Our Team
Evan Hufford
Evan has served as an integral part of some of the country’s most lauded Michelin and Forbes starred restaurants, including Joël Robuchon, Michael Mina, and spearheaded the development of a Grand Award winning wine list as Head Sommelier at Saison. Most recently, he served as the opening wine director at SingleThread Farms in Healdsburg, where he, Jade, and Ryan played a driving role in helping the restaurant attain 3 Michelin Stars in under 2 years. He is an instructor at the SF Wine School, and is an Advanced Sommelier, a French Wine Scholar with Highest Honors, and a California Wine Appellation Specialist.
Jade Hufford
Raised in her family’s destination restaurant, Amigo Cafe in Kayenta, AZ, Jade has been immersed in hospitality her whole life. Jade began her career in fine dining at Kai Restaurant in Phoenix, helping raise the standards for Kai to become AZ’s only Forbes 5 Star restaurant. On moving to San Francisco, Jade was tapped as a leader on the floor at Michael Mina, and later became a captain at 3 Michelin Star Atelier Crenn. At SingleThread Farms, Jade was instrumental in directing service, helping guide the restaurant to attain SF Chronicle’s first ever perfect 4 star debut.
Ryan Knowles
A Healdsburg native, Ryan began his restaurant career at the Michelin-starred Madrona Manor, where he began studying wine and cheese at the age of 16, and oversaw the restaurant’s cheese program. Following Madrona, Ryan consulted on celebrated tasting menu restaurant, El Destilado, in Oaxaca. Ryan returned to Healdsburg to help open SingleThread, serving in a dizzying array of capacities, helping launch the pioneering non-alcoholic pairings, and managing the wine cellar. Ryan is a certified sommelier, having passed the first two CMS exams within weeks of turning 21.