After a morning tour of the vineyard where my friend works (the biodynamic Eco Terreno<\/a>, if you’re looking for something nice for your wine collection), we decided to head into town for lunch.\u00a0 My host, a friend since…well, 1993?\u00a0 1994? quizzed me, then settled on SHED Healdsburg<\/a><\/strong>, a well-known restaurant and culinary shopping venue in town (that also happen to serve their wine).\u00a0 As Rob is crushing it with Cross Fit, and I was (at least on day #3 of my trip) still trying to keep to something of a diet, I was impressed with the number of healthy options available.\u00a0 Although really, it’s northern California, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been too surprised.<\/p>\n

Inside this bright and airy restaurant, I also had a distinct moment of ‘this would never happen in the UAE.’\u00a0 Although we come close in Dubai (The Lighthouse<\/a> in D3 and Comptoir 102 on Beach Road both come to mind), there are very few places that easily blend retail and dining space.\u00a0 Even though you didn’t ask, I think a particular genre of mid-range restaurants would be wise to move in this direction.\u00a0 Given how large many of the venues are in the UAE, there is undoubtedly\u00a0square footage to carve out small retail spaces.\u00a0 Ahem.\u00a0 This is all to say I was quite happy to wander around and view the many (many!) things to look at inside SHED, while my friend finished a call at the end of our meal.\u00a0 If you like kitchenware, local wine, fancy chocolate, and other unique foodie products, SHED is worth stopping in for a look around (even if you aren’t eating).<\/p>\n

So, what about the food?\u00a0\u00a0I mean, really, that’s what motivates us to visit a restaurant, is it not?<\/p>\n

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A sumptuous and savory cod with broth – the fresh slightly charred sourdough bread was a perfect accompaniment. \u2022 Did I mention @healdsburgshed serves my friend\u2019s @ecoterrenowines? \u2665\ufe0f<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Courtney Brandt<\/a> (@atozaatar) on Oct 31, 2018 at 5:40am PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n