Healdsburg is known for many things, but breakfast isn’t one of them. Despite a wealth of fine dining options for lunch and dinner, there are precious few spots to tuck into a hearty pancake breakfast, eggs Benedict or morning mimosa.
Less than a month after opening, Acorn Café is staking a syrup-soaked claim on that void with its over-the-top takes on breakfast, brunch and lunch. The lineup includes tiramisu French toast, a brown butter hollandaise Benedict and quite possibly the world’s most inspired fried chicken sandwich.
A tasty low and no-alcohol and cocktail menu and wine list create a Sunday brunch feel even on weekday mornings.
“Here you can detox, re-tox and repeat,” said chef/owner Beryl Adler. The longtime fine-dining chef has worked in far-off locales like Bali, Australia and the Caribbean, but saw an opening for a sit-down café in Healdsburg dedicated to morning and early afternoon eats.
“In my experiences throughout Asia and Australia, I saw that breakfast can be fun, colorful and nourishing, and that’s what I wanted to bring here,” he said.
Acorn Cafe is a Healdsburg gem for lunch and brunch
The former Oakville Grocery has been reborn as a joyful, light-filled downtown gathering spot decorated in sunkissed oranges and blues with modern wood accents. There’s plentiful seating inside and on the patio, which is warmed by a built-in fireplace.
And though Adler’s globe-trotting days are fond memories, he loves the small-town charm of Healdsburg, where he can spend time with his wife and young daughter. As a dad, he was emphatic that the café welcome families, offering a special children’s menu, book-borrowing and a toy corner.
“There’s something touching about this tight-knit community of 12,000 people. It’s got that small-town charm and ultra-luxury feel, the best of both worlds,” Adler said. “That’s why we wanted to call it home.”
ice cream from the Acorn Cafe Thursday, October 3, 2024 in Healdsburg. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Best Bets
Fried Chicken Sando, $21: After suffering from a litany of distressingly over- or undercooked fried chicken sandwiches, I’m cautious about ordering them. Adler’s, however, had my attention with a Goguette Bread togarashi-topped bun (made specially for Acorn), housemade teriyaki sauce, pickled carrots and daikon and a slather of spicy mayo. Each bite is creamy, crunchy, sweet, pickle-y and delicious, with a restrained crunch that tickles rather than tearing up the inside of your mouth. Required eating.
Lemon Ricotta Hotcake, $15: If you’ve seen the ridiculously fluffy Japanese pancakes starring on every food blogger’s social media pages, you’ll get this pillow-top hotcake. Impressively large without the overpowering bitterness of too much baking powder. Adler says the ricotta cheese helps puff up the batter. Served with lemon lavender ice cream from nearby Noble Folk bakery.
Tiramisu French toast, $16: Almost too cute to eat, this dessert-for-breakfast concoction starts with Goguette brioche, adding a layer of pressed cacao nibs and topped by kisses of whipped mascarpone and coffee ice cream.
Goguette brioche from the Acorn Cafe Thursday, October 3, 2024 in Healdsburg. (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
Shop Local Benedict, $20: Brown butter takes this hollandaise to the next level, turbo-powering the sauce with flavor. Fat slices of Journeyman bacon and perfectly poached eggs make this a new brunch favorite. Served with roasted and togarishi-spiced purple and sweet potatoes.
Green Eggs & Ham, $18: This Turkish-inspired egg dish may have a silly name, but it’s dead-serious delightful. Two poached eggs sit atop a pool of herby yogurt and zesty Egyptian dukkah spice, begging for enthusiastic dipping of grilled sourdough toast. It would be equally delicious without the generous slice of salty ham, but Sam-I-Am might be disappointed.
Buckeye Cocktail, $15: Skip the orange juice for this punchy cocktail made with tangy Seville orange aperitif, turmeric, ginger tonic and lemon.
Blood Orange Spritz, $10: Aperol spritz and mimosas are so last week. Brunch has a new bestie in this sweet and tart porch-pounder that’s refreshing, fizzy and a perfect foil to rich dishes.
Acorn Café also offers grab-and-go salads and sandwiches, juices and smoothies. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday with an all-day menu 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a cocktail and snack menu 3 to 5 p.m. 124 Matheson St., Healdsburg, acornhealdsburg.com
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at [email protected]. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.
