Seared170 Petaluma Blvd. N.
Petaluma
(707) 762-5997
Steak and Seafood House
Lunch Mon, Wed.-Sat.
Dinner Mon, Wed.-Sun.
Closed Tuesdays
Entrées (dinner): $15-$38
Full bar; great wine list
Ken O’Donnell, Jeff Inglin and Kent Armbright knew the moment was right to start their joint venture when Ken’s friend, Graziano, decided to retire from being a restaurateur. They opened Seared in 2013 in the former Graziano’s space in downtown Petaluma, with Ken’s son, Joe O’Donnell, working as executive chef. You may recognize Ken O’Donnell’s name as a partner at McNear’s restaurant and Mystic Theatre.
The place has a nice-sized bar and lounge at the entrance, with an open kitchen along its rear wall. Exposed brick walls and chandeliers grace the main dining area, with large windows facing the boulevard.
We started with a couple cocktails, one of which was called “Latin Lover,” from the specialty cocktails menu. Made with Reyka vodka, pressed cilantro, cilantro syrup, lime, egg white and Angostura bitters, it was served up with a layer of foam on the top (there was a pattern made in it with the bitters—very pretty) and was tart with a hint of sweetness; very refreshing and unique.
The “daily crudo” was raw ahi, cubed with fried green tomato “croutons,” aioli, thin-sliced radish, scallions and tobiko. Very fresh, it was beautifully presented and was a nice start with a hint of heat and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.
As a starter, we first went for Brussels sprouts, which had a nice, flavorful crunch and were served with thick-cut Neuske’s bacon, house kimchi and soy-bourbon reduction. It was a generous portion, plenty for several to share, and had a subtle, building heat. The chicken fried oysters came next—and were the fanciest fried oysters I’ve ever seen by far. They were perfectly golden and placed atop avocado puree, with dill pickle remoulade and Calabrian chili oil. The buttermilk batter was crunchy and delicious, and the oysters were small (turns out I prefer them that way when fried)—very impressive.
The restaurant offers an extensive wine list and, if you visit on a Thursday, the bottles are 25 percent off. We went for a couple glasses with our entrées: 2012 Schug Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (on the savory side with nice acidity and mineral flavors) and an earthy, meaty 2011 Barons de Rothschild Bordeaux.
The “Surf ‘n’ Turf” entrée had two huge day boat scallops, seared golden and super tender (perfectly cooked). The five-ounce filet mignon was cooked a perfect medium rare, and the Cabernet reduction sauce with shitake jus and Duncan’s mushrooms was buttery, rich and delicious. Fresh Bloomsdale spinach topped the dish for a perfect finish. The Sonoma lamb chops were thick cut and large, perfectly cooked and seasoned, with just a touch of mustard crust, served with an herbaceous fregola-butternut squash risotto.
For dessert, we had a lemon bar, which was light and lovely with fresh berries and a drizzle of berry sauce. The “chocolate indecision” had pot de crème in an espresso cup, chocolate cake with whipped chocolate filling and a drizzle of caramel, and two salted caramel rectangles.
The Perfect “Seared” Steak
By Chef Joe O’Donnell
1. Start with a quality cut of meat. 2. Remove the steak from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking to let it reach room temperature.
3. Get the grill to a high temperature (ours reaches 1,200 F).
4. Season the steak generously with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
5. After the steak is on the grill, only move it three times and don’t slide it (keeping it from sliding will create restaurant-quality grill marks). For a perfect medium rare, cook for three minutes between each rotation.
6. Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for eight minutes (key!).
7. Season with coarse sea salt and enjoy.
