 |
Graffiti 101 2nd St. Petaluma 707-765-4567 www.graffitipetaluma.com
California Mediterranean |
Located in the Basin Street Landing building on Petaluma’s riverfront, Graffiti is Petaluma’s hottest new restaurant, and it’s easy to see why. Blending intriguing architecture, artsy décor and stylish cuisine, owners Mark and Maureen McGowan and their 28-year-old executive chef Jeramy Roberts have hit on a winning combination. The style is California Mediterranean with a surprising Asian twist, and the whimsical menu offers both small plates and traditional entrées. Restaurant veteran Mark, who grew up in Petaluma, runs the dining room and manages the wine list while Maureen, an attorney with a degree in finance, handles the business side.
Even the smallest details here are carefully thought out—from the cutting-edge local art displayed in lighted nooks to the fanciful curved flatware and the rosemary-flecked bread. And how about that Internet-ready banquet room with its view of the river and large, flat-screen TV for lunch- or dinner-time business presentations? The large patio overlooking the river will prove popular when the weather warms up.
Then there’s the food: chef Jeramy Roberts is a real artist. This is his first turn as executive chef, and he goes at it with verve and youthful creativity. His golden beet and Japanese cucumber kim chee appetizer, which arrived in the shape of an unfolding red and yellow rose, was crunchy and refreshing—if almost too beautiful to eat. The restaurant regularly offers three soups at lunch and dinner. Go for the mini tasting of all three. The night we were there, we found a smokey Roma tomato soup topped with a delicate white flower of mozzarella, an aromatic roasted artichoke and summer squash combination, and a smooth blend of butternut squash topped with a spiral of Grand Marnier crème fraiche.
Graffiti’s Tuscan Calamari alla Mama is hands-down the best version of fried calamari I’ve had in the North Bay. The tender and lemony calamari comes with a sprightly counterpoint of tangy tapenade in a shell-like boat of butter lettuce. The Caesar salad is similarly winning, decorated with lacy Reggiano wafers, house-made croutons and spirals of impeccably fresh white anchovies. Roberts’ seared beef tartare on a tiny brioche bun, with matchstick potatoes and tomato-onion coulis, is an artful riff on the traditional American hamburger and fries. And then there’s the house special: Mussels Arrabbiata, in which fat, pillowy, perfectly cooked mussels arrive in a fiery tomato broth with big chunks of tender garlic.
I preferred the small plates menu to the “big bite” options, but among the entrées, the braised lamb shank with horseradish gnocchi, sautéed Bloomsdale spinach and wild mushrooms was rich and comforting. The devastatingly rich and tender butter-poached Maine lobster tail came with a perfect wild rice pilaf.
The well-chosen wine list is still a work in progress, according to owner Mark McGowan, but its offerings provide some perfect pairing possibilities. With its mix of big city élan, small-town ambition and joyful artiness, Graffiti is a welcome addition to Sonoma County’s growing list of top-tier restaurants.
