Barndiva
Erik Anderson stuffs the burger patty with Gruyere and the Bordelaise goes over it at the table. Barndiva dropped its tasting menu in January 2024 and moved into the gallery next door.2
Why go
The pivot is the story. Barndiva held a Michelin star for three years running, then in January 2024 it cut the elaborate multicourse menu, cut the front-of-house down to far fewer servers and reopened a la carte in the bigger art gallery next door.2 The original room is kept for private events now.2 Heather Irwin asked the obvious question, which was why a chef with that many accolades is cooking hamburgers, and Lukka Feldman answered it: the owners wanted to reach more local farmers growing unusual things, and to get back to what makes them happy.2 The star went in 2024.2 The Michelin inspector still writes the room up and still names Anderson on the pass.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Gallery Burger. Gruyere inside the patty, thyme in the beef, sesame bun, caramelized onions, and Bordelaise poured at the table. It was $21 in February 2024.2
- Order: the Mt. Lassen trout rillettes, shredded trout under a cap of fat with egg yolk jam and chives, on warm brioche. Irwin calls it the dish where Anderson's talent shows. It was $16.2
- Order: a Scott Beattie cocktail. The Philmaitai runs three rums with a coconut fat wash; the Winter Manhattan uses a Sonoma County Asian pear from farmer Ken Gradek. Both were $24.2
- Avoid: expecting the tasting menu. It has been gone since January 2024.2
What locals & experts say
- Heather Irwin, Sonoma Magazine (23 February 2024), on the burger:
When $25 burgers barely get a blink lately, this version is a steal of a deal.
On the trout:This is where Anderson's talent shines.
Her one complaint was a second visit where the pool of Bordelaise turned into a puddle.2 - The MICHELIN inspector:
Chef Erik Anderson's cooking is laser-focused on prime local produce. Come in spring and you may be treated to first of the season Zuckerman Farms green asparagus with a rich Hollandaise sauce.
1
Good to know
- Hours: from 5pm, Thursday through Monday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.1
- The prices above are February 2024 and are printed with that date for a reason.
- Booking: OpenTable through the venue's own site, with limited walk-in seating.3
- Sonoma Magazine stamped a note on top of its own review, saying the kitchen has changed since it was written and not saying how.2
Verdict
should-visit — A kitchen that gave back its tasting menu to cook a Juicy Lucy is worth paying attention to, and Heather Irwin ate her way through it dish by dish with the prices attached, from trout rillettes capped with fat and egg yolk jam to a burger she called a steal at $21. Michelin still lists the room and its inspector still names Erik Anderson and the Zuckerman Farms asparagus. The star went in 2024 and the entry says so. Two things hold it off the top rung: the only detailed review is two and a half years old, and Sonoma Magazine's own note says the kitchen has changed since without saying how.