1345 Railroad Ave.
St. Helena, California 94574
Tel. (707) 963-8931
Hours of operation: Wednesday through Monday, Dinner only,
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM weekdays; 6:00PM to 9:30PM weekends.
Reservations: Call (707) 963-8931 or reserve online
Owners: Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani
Founded: 1988

Terra has been around since the eighties and I fondly remember dining there just after its opening and found the cooking to be splendid and the decor and design very pleasant and comfortable. In more recent times it has won Michelin honors for the years:  2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011; San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Restaurants, 2011.

Hiro Sone along with his wife and co-owner Lissa Doumani, who is the daughter of Carl Doumani, owner of Stags’ Leap Winery and a one-time restaurateur, opened Terra in St Helena in 1988. In 1982 she had talked her way into a pastry apprenticeship at Wolfgang Puck’s renowned restaurant Spago Hollywood, in spite of the fact that she had little formal training. Under the tutelage of famed chef and baker Nancy Silverton, she came into her own and secured a position as pastry chef. It was here that she met her future husband and business partner Japanese chef Hiro Sone, who was training to open Spago Tokyo.

After a two-month stay in Tokyo and a rekindling of her romance with Hiro she and the Japanese chef returned to Los Angeles to start a life together. Hiro oversaw the kitchen at Spago Hollywood, while Lissa took a position as pastry chef at Roy Yamaguchi’s restaurant 385 North, and received rave reviews.

In 1988 she and Hiro opened Terra in St. Helena in the Napa Valley, which became a nationally acclaimed restaurant. Since that time she has greeted guests, overseen the accounting, orchestrated the décor and staff, and impressed guests nightly with delicious and refined desserts.

In November 2005, the couple opened Ame in San Francisco where they continue to delight guests with the signature taste of their wine country restaurant. Today her precision management and attention to detail is a primary reason that after 15 years in business Terra is still one of the most cherished dining experiences in Napa Valley, and why Ame in San Francisco is sure to follow.