Reed Palmer is chef de cuisine at Folia Bar & Kitchen, the flagship restaurant inside Appellation Healdsburg.
Born and bred here, he returned home after years abroad to apply an internationally shaped palate to Sonoma County.
Obviously, Palmer’s path into food started early, beginning with being son to Michelin-starred, celebrated chef Charlie Palmer. He also worked stages at Ilis in Brooklyn and Amass in Copenhagen before formalizing his training with a hospitality management degree from Cornell University and further culinary study at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
A subsequent stint at One White Street and time spent under the mentorship of the team at Blue Hill at Stone Barns rounded out his grounding in farm-forward cooking, waste-conscious kitchens and narrative-driven menus.
Another mentor, besides his dad, looms large in Palmer’s cooking. Amass founder Matt Orlando instilled a respect for ingredient integrity and creative reinvention. At Folia, Palmer partners closely with area growers and producers to build menus centered on open-flame cooking, fermentation and pickling, letting Sonoma’s bounty take the lead.
Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?
Reed Palmer: I am lucky enough to have been exposed to the kitchen at a young age and at a very high level. It was surreal to see the way restaurants ran and the people that made it happen. I think it was natural for me to be curious, but my dad taught me to love the work that we do.
What is your favorite thing to cook (or eat) and why?
For me, it’s that time at the end of spring and beginning of summer. All my favorite produce is coming into season, and the food reflects a more simplistic approach and is all about the quality of the product.
What ingredients do you use or eat the most?
It is hard to say what one may lean on, but I would say, in general, different spices, specifically peppercorns—it’s a way to really create nuance and individuality, especially when going down the rabbit hole of the endless varieties.
What are some of your go-to places to go out for a sit-down meal? What about take-out?
I will go out of my way to eat at Swan Oyster Depot; it’s the perfect spot. And it’s always exciting to eat at any of chef Stuart Brioza’s restaurants: State Bird, Anchovy Bar or The Progress in San Francisco.
Last meal on Earth?
My dad’s ‘Fireman’s Chicken.’ It is his mother’s recipe from upstate New York. Or my mother’s famous meat loaf.
Folia Bar & Kitchen,101 Dovetail Ln., Healdsburg, 707.723.2130, foliabarandkitchen.com.
