| Poggio 777 Bridgeway Sausalito 415-332-7771 Italian trattoria |
If you’re looking for a traditional Italian trattoria, step no further than Poggio in Sausalito. Created by restaurateur Larry Mindel and chef Chris Fernandez, this “special hillside place” (a loose translation of its name) boasts style, comfort and a delicious addition to Sausalito’s restaurant scene.
Opened in 2003, Poggio is located adjacent to the Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa. The large, rich interior has seating for up to 100. There are also two adjacent private dining rooms upstairs, with a capacity for up to 36 people. The main dining room’s arched ceiling, mahogany paneling, open kitchen and floor-to-ceiling wooden wine cabinet create a warm, inviting feel. Picture windows along the front look out onto the harbor, and there’s al fresco seating nestled up to them outside (heat lamps included).
The wine list has more than 20 wines by the glass, with choices of a 3-ounce taste or a 6.5- or 8.25-ounce glass. You can also opt for a “flight,” which consists of three 3-ounce tastes. My friend Lucinda and I opted to fly, and one of the restaurant’s managers custom-designed one for us according to what we’d ordered for our meal. This was possibly my most exciting restaurant wine moment to date. In fact, service throughout the meal was impeccable.
For an appetizer, we ordered baked white shrimp with peperonata (a mixture of sweet peppers, tomatoes, capers, onions and garlic cooked in olive oil). It came out sizzling and had a large crostini on top. It was paired with a Barbera di Montefarato, which was described as an everyday drinking wine from Italy’s Piemonte region. Its sweet berry and licorice flavors went well with the mildly spicy dish.
Next I had the marinated beet and arugula salad with ricotta salata (a mild, thin-sliced cheese). The sweet beets and tart vinaigrette were bridged nicely by the cheese. Lucinda had the endive salad with gorgonzola, walnuts, figs and honey. The salads were paired with a Praxis Viognier from Lodi. The flowery, sweet wine had a buttery nose that went especially well with the beet salad.
One entrée we tried was the grilled ahi tuna with grilled house-cured pancetta, flageolet beans and cured tomato tarragon vinaigrette. Served rare, it was moist and mild, and the crispy texture and salty flavor of the pancetta made a great combination. It was paired with a Truchard Vineyards Carneros Pinot Noir.
Our second entrée was spinach ricotta gnocchi served atop a rich beef ragu. I could really taste the fresh spinach coming through in the gnocchi. Thus it went amazingly well with the hearty ragu. It was paired with a rich, luscious Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato. Deep red in color, the wine was velvety and smooth with chocolate on the nose—I fell in love with it immediately.
For dessert we had panna cotta with cara cara oranges, honey and Amaretti paired with a Saracco Muscato d’Asti; and the gianduja chocolate mousse cake with chocolate sauce paired with a La Roncaia Ramandolo. The oranges really brought the panna cotta to life, and the Muscat pairing was my favorite of the night. The mousse cake was a dense, rich affair that would appease even the most discriminating chocolate lover, and the apple/caramel flavor of the Ramandolo was a lovely compliment. My hat is off to the entire staff at Poggio for making our experience so memorable.
