Worth the Drive: Nomad Series at spoonbar, Healdsburg

Suggestions that are worth the drive outside of Sonoma Valley.

Last year, Chef Louis Maldonado introduced spoonbar’s Nomad Dinner, a series of Monday-Tuesday dinners that bring diners through a journey of worldly cuisine outside of the restaurant’s usual modern American menu. Past cuisines included English pub food, New England seafood, and a diverse Asian menu. The Nomad series was a success, leading to its return this winter. An updated Asian menu is complemented with a new Moroccan menu. Asian highlights include sashimi with warmed rice, nori, fermented chili and herbs ($24), hot and sour Dungeness crab soup ($14) and pork tonkatsu ($21). For the Moroccan menu, Maldonado channels his experience at Aziza, which earned its first Michelin star with him as Chef de Cuisine. Highlights include fried quail with lemons and fermented harissa ($17), traditional basteeya savory pie ($24) and goat cheese glazed in sumac and huckleberry ($10) for dessert. An accompanying cocktail menu will be offered. Asian dinners are featured January 26-27/February 9-10 and Moroccan dinners run February 2-3. Reservations recommended. Visit www.spoonbar.com for more information.