July 27, 2023 By Aaron Romano Wine Spectator
After parting ways with partners Kyle and Katina Connaugton at the end of 2022, Little Saint owners Laurie and Jeff Ubben took a brief hiatus to reevaluate the restaurant. They reopened with an all-day café and wine lounge on the first floor of the two-story building in the town of Healdsburg, introducing a more casual menu that is still farm-to-table and plant-based, all while promising something special for the upstairs dining room.
That new restaurant, The Second Story, debuted July 7 as an elevated dining concept with executive chef Stu Stalker at the helm. Stalker most recently headed the kitchen at Popl, a neighborhood burger spot in Copenhagen, Denmark, opened by several alums of celebrated restaurant Noma, where he spent eight years as senior sous chef and research and development chef. The chef said a series of happy coincidences led him to California wine country.
“A friend of mine has a holiday home here [in Healdsburg] and is friends with Laurie and Jeff; they came to Copenhagen to eat at the restaurant I was at,” Stalker explained to Wine Spectator. “They gave me a call, and I was already planning to move to San Diego with family. We came up here and spent a few days, then a week, and really liked the place and the idea behind Little Saint and decided to take it on.”
Stalker said the Ubbens had a mission statement and an idea for the opening, but no culinary team or menu conceived when he came on. “One of the big things about moving here was that they had their own farm,” he said, commenting that he’s excited about California’s climate and year-round access to fresh produce.
The result of their collaboration is a $120 multi-course menu showcasing the season’s bounty. Among the dishes on The Second Story’s opening menu, Stalker highlighted one that celebrates summer produce. “We take five or six vegetables and apply different techniques, from grilled to lightly smoked to marinated and dried,” he explained. “Then we add tons of fresh herbs and a dressing of smoked tomato, miso and pasilla chile. It’s hearty and smoky but clean—nothing hidden.”
Stalker said the menu is all about simple presentations and deep, clean flavors, quickly pointing out that his team is not trying to aim for exclusivity. “It’s important that we’re seen as a neighborhood restaurant to serve people from the community,” he said. The $120 price tag is much lower than at other multi-course restaurants in the area, such as Cyrus in Geyserville or the French Laundry in Yountville. In short, The Second Story isn’t offering a white-tablecloth dining experience; its dining room is open and airy with wood tables and lots of plants that lend a cozy and convivial atmosphere.
The wine list is slightly more adventurous than the café’s, though wine director Alex Sarovich’s nearly 600-label, downstairs program is available for guests upstairs as well. The full list contains a treasure trove of selections from wineries practicing sustainable techniques, spanning the globe with impressive breadth across many categories. However, Sarovich has given special attention to the upstairs list, with wines tailored specifically to The Second Story’s cuisine. “We went heavy in Aligoté and some higher-end rosés to gear towards the beautifully delicate, fresh vegetables highlighted in a few of the first courses,” Sarovich said.
Guests can add wine pairings to their meal for an additional $65. According to Sarovich, one of these has been particularly popular: “For the no-ABV pairing, we highlight a local non-alcoholic wine called Kally. It’s made right here in Healdsburg and utilizes local verjus (juice pressed from grapes that have not ripened), offering a remarkable level of tart fruit and slight sweetness.”—A.R.