New Healdsburg Hotel To Debut Restaurant

Posted: January 21, 2005

Nick Peyton and Douglas Keane, co-owners of St. Helena's Market and San Francisco's Tablespoon, will open Cyrus, a luxe dining destination in the new Le Mars Hotel in Healdsburg, California, in January.

Gently lit, the elegant 100-seater is bathed in warm chocolate and golden tones; a dining room view of the glassed-in kitchen adds a touch of action drama. Peyton minds the front of the house as maître d', while Keane mans the kitchen, turning out high-end contemporary cuisine.

The menu is broken down into food groups rather than courses, and its prix-fixe format allows guests to customize their meal according to individual appetites. Three-, four-, and five-course menus are $52, $63, and $74, respectively; a seven-course tasting menu tops out at $85.

Soups & salads: chestnut/Sherry soup with black truffle froth; tamarind glazed duck confit salad with roasted daikon and fresh dates. Meat, poultry & game: brioche crusted sweetbreads with salsify puree, capers, and Port; roasted venison loin with Scotch soaked barley, persillade, and cranberry compote. Desserts: chestnut blini with maple sabayon and roasted quince; Black Forest warm chocolate cheesecake with cherry compote, crème fraîche, and cocoa tuiles.