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August 26th, 2010
     Ever meet a Count? We haven’t either. Which is why we’re excited to host Count Niccolo Capponi @ h2hotel. Check it… the good Count is a direct descendant of Machiavelli. Yes, that Machiavelli. The guy who wrote The Prince. A book that you and me and everyone we know read (or at least Cliff Noted) at some point or another. Machiavelli, as you may recall, is either one of the premier villains in modern history, or one of the most brilliant political philosophers.
Well, forget what you think you know about Machiavelli. Because after centuries of controversy and misinterpretation, his progeny will be in Healdsburg, at h2hotel, to set the record straight. Or at least try to. Count Capponi has written a compelling new biography titled: “An Unlikely Prince: The Life and Times Machiavelli.” And he will be here, in the flesh, signing books and discussing his outrageously famous and deeply influential ancestor.
Oh, and if meeting a Count isn’t enough of a draw, there will also be a complimentary Tuscan wine tasting. Delicious Tuscan wines that said Count made on his family’s estate. Yes, in addition to being a critically acclaimed author, historian and a Florentine Noble, he’s also a winemaker. Now that’s what you call a true Renaissance man.
We bet you’re dying for the details. So here they are:
- Friday, August 27th
- Book Signing & Tuscan Wine Tasting (4-6pm in the h2 lobby)
- Conversations w/ Author and more Wine Tasting (6-8pm in Spoonbar)
Oh, and all night at Spoonbar, wine flights made by Count Capponi will also be served by Ross in the dining room. Highlight include: Comitale bianco Toscano 2009 (Vernaccia/Grechetto); Chianti Classico 2004; Chianti Classico 2006; “Casarsa” super Tuscan 2004 (100% Merlot)
We hope to see you here.
Tags: author, books, Count Niccolo Capponi, healdsburg, Machiavelli, reading, Tuscan wines
Posted in Activities, Spoonbar, h2hotel | No Comments »
August 22nd, 2010
Posted in h2hotel | No Comments »
August 12th, 2010
 Dear God. That's hot. See that? Yeah, to the left. The Hero Shot of the Spoonbar burger. And the accompanying oh-so-good fries.
OMG!
Yes, I just wrote OMG!
Sorry about that.
I never write OMG because I rarely – if ever – acknowledge the acronym.
Why?
Because I’m a writer and that’s not a real word. It’s a phenomenon. Like American cheese.
But I’ll write it again…
OMG!
That photo is like food porn. And I’m addicted.
From what I hear, Spoonbar has other dishes too. Like the Moorish-style brick chicken with grilled lemon and couscous. I’ve heard all about that from locals and tourists alike. Everyone rants and raves. It’s a real crowd pleaser. In fact, I’ve even read glowing reviews about that and the full menu. The problem, however, is that the Spoonbar burger is so unthinkably good that it’s all I ever order. I haven’t even tried the chicken. It’s kind of a problem.
Now, in the interest of full disclosure, as h2’s “Social Media Manager”, of course it’s my job to spurt sweet nothings about the hotel and restaurant. I get paid to proselytize. But, it should be noted, it’s not in my job description to spend several nights a week in Spoonbar stuffing my face with French fries. I don’t get paid for that. I pay for it.
But I do it anyway.
Why?
Because Spoonbar has, in my opinion, the best fries in Sonoma County. Hands down. I can comfortably say this because I have, over my six years of residence, become quite the connoisseur. Which is to say that I’ve tried all of the fries, everywhere. Prior to Spoonbar’s Grand Opening last month, I considered the title to be a tossup between the basket at Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and the frites at Barndiva. But since discovering Chef Rudy’s take on French fries, well, it’s all I eat.
And it shows.
Mainly in my gut.
Yes, since moving to Healdsburg, your h2blogger has quietly packed on thirty pounds. But considering the fact that I live in a veritable dining destination, I feel lucky that I haven’t gained sixty. While I don’t prefer to be the padded guy glowering back at me in the mirror these days, I must say, I’ve loved each and every bite. At Spoonbar. Scopa. Barndiva. Cyrus. DCK. Tendejon de la Calle. Or any of the area’s absurdly good culinary experiences. So much so that, in the run-up to my wedding, I decided to break my addiction to the local dining scene – to Spoonbar’s french fries – and embark on a 10-day Master Cleanse (aka, the “lemonade diet”).
If you’d like to know how that panned out… here’s the story from this week’s North Bay Bohemian, a widely distributed alt-weekly. And below, you’ll find yours truly on the cover.
 Me... after 10 days on the "lemonade diet." I hope to see you at Spoonbar,
Scott Keneally
Your h2blogger
Tags: barndiva, dry creek kitchen, french fries, healdsburg, healdsburg bar and grill, master cleanse, scopa, scott keneally, Spoonbar
Posted in Spoonbar | 1 Comment »
August 4th, 2010
 A Healdsburg Institution When I first moved to Healdsburg a handful of years ago, there were two coffee shops in town. One always had a line out the door while the other, well, let’s just say it would’ve made a very nice echo chamber. It looked like a scene pulled from the McCarthy Era, and I remember thinking, how bizarre! At the time, I didn’t drink coffee and couldn’t understand why anyone would wait 20 minutes when there was absolutely no line just a few doors down.
The coffee, obviously had much to do with it. Flying Goat Coffee, or “the Goat” for short, is one of the country’s premier roasters, offering microlot coffee from around the world. Microlots that co-founder, Phil Anacker, personally visits each year. But the other draw is the scene. Locals don’t mind waiting in line because this is, arguably, the town’s epicenter slash meet-up spot. (In fact, if I had a nickle for every time someone said “let’s meet at the Goat,” I might be able to buy the place.) And so naturally, while the Goat has become the place to caffeinate, that other coffee shop has become something entirely different. Like the place to buy amazing frozen yogurt.
Of course, not all of our guests will want to deal with the social swirl of the Goat in the morning. Which is why we’ve partnered up with them to offer French Press single origin coffee… delivered right to your door. You get that and house-made pastries for only $6 per person. And down at our Receptobar, we offer Flying Goat espresso drinks. Though, we still suggest you check out the Goat for yourself.
 Artist Ray Degischer. (Feeling it.) Especially on the nights when they have art openings. Like this Friday, August 6th. (8-10pm). Local artist, Ray Degischer of Country Industrial, will be exhibiting new pieces. Ray rummages scrap yards and breathes new life into found objects – transforming old pipes into vases, machine parts into chandeliers. He was recently spotlighted in California Home & Design for his unique metal works. BUT… that’s not what he’s showing at the Goat. He’s also a talented painter, and will be exhibiting his stuff for the first time. As you can tell from this pic, he’s a pretty quirky guy. And we’re really excited to check out his new works.
Oh, and if you need just one more reason to be there, rumor has it that Ray will be providing a keg of PBR “for the PEOPLE.” The people being me and you and whomever shows up on Friday night.
Tags: coffee, espresso, Flying Goat, Ray Degischer, Receptobar
Posted in Activities, Around Healdsburg, Art | No Comments »
July 26th, 2010
 Circe Sher on our Corten Steel Balcony (Photo from The Press Democrat) Our superst-architect David Baker recently made news when renowned SF Chronicle design columnist, John King, praised Baker’s work with h2hotel. From the undulating living roof right down to a ground floor that “blurs the line between indoors and out,” King was clearly impressed with the design. So naturally, we posted a link to the feature on our Facebook fan page. And this is when we realized that some people have questions about our rusted steel balconies. And by “questions about” I mean “issues with.” In fact, one of our FB friends even suggested that the balconies make h2 look like “an old slum building with the rust stains running down the walls.” Wow! Tell us how you really feel! In his estimation, it was a “terrible design error” and he asked, “Is there a plan to fix it or are we just pretending it’s not a problem?”
Well, when your h2blogger first read his comment, he thought, “With friends like him, who needs enemies?” But then another idiom surfaced: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” And it applies, because we all possess our own unique aesthetic, and ideas about the big things like beauty and art and music. Not that it’s a bad thing. Rather, it’s what makes life interesting and fresh and engaging. So while we can’t please everyone, what we can do is explain our rationale behind the rusting steel balconies. And who better to do that than the architect himself – David Baker. Here’s what he had to say…
“Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic concept that is often considered untranslatable. It means something like ‘honest, authentic, natural and real.’ Another related meaning is ‘materiality.’ The corten steel, which was used for all the exterior metal at h2hotel, is a material that epitomizes wabi-sabi. The steel has an outer sacrificial layer that oxidizes, rusts, and forms a beautiful and tough finish completely naturally. One of the results of this is the iron oxide red bleeding that occurs as rain washing over the steel carries some of the oxide onto adjacent surfaces. Some architects consider this a flaw as it interferes with the perfection of their building. I choose to see the stains as a document of the process of weathering, of the unavoidable aging of all surfaces. The stains are very beautiful when you let go of the concept of eternal but static beauty. Additionally it adds, and will continue to enhance, the textural characteristics of the wall. Green wall climbing vines were planted at the base of the hotel: over time they will grow up to meet the red stains washing down. A durable and beautiful materiality results, that with change and mature over the years. Very different from simple paint, and much more sustainable as well.”
So, while some may see our rusting balconies as a design flaw, as Baker explains, they were an aesthetic choice. One that underscores the idea that h2hotel is a living building, while reflecting the natural cycle of decay. We hope that makes sense, and that you dig our balconies as much as we do. But if not, we still encourage you to explore h2hotel. For we’re certain that our eco-chic boutique offers something for everyone.
Posted in h2hotel | 1 Comment »
July 20th, 2010
 Healdsburg makes Jessica feel "shiny." …that girl. Jessica DeLasaux. (Congrats Jessica!) She looks so happy in her FB profile pic. And we bet she’ll look even happier when she realizes she won a free Junior Suite @ h2hotel. (Right Jessica?) Either way, we’re thrilled for her. And we’re sure you are too. Because she’ll be happy for you when YOU win the next contest.
Yes, there will be more contests and chances for our FB followers to win free stuff. Cocktails, dinners, rooms, etc. This Mad Libs contest was only the first our giveaways for our loyal fans and ambassadors. And as you help us spread the word (by suggesting our FB page), and we reach the next milestone, we’ll organize another fun contest for you. One that YOU WILL (POSSIBLY MAYBE) WIN!!!
Now, the other moment you’ve all been waiting for… our Mad Libs template. So here it is….
So what this means for our winner is that every time Jessica visits Healdsburg, she gets the sudden urge to SMOKE like a BULBOUS LEMUR. “Why?” you ask. Well, it’s really quite simple. Our town makes her feel SHINY. The wine, the food, the MAYANS. Not to mention our new hotel, with our living roof and SHOELACE heated pool. That’s what you call the icing on the CHALUPA. This is to say nothing of Spoonbar, of course, and Scott Beattie’s world-famous PLAYMATES. Oh, how Jessica loves Healdsburg.
Pretty funny, huh?
Speaking of funny… we’ve picked 5 MORE WINNERS for FREE COCKTAILS @ Spoonbar. This was a more challenging task, as it didn’t involve randomly picking a contestant out of a hat (or HBG Farmers’ Market canvass tote, actually). Rather, we had to look at all your responses, select from some very VERY funny answers, and whittle it down to what we thought were the five best. Here they are:
- BEST URGE: To LIVE like a JUICY COUGAR (Kristi Detwiler)
- STRANGEST URGE: To FLOSS like a CRUSTY HAMPSTER (Michael Bairdsmith)
- BEST ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: The GOOGLE heated pool (Heather Coder)
- MOST DISTURBING ALT ENERGY: The DIAPER heated pool (Carly Douglas)
- BEST SIDE BUSINESS: Scott Beattie’s world-famous PERSIAN RUGS (Amy Karmimipour)
Thanks to everyone for participating. We hope you had as much fun with this as we did. Please share our FB page with your friends and we’ll launch another contest real soon. Oh, and for all of our contest winners, please message your h2blogger to redeem your prizes.
Tags: Contest, Facebook, h2hotel, Mad Libs, Spoonbar
Posted in Contests, Spoonbar, h2hotel | 2 Comments »
July 14th, 2010
 First things first… THANKS for your support in helping us reach 1000 Facebook fans so quickly. Not bad for a little boutique that’s barely been open two weeks, right? Well, to show our appreciation, we’ve decided to have some fun with you. And what better way than with a Mad Libs contest that whisks you back to simpler times, when life was all about PB&J with the crusts cut off.
Here’s the deal…
- Go to our Facebook Fan page. (Friend us, if you haven’t yet)
- Leave a reply to the Mad Libs contest post.
- Get your friends to reply too, cause we need at least 100 participants to activate the promotion.
- Sometime this weekend we’ll post the Mad Libs template to this h2blog.
- Hilarity ensues.
And next week, we will announce the WINNER of the FREE NIGHT in a Junior Suite (Sun-Thurs). Since Mad Libs is wholly random, it only seems fair that we draw the winner out of a hat. However, we will post the FIVE FUNNIEST ONES on the h2blog, and offer each of these lucky duckies a pair of celebratory Spoonbar cocktails. Sound good?
Tags: Facebook, Mad Libs
Posted in Contests, h2hotel | No Comments »
July 8th, 2010
 A fresh take on a very old place Admittedly, there are a lot of ways to fill your days in and around Healdsburg. But here’s a tip. A hip tip. Something to scrawl up at the top of your list of things to do. The brand new Medlock Ames Tasting Room and Bar. Actually, it’s not exactly brand new as it was built – or rebuilt – on the site of the historic, century-old Alexander Valley Bar and Store, using all sorts of salvaged materials, recycled and repurposed wood. (Not surprising, given the super green winery’s long commitment to sustainability.) But for the sake of argument, we’ll call it brand new, as it just opened in May.
By day, it’s just about the most stylish tasting room you’ve ever set foot in. Designed by Will Wick, it’s a decidedly modern space that feels retro and rustic with its vintage refrigerators and salvaged mining lamps. From 10-5pm, guests can enjoy Medlock Ames’ array of highly acclaimed organic wines, as well as local artisan bread, cheeses and jams.
 Catch sunset here And for those who want to revel in the wine valley’s resplendent beauty, there are plenty of great picnic spots on the property. Like the outdoor bistro seating by their organic garden. Or the large communal table beneath big, bushy olive trees.
But when the clock strikes five, the tasting room closes and the adjoining bar opens. The bar – hidden behind an unmarked door – has the hush-hush feel of a Prohibition-era speakeasy. The space is marked by salvaged redwood walls, plush Victorian-style banquettes, an elaborately embossed tin ceiling and an old factory carpentry table that’s been repurposed as a communal cocktail table. And echoing the speakeasy feel, there’s even a revolving “under the counter” selection of rare bourbons and scotches and spirits, available on an ask-only basis. (Do ask.) However, in a nod to these times, the Medlock Ames bar has the kind of modern drink program we’ve all come to expect around these parts (thanks Scott Beattie!) Think seasonal, “farm-to-glass” cocktails using fresh fruits, herbs and edibles from their own gardens.
 photo booth fun: h2blogger, amber, and lukka (from barndiva) And as if the atmosphere and ambiance of the bar weren’t cool enough, they’ve even got a photo booth. A photo booth! We love photo booths. Especailly here. Because no matter how much you imbibe in those ask-only, “under the counter” cocktails, or how little you might recall the next morning, you’ll always remember how much fun you had at Medlock Ames Tasting Room and Bar.
So slap this atop your list of things to do, and you can thank us later.
For those who want to read more, here’s a piece about Medlock Ames from UrbanDaddy.
Medlock Ames Tasting Room and Bar
3487 Alexander Valley Rd
(at Highway 128)
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-431-8845
official website
Tags: Alexander Valley Bar, Medlock Ames, Scott Beattie
Posted in Around Healdsburg | 1 Comment »
July 2nd, 2010
 Bee. Obviously. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m a bit neurotic. But if you were to tell me that there were bees all over the roof of your hotel, I’d quickly assume the worst. It’s not that I dislike bees. Bees are fantastic. Not just because of the honey. Or the “Bee Girl” from a certain beloved music video. Just in general.
But bees on the hotel’s roof? Why are there bees on the roof? Is it littered with trash? Empty soda cans? And furthermore, if it’s the kind of establishment that attracts bees, you’ve gotta wonder what’s crawling behind your walls?
My suggestion? Check out! Now!
Or that’s what this neurotic blogger would have suggested before seeing h2’s living roof, and all the bees happily buzzing about from one native succulent to the next. Yes, our green roof is alive and thriving and it just so happens to provide a great habitat for bees and birds and butterflies too.
So what’s the takeaway? The moral, if you will? Don’t worry if your hotel’s roof is teeming with bees.
Unless, of course, it doesn’t have a living roof. And in that case: Check out! Now!
 our roof is alive and well
Tags: bees, h2hotel, healdsburg, living roof
Posted in Sustainability, h2hotel | 2 Comments »
June 28th, 2010
 David Baker + Partners' SOMA Studios in SF h2’s architect, David Baker, is not known for his modesty. In fact, quite the opposite. The man behind David Baker + Partners thinks BIG. The celebrated San Francisco architect has bold and bright ideas about how our dwellings should be designed. His SOMA Studios – an affordable housing project that hangs like a Picasso above Eighth and Howard streets – was named one of the city’s best buildings of the past decade by important people who write about such things. And in recent years, as the “green” architect’s focus shifted towards creating energy-efficient, environmentally sustainable, high-density cityscapes – like his 224-apartment neighborhood at Showplace Square on Seventh St. – he’s been hailed as the “high priest” of new-urbanism. So when it came time to select an architect to design our super green h2hotel, he was a natural choice. Not to mention the bang-up job he did with our AIA-award-winning big sister, Hotel Healdsburg, of course.
David Baker + Partners was charged with creating a fun, fresh, and eco-conscious property that catered to active users, and at risk of sounding immodest, or like a sports color commentator, he smacked it straight outta the park. It’s not just that h2hotel looks cool. Sure, it has a visually striking living roof that reflects the rolling hills of Healdsburg, but form always follows function. That undulating roof also serves several environmental purposes (more on the roof in an upcoming post). In fact, there’s a pragmatic utility to everything in Baker’s design, right down to the corten steel balconies that will (quite literally) imbue the property with rustic charm as they intentionally rust over time and stain the exterior. But when talking about h2hotel on a recent press tour, what really got him animated was the rooms themselves.
 Genius at work “I like to think of this as the Apple of hotel rooms,” he beamed. “It’s the iHotel.” For one, the rooms are sleek and stylish. With the 42-inch flat-screen TV’s mounted on the walls (and an auxiliary plug to play movies off your laptop) there’s no need for the deep dresser or bulky armoire that oftentimes house the entertainment system. So the rooms can afford to be sleeker without sacrificing any space or comfort. And with user-friendly closets that can easily accommodate your rolling luggage, he eliminated the standard-issue luggage racks that he may or may not have described as “horrible” on the tour. Another pet peeve of his seems to be showers that you can’t easily adjust without getting blasted with cold water, so he re-imagined their design so you could tweak the head and temperature before stepping in. “We got to build a full scale mock-up of this room which was really great because we solved a lot of the issues. Typically when you design a hotel, you build it and then realize all the things that are wrong. But this time, we got to fine tune things big and small.”
As the tour wound down, he elaborated on the iHotel analogy. “Apple has been gaining market share because it’s actually easier to use. And people finally realize you pay a little more, and you get something really useful that’s not frustrating all the time. I think people will see that we really thought this thing through.” And with David Baker thinking things through, we know we’re in pretty good hands. Not just me and you and we, but the planet itself.
Check out Healdsburg’s new “iHotel” for yourself.
Tags: Apple, David Baker, healdsburg, Hotel Healdsburg, iHotel, living roof
Posted in Sustainability, h2hotel | No Comments »
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