier for indecisive people like me.
Drinks
My family are not big drinkers, but still like to enjoy a couple refreshing non-alcoholic drinks. We got a rose sparkler and a lavender lemonade. They both had a nice subtle floral flavor and did not taste like soap at all. I would recommend one of these with any meal.
Starter
These chevre croquettes seem like popular starter so we got an order to try. I can see why they’re so popular. The croquette was perfectly fried and the cheese inside was the perfect amount of cheesy and melty. I don’t know how they did it, but the honey and lavender goes really well with it for a sweet and savory taste. Despite it being fried, it was a really light starter. I could probably eat this by myself as just my meal.
The Meals
We got the duck confit and the 2 burgers to share.
Crispy Leg Duck Confit
The duck confit had so much going on! The duck was moist and tender and had a nice crispy skin. The poached egg was cooked perfectly and went well with the salad and the dressing. The salad was nice and crispy and was dressed with a tangy and vinegary dressing. I don’t know why there was a stripe of bacon on top as well, but no one complained.
Banh Mi
The banh mi burger was so good. It had great bold Asian flavors and there was no complaints about this burger being bland. It came with a refreshing fruit salad mixed with a few root vegetables as well. And the fries… they might be my favorite item of the meal! I’m not sure if they were considered fries or chips or fry-chips, but they were amazing! It had a crisp outside like a chip and a perfectly soft middle like a fry and a nice crinkle texture from the ridges. If you didn’t get a burger and they sell them as a side, I would recommend getting some!
Filet Mignon Burger
We also got the filet mignon burger and it was SO tender. The meat itself didn’t have too much seasoning except for cheese and tomato, but it was so delicious on it’s own that it didn’t need anything to supplement it. The burger patty pretty much melts in your mouth and it was so delicious to eat with just the natural flavors from the meat. And I’m glad there were more fries!
Verdict
Overall, this is a great place to come to for brunch (or any meal). They have a great patio for nice days, friendly staff and delicious food! We left there completely full and satisfied and ready to explore the rest of Healdsburg.
