The most ambitious project in Northern California is SingleThread, a world-class restaurant and, secondarily, an inn, where omotenashi (warm hospitality in Japanese) reigns and dishes from an 11-course tasting menu are prepared in handmade Japanese donabe (earthenware pots). The cuisine is California-Japanese and guests book tickets in advance, offering up their preferences and dietary restrictions, and the chef abides.
On arrival, guests are taken to a roof to enjoy sparkling wine, canapes and 360-degree views of the countryside before sitting down to feast. The sleek space features its own fermentation tank, which local winemakers use to craft a new vintage each year, along with a boutique hotel offering five sumptuous rooms starting at $800 a night. Down the road, the owners have a 5-acre organic garden where they farm specialized Japanese produce, hens and flowers.