Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen, Healdsburg, CA, USA

For reservations, e-mail reservations@charliepalmer.com, call 707-431-0330 or click the Reservations tab above. http://www.opentable.com/dry-creek-kitchen http://www.charliepalmer.com/Properties/DryCreekKitchen

If this country has a culinary cradle, it's in Northern Sonoma, where the fruits of local labor—from outstanding produce to handcrafted cheese—have never been on a plane. Drawing upon regional ingredients is a superior way to eat and one can taste the freshness in Chef de Cuisine Dustin Valette's Dry Creek Kitchen specialties. You can also experience the regional abundance in the six-course, wine-trail tasting menu, featuring "neighborhood" food and wine pairings.

Dry Creek Kitchen's wine cellar reflects the area's celebrated appellations, featuring more than 600 Sonoma wines with vintages ranging from 1985 to 2007 and a particular emphasis on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage Blends.

Palmer's long standing commitment to wine manifests itself in his one-of-kind-collection drawing from the private libraries and cellars of the area's winemakers, including limited production wines not available to anyone else, not even through private auctions.