Trattoria Lupo
4776 Sonoma Hwy. 
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa
(707) 539-0260
www.trattorialupo.com
Italian Cuisine
Dinner Tues.-Sun.
Entrées: $16.95-$27.95
Full bar; good wine list
After taking a less-than-two-year hiatus from the restaurant business, Roberto Catania reopened his well known Italian eatery (originally called “Roberto’s”) earlier this year. Now with a sleek new look and renewed energy, it offers traditionally prepared cuisine, daily specials, excellent service and a friendly atmosphere. (We even ran into St. Francis Winery’s founder Joe Martin and president/CEO Christopher Silva, who both described it as a “great neighborhood place.”)
It’s hard for me to resist nightly specials, so we decided to try a few of those as well as some regular menu items. We began with cocktails and two appetizers. The first was a special of sliced, vine-ripened tomatoes (delicious and at the prime of the season) with house made mozzarella, fresh basil and drizzled with a hint of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Next was carpaccio di manzo (thin-sliced raw beef), which was fanned over the plate in a circle, then topped with shaved parmesan cheese, capers and served with lemon slices, olive oil and a dollop of Dijon mustard. An entirely savory dish with just a hint of sweetness from the beef, it was full-flavored while also light and naturally salty.
Next we tried Roberto’s salad, a generously portioned mix of sweet Romaine lettuce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, walnuts and earthy, crumbled aged blue cheese, which has a great flavor and texture balance without being overdone.
In between our salad and entrées, we had the rich, earthy shiitake ravioli, filled plump with thin-sliced mushrooms and covered in a buttery, light basil cream sauce. Chopped fresh tomatoes were in the center of the plate, which added a nice edge of acid to the dish. We also switched to wine with this course, and enjoyed a 2008 Trecini Sauvignon Blanc (citrus, pear, hint of vanilla) and a 2006 Batasiolo Piedmonte Barbera (tobacco, black fruit, forest floor).
Our main courses consisted of two specials. First was the moist, tender baked salmon filet, prepared with a lemon, butter, garlic and herb sauce and served with fried polenta (crisp edges and moist, lightly herbed interior), roasted tomatoes and blanched fresh green beans. We also had the osso buco (veal shank). Available only once per week, it’s slow cooked until so tender it falls off the bone, then smothered in a saucy mix of chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots and herbs. No knife is needed, and it’s a generous portion served with creamy polenta (which soaks up the sauce really well), roasted tomatoes and blanched fresh green beans that add a nice green edge.
Dessert was coffee with a light, almost cloud-like house made tiramisu (delicious) and coffee torfuto, which was a scoop of cappuccino gelato with a bit of espresso, covered in a crust of coffee-flavored meringue “sparkles” (toffee-like) and a bit of fudge in the center. How sweet it is!
