Golden Bear Station - Kenwood, California

Correna H.

Golden Bear Station – A Welcome Mistake

There are two kinds of mistakes in life. The kind you regret, and the kind that turns into an unforgettable meal.

We walked into *Golden Bear Station* at 5:30 on a Friday, expecting a casual pizza joint. Something simple, unassuming—maybe a cold beer and a wood-fired pie. What we got was something else entirely. This was no pizza shack. This was serious. White tablecloths, hushed conversation, a dining room full of people who clearly *belonged*.

Shit.

We were in over our heads.

And then, like all great dining experiences, there was a moment of grace. Heidi, the kind of front-of-house maestro you don’t find often enough, greeted us like old friends. We admitted we had no reservation. She didn’t flinch. Instead, she cleared a table set for six and gave us an hour.

An hour? Challenge accepted.

We started with the white asparagus, draped in a hollandaise so perfectly balanced it felt like a sin to eat it too fast. Then came the Basque omelette, topped with a decadent, salty pop of caviar. The chef was so proud of his creation, he snapped a photo himself. There’s something deeply satisfying about eating a dish so good even the creator wants to remember it.

And then Heidi, playing the part of both host and conspirator, handed us a glass of champagne. *Because champagne is meant for that dish*, she said. She wasn’t wrong.

We finished with the Amitriciana—rich, spicy, deeply comforting. The kind of pasta that reminds you why Italy is still running circles around the rest of the world when it comes to food.

By the time the hour was up, we had eaten like kings, drunk like we had something important to celebrate, and somehow still managed to make it out in time. Heidi sent us off with a piece of Basque cheesecake—on the house. Because, of course, that’s the kind of place this is.

Golden Bear Station isn’t a restaurant. It’s an experience. One of those rare spots where hospitality still means something, where food is cooked with reverence, and where a mistake—if you’re lucky—turns into the best damn meal you’ve had in a long time.

Marta R.

We took our team to Golden Bear for our holiday dinner and had a fabulous time. We loved the family style servings, the portions were incredibly generous! We had leftovers for a week 😊 The service was great; attentive but not hovering. The bib salad is fabulous and we will always order that in the future. The spicy tuna was also fabulous, we loved the hen of the woods mushrooms and all the pastas. The cheesecake is out of this world! Thank you Heidi and Joshua for a delightful evening!

Claire S.

Wonderful experience at Golden Bear - the food, environment, and experience is like a big warm hug. My husband and I are not knowledgeable wine drinkers and sometimes feel out of place in wine country. Heidi made us feel so welcome, like an old friend eating at their (beautiful) house, and suggested fantastic pairings. Every dish was unique, flavorful, yet balanced and light. We had the oysters, spicy tuna, white asparagus, fennel ragu, sole, and sundae. Can’t wait to return.

Kae Y. W.

Every dish was amazing. Bib salad, clams, hot honey pizza, pasta, sea bass, dessert — no bad dishes here. The wine list is also incredible with excellent Italian wines. And the service is friendly without being overbearing. Love this place.

anatte L.

It's Christmas Eve. We just dined, drove 40mins home to Napa Valley, and felt the need to write this review. There just aren't enough superlatives to describe Heidy and Joshua's new place.

It was just two of us, but the menu looked so good that we ordered as much as we could possibly eat. The scallops, endive salad, cacio e pepe w/uni, margherita pizza, burger and panna cotta were all incredibly executed with balanced and unique flavors. You could tell how much trial and error, and how many iterations went into perfecting each dish (especially the pizza crust).

Having not eaten meat in nearly 4 years, I felt compelled to try the Harlan (burger) after reading a review criticizing the owners for refusing to make it without the bun - despite one of the diners being gluten free. After trying it, I get it. You simply can't (and shouldn't) modify this perfection of meat, tallegio cheese, kimchi, onion jam, and watercress that's held together by a deliciously non-gluten free bun. Named after their daughter and having been voted one of the best burgers in NYC at their ramen restaurant, I'm glad the owners stuck to their guns. While there are gluten free options, this is very much an Italian restaurant with Asian elements. I'm sure a menu will be posted in the upcoming weeks once it has been finalized.

This sounds like we're friends or family, but we're neither. We're just two enthusiastic diners who loved Animo and went into this dinner cautiously optimistic (since they've only been open for 4 days), and left blown away. In addition to the stellar food, the service & ambience were on point. We'll be back, and we'll be regulars.

David L.

Yes, you want to eat here, I don't care who you are. Go ahead and make a reservation now. Now for the review.

Food: The yellowtail sashimi with brown butter, white soy, and citrus was... kind of boring? The execution was flawless, and every single individual flavor was good, and the fish itself was slightly warm, which helped to bring out the aroma, but there just isn't much there to work with. Nothing wrong with it, just boring for my palette (but people call me the umami bomber, so I'm biased). Your taste buds may enjoy this, if you enjoy tasting raw fish relatively unflavored. I might even order it again - it's not bad, but nothing to rave about, except perhaps the audacity to plate such a simple dish here is notable. And thank you too for that simplicity.

I had the "Hot Honey" pizza, and let me tell you that the *only* other slice of pizza heaven within an hour's drive - known as PizzaLeah - finally has competition. My first slice passed my "will it stay erect?" test, which is where I hold a slice the way a New Yorker would when walking down the street, folded in half. This pizza doesn't droop and stands erect. That speaks to the structure of the dough and baking process. Beyond that, the flavor profile was off the charts awesome. Just the right balance of tomato sauce and toppings. This pizza also passed the most difficult test of being taken home in a box and then eaten cold for breakfast the next day and loving it.

Lastly, there is the side order of pastrami kimchi fried rice, a dish that remarkably echoed a dish I'd just made up a few days earlier for myself: Pastrami potato latke with kimchi (equally good, btw). The dish was well executed and I liked the taste, but I found the pastrami lost in the dish; I would have preferred larger chunks of pastrami, basing that off my own cooking experiments, but this is such a slight criticism.

For desert, we had the Basque style burnt cheesecake, which was refreshingly lighter than a traditional cheesecake and I thought it was a nice way to finish off with something sweet without being too heavy.

Service: The service was excellent and was the perfect balance of being attentive without being annoying or absent. The food came out quickly.

Atmosphere: was good, actually I could even call it great. Of particular importance: It's not noisy so you won't need to shout to talk across the table, and there's plenty of space between tables. It's very comfortable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the atmosphere, and I love it. It doesn't get 5 stars because it didn't rise above being merely really good to being wow, 5-stars!

So, there it is. They are currently booking up weeks or months in advance so book early to get a spot.

Rosa S.

Josh and Heidy transitioned to the opening of GBS without skipping a beat. Hospitality, Food and Service are just as good as Animo with an entirely new menu of Italian fare and occasional Asian inspired dishes (pork tonkatsu).

Update - visit #2 - Stars aligned and I had a solo night for dinner - got a seat at the counter and ordered the bi-coastal famous burger named Harlan. Magically delicious - rich and decadent in every bite, yet each bit juicy, light and airy, and perfectly balanced. Didnt anticipate finishing it, but did and had room for dessert. I’m officially ruined! Bonus - play by play view of the amazing team delivering stellar deliciousness.

Margaret W.

Made an early reservation to eat at GBS on a Saturday night (I honestly just got home). I knew everything would be delicious, because dude and I were big fans of Animo, but Josh and Heidy exceeded my expectations.

It was hard to decide what to order as everything sounds delicious. We ended up sharing:
- ceasar salad - nice twist on a classic, I particularly liked the addition of dill
- scallops - light, refreshing
- Burrata - creamy w/ perfectly cooked squash
- hot honey pizza - the most glorious combination of flavors!
- The “Harlan” burger - buttery, perfectly seasoned and cooked
- panna cotta - like a tropical vacation

We left slightly too full but very happy.

The place is cozy but spacious. You immediately feel welcome when you walk in the doors.

Cannot wait to return to try more of the menu.