Elite Traveler Summer 2024

Clockwise SingleThread; rhubarb and green tea with almond cream; SingleThread’s farm

SINGLETHREAD, HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA Even by wine-soaked Sonoma’s sky-high standards, SingleThread’s culinary credentials are unassailable. The fi rst and only three-Michelin-starred address in the county, this restaurant with rooms is in many ways a biography of its owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton, the executive chef and head farmer, respectively. After stints working for world-class chefs and in agricultural roles in England and Japan, the California couple came home with a hunch that others in the state might appreciate a re fi ned dining experience that fuses unadulterated, ultra-fresh local produce with the most delicate aesthetics and a thoughtful approach to service rooted in Japanese principles of hospitality. If anything, they underestimated their concept’s potential popularity. When SingleThread opened in Healdsburg in late 2016, diners were immediately wowed by the quality and beauty of innovative menus that would change rapidly — rather than considering crop cultivation in relation to spring, summer, fall and winter, Katina’s farming practices had been in fl uenced by the Japanese belief that there are 72 ‘microseasons’ — so there is always something new and just exactly right to showcase. Nowadays, guests can combine overnight stays with a visit to SingleThread’s 24-acre regenerative farm about fi ve miles from the property. With its bountiful orchards, olive trees and iridescent hummingbirds fl itting over its fragrant fl oral gardens, it’s idyllic — a clear labor of love. Here, a farm store sells just-harvested produce and decorative pieces by local artisans; inspiring on-site workshops educate visitors in all things bucolic, an uplifting way for city types to reconnect with nature and build up an appetite before dinner. Back at the inn, 10-course menus still change continually. You might enjoy the likes of trout smoked gently over cherry wood; simmered eggplant with miso, plum and black sesame; and a tangy apple sorbet with white tru ffl e and chestnut purée. Of course, wine is sacred in Sonoma, so the most invested drinkers are often inspired to complement their meal with the restaurant’s ‘Unforgettable Wine Pairing’ of exceptionally rare and elusive vintages. While a guaranteed dinner reservation is perhaps the most prominent privilege a ff orded to guests who manage to book one of SingleThread’s fi ve elegant bedrooms, other epicurean discoveries await. Kitchenettes are stocked with local cold-pressed juices, house-made sweets and beautifully presented onigiri. For those staying two nights, be sure to set aside time for an evening of in-room dining, said to be without comparison anywhere else in the country. Wrapped up in plush robes and pillowy Sasawashi slippers, couples can order comforting donabe hot-pot dinner sets to their rooms that might feature Hokkaido-style seafood or pork meatballs with homemade tofu. SingleThread Suite from $1,850 per night. Contact Haley Callahan, guest experience director, lodging@singlethreadfarms.com, +1 707 723 4646, singlethreadfarms.com

ROYAL MANSOUR, MARRAKECH A peaceful marvel somehow just minutes from the mania of Marrakech’s medina, the Royal Mansour was built by Morocco’s king to showcase the incredible creative and cultural heritage of the country. It’s almost as much an immersive design museum as a resort, and pretty much every decorative detail you see here has been produced by a best-in class Moroccan artisan. That sense of precision and pride extends to a portfolio of dining experiences that are typically acknowledged as being the best of their kind in the city, country or continent. Take La Grande Table Marocaine — which, given the King’s endorsement, could well stake a legitimate claim as the world’s most fi nessed Moroccan restaurant. As oud musicians strum melodically, diners are invited to discover elevated takes on much-loved dishes, like Tangier-style royal sea bream with Jerusalem artichoke, sa ff ron and fennel, or a dessert of orange blossom-infused milk pastilla. Similarly extravagant, chef Helène Darroze’s La Grande Brasserie goes big on full-bodied French dishes like lobster vol au vent packed with aromantic black tru ffl e, all complemented by immensely simple, completely pleasurable sides like silky mashed potatoes soaked in brown butter. Although everything everywhere somehow feels innately re fi ned at the Royal Mansour, the vibe is more relaxed at open-air pan-Asian restaurant Le Jardin, where guests feast on king crab with ginger and basil, or grilled eggplant with pine nuts and pomegranate, under the shade of fragrant fruit trees. The Grand Riad from $39,900 per night. Contact reservations@royalmansour.com, +212 529 808 080, royalmansour.com

Photos Garrett Rowland, Kim Carroll, John Troxell