24-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
New French restaurant moving into embattled Wine Country space
A new Wine Country restaurant will mark the end of a dramatic legal battle that unfolded this year following the shocking closure of a popular Italian eatery.
French restaurant Bistro Lagniappe will open in Healdsburg in May in the space (330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg) left empty by Molti Amici, which closed suddenly last November, only 16 months after opening.
Shortly after it shuttered, the Chronicle revealed that Molti Amici, which earned a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, was in significant financial distress, losing more than $600,000 in its first year. In February, Molti Amici investment partner Jason Cutrer sued founder and SingleThread alum Jonny Barr for more than $1.5 million in damages, alleging that fraud and embezzlement led to the restaurant's demise.
Barr denied the allegations; earlier this month, the case was dismissed at Cutrer's request. In a joint statement to the Chronicle from Cutrer and Barr, the former partners said that the dispute had been 'amicably resolved.'
Molti Amici had a 10-year lease, so Cutrer created an entirely new concept, though he said he would not be involved in operations. Lagniappe is a Cajun French word that translates to 'a little gift' or 'something extra,' such as a bonus pepper gifted by a farmers market vendor when you've purchased a dozen.
The restaurant's striking outdoor oven — which predates Molti Amici and originally belonged to the locally beloved Campo Fina — will now be used to cook wood-fired dishes such as cassoulet, petrale sole and roasted chicken. Chef Jacob Hearth, best known for launching seafood restaurant Erizo in Portland, will lead the kitchen.
