Wickson Restaurant
A Long-Held Dream Realized for Young Local Chef
by Dawn Emery Ballantine
Wickson Restaurant is nestled inside The Madrones in Philo, an Italianate complex in Philo that looks like it would be equally at home gazing over the Adriatic Sea rather than the Anderson Valley vineyards that surround it. It was conceived as an inn restaurant, much like the family-run equivalents found throughout Europe, that cater to both locals and travelers. Owners Jim Roberts and Brian Adkinson initially partnered with Chef/Owners Rodney Workman and Alexa Newman (now of Elk’s Maritime Café) to offer a dining option for their overnight guests, retail and tasting room visitors, and area locals. It took a leap of faith, and when they opened in 2020, they somehow made it work during an especially difficult economic time.
After a couple of years, Rodney and Alexa left the restaurant to devote more time to their growing family. Since then, Chef Jason Azevedo, who specialized in Portuguese and Spanish-inspired cuisine, and his Sous Chef, Jenny Ann, have had their successive turns at the helm. This past summer, after Jenny Ann left for an opportunity on the coast, Claudia Almeida stepped into the position.
For Claudia, her new role is a dream fulfilled. Claudia is originally from Leon, Guanajuato in Mexico. When she was 14, her family moved to Boonville to join her father, who had been working in the vineyards. They were from a city, so moving to the country was quite a change, though she has now come to appreciate how “very calm and peaceful” it is. Claudia and her two sisters and brother were immediately enrolled in the local high school, but they spoke no English, so their road was not exactly smooth.
Claudia attended Anderson Valley High School for four years. When she saw the school cafeteria on her first day, she knew that she wanted to work there, so she and her two sisters enrolled in a food service class that placed them in the cafeteria, preparing and serving breakfast and lunch to their classmates. Claudia took every opportunity to be there throughout the four years that she was in school. Thanks to the help of her cafeteria time and one particular teacher, Miss Ester Soto, Claudia was able to become fluent in English within two years. After she graduated from high school, she attended Mendocino College to take classes in the culinary arts, but because of low enrollment, classes were cancelled after she had completed only two courses. So Claudia returned to Boonville to find practical experience and work in the industry she loved.
Claudia’s first kitchen job was at The Buckhorn Saloon under Tom Towey, where she started as a dishwasher before moving up to prep cook, setting up salads and appetizers for a menu of classic American pub food. When The Buckhorn sold to new owners, Claudia advanced again, becoming the “right hand” of the new head cook. She had primary cooking responsibilities when the head cook was off, and was largely responsible for communication and translation, since her English was more fluent.
Restaurants are a notoriously precarious business, and The Buckhorn lasted only two more years before the new owners decided to close. Claudia found new work in the kitchen of The Bewildered Pig—a former bastion of fine food dining in the Deep End of Anderson Valley—where she worked under Chef Janelle Weaver. Claudia says that working there was “a great experience” and provided many of the foundational skills she now uses as chef at Wickson.
While at The Pig, Claudia watched and absorbed all facets of the restaurant. The kitchen brought in new produce each week based on what was ripe in the fields, so she learned to be creative with vegetables she had never met before. She was taught to smoke fish, to craft pasta by hand, to create confections with mushrooms, and to understand the uses and wonders of spices. And she has become passionate about never wasting food, finding a use for everything. By the time The Bewildered Pig closed its doors, Claudia had three years of high end dining experience, and she knew she was in the food business for the long haul.
That’s when Claudia arrived at Wickson. Under Chef Jason Azevedo, she was responsible for preparing salads and appetizers, graduating to Sous Chef when Jenny Ann led the kitchen. At that time, Wickson moved into general continental cuisine, which included pizzas—a natural fit with Wickson’s wood-fired oven. Claudia is now more than capable of her new role and enjoys the help and support of “… a talented, hard-working group of ladies who understand the comfort of food,” according to owner Jim Roberts.
When reflecting on her leadership role, Claudia admits that she was “at first nervous of being in charge of the kitchen,” but her focus has been to work as part of the team. Together they “create new food with new recipes that will make people happy.” And people are happy!
Claudia had never cooked Italian food, with the exception of some pastas she created at The Bewildered Pig, and she has fallen in love with the cuisine. She loves to prepare a roasted red pepper pesto ravioli, hand-made and time-consuming, but completely worth it. Another popular dish is Pasta al Ajillo—pasta with scampi, garlic, white wine, and Piment d’Ville chili flakes. Wickson also offers gluten-free pasta as well as a vegan option regularly on the menu, so most special diets can be accommodated.
The signature offering of the new menu is the Pinsa Romana—a long-fermented flatbread made from wheat, rice, and spelt flour whose origins date back to the Roman Empire. A complex undertaking, the final product results in a lighter dough which is higher in protein, with fewer calories, carbs, and gluten. Owner Brian Adkinson says, “It’s like biting into a fluffy cloud with a crispy crust.”
Wickson has recently launched a weekend brunch, where the offerings range from a delicious chili-verde topped Huevos Rancheros to the mouth-watering pinsa—add an egg for a breakfast twist. The kitchen whipped up a special vegan vegetable-topped pinsa (no cheese), which met my dining partner’s needs and tickled his tastebuds perfectly. Their roasted beet salad is a particular favorite, with the tang of the Pennyroyal Farm Laychee juxtaposed with the sweet earthiness of the beets on mixed salad greens, and dressed with a piquant vinaigrette.
The most difficult thing for Claudia in the Wickson space is the wood-fired kitchen, which is open to the restaurant. “I’m a little shy,” says Claudia. Knowing the patrons are looking at them makes her more self-conscious. But it also allows her to see customers enjoying her food and the smiles on their faces.
In the world of small business, particularly the hospitality/ restaurant sector, things are always in flux. Owners, chefs, restaurants—they all come and go, for all kinds of reasons. Though the owners are moving towards retirement, Wickson and the other businesses at The Madrones will continue to operate, allowing Claudia’s menu to evolve according to the dual influences of season and inspiration. Stepping into the role of chef may be a dream achieved, but for this young culinary talent, it is just the beginning.
Wickson Restaurant
9000 Highway 128, Philo
(707) 895-2955 | wicksonrestaurant.com
Open dinner Thu - Sat 5:30pm - 8pm, brunch Sat & Sun 10am - 2:30pm
Claudia photos by Clara Shook. Mezzaluna Club photo by Jim Roberts.