SHED
I’m not proud to admit it, but in my life, there have been moments of retail exploration that have thrown me into a state of total adrenaline rush. This occurred the first time I stepped into Ralph Lauren’s Mecca of luxury shopping at his 72nd Street and Madison Avenue “Mansion” (remember the ’80’s?). Dean and Deluca similarly made my whole being shake the first time I saw the Prince Street store and then again the West Broadway emporium. It’s been a while, but once again my body and mind have been thrown into overdrive by the shopping experience at SHED in Healdsburg, CA. I would seriously move to Healdsburg simply to be close to this incredible business.
Clockwise from top right: lunch of Mezze Plate (white bean Hummus, roasted Kabocha Squash, marinated Beets, Feta and Olives and the most yummy strained Greek Yogurt with black sesame seeds), the Coffee Bar, outdoor gardening center, the façade, logo, “Cook” section
Who are Cindy Daniel and Doug Lipton, owners of Home Farm in Dry Creek Valley and the people with such impeccable taste and talent to curate such a perfect collection of food, home goods, gardening tools and sundry items in one gorgeous steel and glass structure which they built to house it all? When I asked our café server who owned the place, I was told that the couple were “farmers” and not much more. I’m overwhelmed and I want to know them. The 10,000 square foot structure houses dry good shopping, food market, restaurant, fermentation bar (more on that below), garden center and an event space upstairs; somehow it all integrates seamlessly.
From top: The produce section, sandwiches at the Coffee Bar, fabulous charcuterie, cookies and pastries at the Coffee Bar
The official drink of California these days (other than wine, of course) seems to be the Shrub. A Shrub is actually a Colonial-era concoction combining pureed fruit, a bit of sugar and –get this – vinegar, which then gets topped off with a generous spritz of soda water. It’s quite refreshing and only about 1 in 10 sips screams of vinegar. Though I saw Shrubs around and about, SHED sells a variety of flavors at their show-stopping Fermentation Bar, along with Kefir on tap and Kombucha on tap. In the Larder, fermentation was on view in row-upon-row of house-made kimchi, sauerkraut and other preserved foods; the theme continued with an array of do-it-yourself fermentation gear in the Cook section.
Clockwise from top left: our lunch table, the Fermentation Bar, Shed Shrubs, the shining taps at the Fermentation Bar
From top: Riess white enamel cookware, enamel measures, natural cork bowl and wood spoons, nutcrackers and wooden boards, goat hair dusters, handmade brooms and slingshots
Clockwise from top left: Bellwether Farms fresh Ricotta, restroom area, Eat section, private labeled Anson Mills heirloom grains, teeny floral arrangements, La Chamba clay cookware, Jacobsen salty black Licorice
Left to right: breads, jars of fermenting vegetables in the Larder, Apple Crisp, Askinosie chocolate bars, baked muffins and scones at the Coffee Bar
The Coffee Bar – check out those white tiles!
SHED
25 North Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Tel. 707.431.7433
