A cinematic culinary journey with the award-winning Northern California farm and restaurant 

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The Debut of ThroughLine by SingleThread

A cinematic culinary journey with the award-winning Northern California farm and restaurant 

Julie Wolfson

11 March 2025

For two weeks in February, award-winning SingleThread of Healdsburg in California returned to The Lodge at Blue Sky in the Wasatch Mountain Range above Park City to serve a seasonal winter pop-up menu. This year, the dinner was presented in an entirely new format of an eight-part documentary that brings the sights and sounds of their purveyors into the dining room interwoven with a twelve-course culinary journey—a first iteration of their forthcoming concept, ThroughLine.

SingleThread chef and owner, Kyle Connaughton and head farmer and owner Katina Connaughton began to envision this idea when the historic Raven Film Center building next to SingleThread became available in their quaint Sonoma Valley wine country town. The idea of setting up a dining space with a film screen to combine culinary and film arts sparked an inspired culinary concept. 

“For us, the idea of combining a dining experience with film was born out of every day at SingleThread putting plates in front of a guest and having only 30 to 40 seconds to explain the dish and realizing that we are not able to convey the whole story,” says Kyle Connaughton. “It’s hard to just tell it verbally. What is a better way for us to bring the guests into the story of what is happening behind the scenes.” 

With the goal to create a seamless sensory journey combining documentary footage of the places they go and the people they work with to source ingredients for the restaurant, they began to bring the elements of this idea together. “We decided the best way to do that would be to combine these short documentary films with the dining experience,” says Kyle Connaughton. “To understand the work they are doing and serve a dish that reflects their work.” 

To bring this vision to life they thought of a filmmaker they had met on a backcountry skiing trip in Japan. Known for his snowboarding films, Justin Taylor Smith was recently nominated for an Emmy for Omoiyari, a song film that explores the Japanese American Incarceration during WWII. For ThroughLine they traveled to capture the work of their purveyors around California and to Japan.

Each segment explores the story of Kyle and Katina Connaughton world of SingleThread from the farm to the kitchen, with immersive exploration of ingredients with stories about the farms, fisheries, makers and artisans they work with. The 12-course menu deepens the connections to the origins of the dishes. “So much of what we do is relationship based,” says Katina Connaughton.

COOL HUNTING traveled to the Lodge at Blue Sky to experience this new dining experience. The 14-seat dining space was set up in the style of a sushi bar.

The film begins with the Connaughton’s at their Healdsburg farm and restaurant. Section One introduces late winter in Park City and Sonoma County for a seafood and vegetable course. Part two features the Sea in the East Hokkaido scallop in the town in Japan where the Connaughtons lived for a few years. Part three explores Japanese salmon and part four Tsar Nicoulai Caviar. “To work with people who care about our food systems is so impactful for us,” says Katina Connaughton.

They have a kakigori shaved ice machine on hand to make snow for some of the cold dishes to evoke the white winter wonderland outside there in Utah. Beverage pairings feature wine, sake, or zero-proof offerings that includes Pear Verbena and Plum Shiso Kally x SingleThread, ponzu milk punch, a homage to pinot noir, and apple, orange blossom and saffron “not-sauternes.” 

In the fifth section titled the Tides of Balance, they travel to Santa Barbara to meet up with sea urchin diver, Stephanie Mutz of Sea Stephanie Fish and to learn about the world of Cultured Abalone. Section six highlights Knights Valley Wagyu, and seven California Dungeness Crab The eight section wraps up the culinary adventures and dessert featured Outro Lydgate Chocolate and handmade wagashi by pastry chef Emma Horowitz,

 “It’s always about keeping you in that moment in that season,” says Katina Connaugton. “A snapshot of today of what’s happening in nature.” 

When asked why they wanted the first presentation of ThroughLine to be at The Lodge at Blue Sky resort, Katina Connaugting spoke of the relationship they feel with owners Mike and Barb Philips. “We feel such a kinship with the family here. We share core values,” she says. Proceeds from raffle tickets sold at ThroughLine by SingleThread raised money for Saving Gracie a non-profit Rescue Horse and equine healing and rehabilitation center on site The Lodge at Blue Sky.

 “We also like to work in places where we derive inspiration from the landscape. Immersing ourselves in a region and enjoying what is around us to be inspired and invigorated to be the best versions of ourselves. We are always trying to elevate, and we are influenced by the greater ecosystem around us,” says Katina Connaughton.

“Breakthroughs and ideas happen when we are out in nature,” adds Kyle Conaughton. “We don’t have signature dishes. Nothing stays on the menu, it is always changing. It’s a reflection of what we say, we tell the story of today. That’s always changing.” 

The Connaughtons bring the ethos of SingleThread wherever they go. The conversation turns to a concept that helps them offer thoughtful and engaging hospitality inspired by the Japanese concept of ‘kuuki wo yomu’ which translates to “read the air.” This philosophy, interacting with guests never follows a prescribed script. They work with their team to ‘read the air’ with the diners to gauge their level of interest and engagement. Presenting a multi sensory experience with ThroughLine gives them the opportunity to communicate more layers of their story. SingleThread will bring the ThroughLine experience to Wildflower Farms on April 26^th and 27th in New York’s Hudson Valley. And eventually to a theatre in Healdsburg where they will bring their film and culinary experience home.