We will be celebrating the Holidays in both the Barn and the Bistro this year with a la carte and prix fixe parties on Christmas Eve, a Boxing Day Brunch, and two distinct menus on New Year's - the penultimate meal of the year.
Our Holiday calendar can be found HERE and on the homepage. We invite you to join us for one, two or even three remarkable services. We have much to celebrate this year and we hope you will allow us to show you our appreciation for your continued patronage by raising a glass with us in the run up to 2016.
The Holidays for Barndiva is all about extolling the virtues of luxurious comfort - celebrating cherished traditions in our version of grand style. The epitome of what we mean by luxurious comfort can be found in a deceptively simple dish that started life when Ryan decided to re-conceive the loaded baked potato. Humble in origin - like the best traditions often are - Chef takes a single potato and transforms it into an elegant dish that celebrates what we love about holiday fare.
It starts with a plump Yukon Gold he sous vides in duck fat. The tender spud is then top and tailed, cross hatching the soft inner slice which is then pan basted in butter, garlic and thyme. Last step is under the salamander where the top surface forms a salty, peppery crust, the encircling potato skin blistering to a deep golden brown.
Kendall Farm crème frâiche, a handful of tiny chopped scallion tops, and a holiday crown of Ryan’s pickled red cabbage complete the dish. Flavors are earthy and bright green, with a vinegary punch from the cabbage and a deeply satisfying contrast in texture as you bite through the crust into the smooth confit aromatics of the long cooked spud. The perfect accompaniment to an entrée of herbed sole, you can order it 'off the menu' as the first act for a winter meal that delights. Welcome to the Holiday Season.
While on the Cocktail Front....
We are blasting through cocktails right now as recent tastings have expanded our artisanal spirit collections in both bars. In case you haven't discovered by now, Barndiva and the Gallery Bar have distinctly different personalities. Cocktails in the Barn are layered and mysterious, while the Gallery focuses on nailing the classic cocktail (3 ingredients or less) in all its forms.
By far the most most popular new cocktail we are shaking this Holiday in Barndiva is The Crystal Ball - the first night we made over 20 of them. It's a collaboration with our new friend Erin Hines, the talent behind Bitter Girl Bitters, a wonderful range of Bitters sourced and made by Erin right here in Sonoma County. We fell in love with Erin's Batch 1 and immediately thought of pairing it with Barndiva's Apple Syrup, made from 20 varieties of our heirloom dry farmed (county fair winning) apples. Blood Orange Vodka turned out to be a perfect meeting place for these two intriguing ingredients. Barndiva and Bitter Girl don't just partner up in this wintery, citrusy libation, we dance the light fantastic. You don't need a crystal ball to know this cocktail will become a Barn classic.
You can find the whole range of Bitter Girl Bitters at Bottle Barn (no relation), K&L Liquors, or jump onto Erin's website, bittergirlbitters.com.
And as a special Christmas treat, Barndiva has bottled some of our precious 2014 Barndiva Farm Heirloom Apple Syrup - so conceivably you could try this cocktail at home. Here's an idea: pick one up when you come in for a Barndiva Gift Certificate, the perfect last minute gift. Good for replenishing the soul next year with great food and drink - and unconventional art - in the Barn, the Bistro and the Gallery.
