Santa Rosa
(707) 528-1549
www.santirestaurant.com
Italian Cuisine
Lunch and dinner daily
Entrées (dinner): $16-$32
Full bar, nice wine list
It’s rare I ever finish what’s on my plate. I finished everything at Santi. The October night I visited was the same date it received a Michelin Bib Gourmand (it was a Tuesday, and halfway into the evening, the place was packed). Good timing obviously played into this, but so did the excellent service and the skills of Chef Liza Hinman, whose dishes were a feast for all the senses. Owner Doug Swett has a great team on his hands.
Santi originally opened its doors in Geyserville in 2000, but this past spring relocated next to Traverso’s market in Fountaingrove Village. The new digs feature a good-sized bar and lounge area, an open kitchen (with wood-fired oven), wooden furnishings and lively conversation throughout. When you visit, check the menu for the piatto del giorno, and don’t forget to read the amusing Italian proverbs at the bottom.
We started with some cocktails, first a classic Gibson, served up with a perfect ice sheen on the top; then an “Aviation,” made with Plymouth gin, crème de violette, maraschino liqueur and a lemon twist—very refreshing with a hint of sweetness.
The first course started with pappa al pomodoro, a flavor-rich but not too heavy heirloom tomato soup with large chunks of ciabatta bread, sweet onions and tomatoes. Next was a salad made with thin-sliced local pears, mixed greens, raw almonds and parmesan, lightly dressed with a fig vinaigrette. Normally served with prosciutto, we had the multi-textured vegetarian version. A Six Signa Sauvignon Blanc (Lake County; smooth with pear elements) and a Chianti Classico (tannic, fruity and crisp) accompanied both dishes well. As a mid-course, we shared delicious winter squash ravioli, topped with a savory brown butter (nice against the sweeter squash), crunchy raw hazelnuts and shaved parmesan.
The menu (which changes regularly) offered seafood, pasta, pork, chicken and beef entrées. We chose the Creekstone hangar steak, which was a large portion cooked to a perfect medium rare (as ordered), cut into thin slices and served with a light Sangiovese sauce, very creamy mashed potatoes, earthy golden chanterelle mushrooms and bright green rapini (broccoli raab) that cleansed the palate between the meaty bites.
Next was the braised chicken, served bone-in and incredibly tender with crispy skin, atop creamy soft polenta, with soft baby turnips and whole baked black mission figs. The savory dish was pure comfort food, well seasoned and presented.
Desserts change with the season (when we visited, pears, grapes and figs played starring roles), but we went for the classic profiteroles, which were light, golden crisp and filled with thick pistachio gelato, then topped with pistachio halves, with crème anglaise and a rich chocolate sauce. They were perfect.
