Housed above the popular drinking hole known as Gary’s at the Belvedere (pool tables, air hockey, juke box, you get the idea), it’s a welcome addition to Santa Rosa’s Junior College neighborhood and downtown area (the full menu is also available at Gary’s, by the way, but head upstairs for the full effect). Chef Miriam Lee Donaldson and husband Josh Norwitt (who works the front of the house; both are formerly of Humble Pie in Penngrove) have partnered with general manager Neil Allensworth and Bill Cordell to create a fun, homegrown atmosphere that fits the venue perfectly.
The wine and beer list is titled “A handsome selection of fine and delightful intemperance beverages.” Unable to resist that description, we started with a Sam Smith IPA and a Navarro Reisling. Our meal began with a light and savory, thick-sliced, toasted bruschetta topped with a lot of caramelized red onions, Pt. Reyes blue cheese and thin-sliced Meyer lemons, all drizzled with a balsamic reduction. We were off to an excellent start.
The salad special of the evening was generously sized with lots of mixed greens, thin-sliced prosciutto, pink lady apples, fresh pomegranate seeds and a hacky sack-sized herbed goat cheese ball rolled in pecans. A fun salty/sweet combination of flavors and textures, it was dressed with honey vinaigrette. We also tried the “Real Deal” Caesar salad, which was whole leaf Romaine lettuce with traditional dressing (not too creamy), a soft boiled egg, plenty of shaved Parmesan, a white anchovy and a huge, buttery baked crouton (yum).
We moved on to a glass of Chardonnay and some St. Francis Meritage (dark fruit, hint of black pepper, only available by the bottle), which both went great with our entrées. First was “Soda Pop Lamb,” served in bite-sizes with sautéed mushrooms, wilted spinach and crisp fried Tobacco onions atop rich, creamy Parmesan grits (very filling). Next was the roasted vegetable pie (which comes with a salad; ours was the Caesar). It had a beautiful golden, flaky crust filled with mushrooms, butternut squash, sage and herbed ricotta, all topped with a red pepper sauce—with some sliced fruit on the side as well, it was a meal in itself.
Norwitt told us that his brother-in-law, Dan, “looks like a biker and makes the best pies ever.” How could we not order dessert after that endorsement? We went for the Ohio lemon custard pie, which had lemon zest baked into the top and an awesome, shortbread-like crust. Delicious!
