American Fine Dining As We Know It Wouldn't Exist Without Japan's Influence

At SingleThread in Healdsburg, Calif., you arrive at the table to discover your first course has beaten you there. It is an edible tableau of mismatched bowls set on a blanket of moss and greenery that nearly covers the tabletop. In early summer, you might see stalks of blooming lavender and blackberry brambles, along with sprays of calendula and feverfew. Chopsticks in hand, you start eagerly digging through this secret...