THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Manzanita

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Manzanita Restaurant Review:

Early fanfare helped Manzanita stake a claim among Healdsburg’s top tables. Things seem promising just inside the doorway, as enticing aromas from pizzas pulled from the wood-burning oven greet. Cords of manzanita wood, low brick walls and a barn-like, rough wood board ceiling add interest to the dining room. Certain dishes work well enough: grilled Pacific oysters with artichoke hearts, fun fried olives, and thin crisp-crust pizzas (though the “al funghi’s” advertised morels seem to be M.I.A.). Alas, chef transitions have made the place less reliable in general. Whole tai snapper with clams and saffron broth should wow but tastes boring. Grilled bavette steak, usually a flavorful cut, has little flavor, as does the accompanying bordelaise sauce (if only the listed prosciutto had shown up on cue). Rock-hard chocolate chip semifreddo isn’t worth waiting for the thaw. Service needs discipline. Given the prices and competition, waiting for Thursday night’s $25 prix-fixe local’s menu seems the best choice.