In Good Taste

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Delighting epicures and aesthetes alike, Enclos is a feast for all the senses

Enclos opened in December in an 1880s Victorian near Sonoma Plaza.
Photos by Sam Frost, styling by Lucy Bamman.

Inside an 1880s Victorian, close to Sonoma Plaza, acclaimed chef Brian Limoges’ tasting menu at Enclos draws on the local landscape—the land and the sea. And with the restaurant’s proprietors, Leslie and Mac McQuown, who also own nearby Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery, the seasonal bounty as well as a robust selection of Bordeaux-inspired wines shine. To conjure environs on par with such a sublime epicurean offering, the couple tapped friend and designer Jiun Ho.

In the second dining room, Western cedar and “wool paintings” by artist JG Switzer serve as a backdrop for custom furniture by Jiun Ho; the banquette and chairs feature his Tatami and Culpeo fabrics, respectively, while the cushions are his Kalahari motif.
Photos by Sam Frost, styling by Lucy Bamman.

While Ho’s firm is based in San Francisco, he has a home in Sonoma. Along with high-end residential and hospitality interior design, Ho is renowned for his furniture, textile and lighting collections. “The products feed into my projects,” he says. With Enclos, most everything he introduced was custom, yielding a modern atmosphere that embraces craftsmanship.

The main dining room’s custom display table is composed of reclaimed redwood and illuminated by a vintage Oh Mei Ma pendant by Ingo Maurer. Photos by Sam Frost, styling by Lucy Bamman.

The 30-seat restaurant has three areas: a main dining room in the original part of the historic building; second dining room that occupies an addition; and a covered patio earmarked for more casual dining. Each is distinct yet unified by the warmth of the wood tones and textural elements. “The whole idea was to create different dining experiences,” Ho says. In the front venue, the walls are clad in shou sugi ban wood paneling, whose charred finish contrasts with the light banquette fabric—his Tatami in Shiitake. In the next room, Ho selected Western cedar for the surfaces, complemented by banquettes covered in the same textile in a darker hue called Sureto. Outside, slatted wood and translucent Plexiglas overhead allow the space to be enjoyed year-round, while tropical plants lend privacy.

An Ayno wall lamp and a YanTeng Xiong painting of shima aji—a favorite fish of chef Brian Limoges, hence Jiun Ho’s commission of the work—along with the designer’s Ikebana textile enliven the main dining room.
Photos by Sam Frost, styling by Lucy Bamman.

Every bit of minutia was pored over, including the furniture joinery. “There are details purposely placed, so they slowly unfold throughout the evening,” the designer says. Upon inspection, large-scale works by JG Switzer are revealed to consist of felted wool; the pieces are made from the Sonoma artist’s flock. “Every corner that guests look at, they discover a new element,” Ho continues. “During this journey—from the first moment they walk in until the last moment they walk out—we wanted them to constantly discover something new and different.”