Cyrus Restaurant   

29 North St
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-3311
www.cyrusrestaurant.com

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"Chef, your party of 2 for table 14 has just arrived." So begins your culinary adventure at Cyrus, where the host announces your arrival to the kitchen via a courtesy phone. While cynics might snicker that this display is mere pomp, it sets into motion an elaborate choreography of service and splendor as fine as you'll find in Wine Country. The goal of Cyrus Chef Doug Keane and front-of-house maestro Nick Peyton (both of Gary Danko and Market fame) is to spoil guests silly in an elegant environment that's formal enough to impress the well-heeled and yet friendly enough to make the rest of us feel cozy and welcome. Once whisked through the gold-hued room to your table, you'll be dazzled by the synchronized arrival of the caviar and champagne carts. Both are well stocked, displaying the last of the world's highly-prized Beluga and the choicest names in bubbly. Despite rich touches such as the requisite mother of pearl spoons for dishing roe or the gold bullion used to measure it, Keane insists the carts are presented with the intent to pamper diners, not pressure them to spend. Of course, if you've come to Cyrus, spending is already on the menu. Don't be dissuaded by the cost, though. Order wisely and you can expect a fantastic, memorable meal at a reasonable-for-fancy price. The menu is divided into sections by ingredients, inviting you to structure a three, four or five-course meal, with any dish in any order. Order this way and you'll enjoy a spectacular sampling without the price tag of the seven-course chef's tasting menu. If you're feeling flush, the latter is a superlative experience, complete with expertly paired wines and seasonal specialties such as coveted autumn truffles. Whatever you choose, from your first amuse bouche through courses like chestnut soup with sherry and shaved truffles, seared foie gras with sweetbreads or desserts like burnt butter and pear saboyan, each plate will inspire you to proclaim it as good as you've ever eaten. That is, until the next course arrives.