Best: Lasagna
9049 Sonoma Highway
Sonoma CA 95452
(707) 833-2690
Open daily: Lunch 11am to 3:30pm, Dinner: 5pm to 9pm
Parking: in front and adjacent lot
http://www.cafecitti.com/
Last Visited: February 8, 2009
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
Café Citti has become an institution in Kenwood for tourists and locals. Always open when you want a good pasta or rotisserie chicken, it’s a great place to enjoy some great food in beautiful wine country.
Located on Highway 12, you’ll find Café Citti in the heart of Kenwood. When you walk in, you might find that you’re not greeted right away, but what you need to know is you walk in, look at the menu above the counter located in the rear, and order. Selections include an array of salads, pastas, soups, salads, and specials, including dessert. The glass case features some of the salads with marinated olives and the like. Of course, their chicken is an extremely popular item on any night.
Before 2008, it had been more than five years since I had visited Café Citti. Back then, they served some breadsticks while you wait. I don’t know where the breadsticks have gone.
Nowadays, you order at the front counter, and if a table isn’t available, you sit in the chairs by the fireside until one becomes available. Upon being seated, you are brought water and drinks. The waitress will bring bread; sometimes the bread is warm, and other times, it’s not. Then you order is brought to the table. The check comes after dinner.
Tables are covered with white tablecloths and white paper. A tealight candle sits in the middle of
the table and the salt, pepper, and parmesan bottles are also familiar items. Your fork and knife sit on a paper napkin awaiting you. The fireplace is typically going during the water and the atmosphere is cozy.
- Garlicky Caesar Salad – The romaine lettuce leaves were fresh and the dressing is super garlicky. If you enjoy garlic, this is an excellent salad for you. Even the salad for one is rather large and for petite eaters, two people could probably enjoy the salad for one. Excellent. In fact, this probably ranks in the top for the Caesar’s I’ve had. Upon having this the third time, I noticed a couple of pieces of lettuce rusting, but consistently garlicky and good otherwise. $6.50 for one, $12.50 for two
- Marinated Calamari Salad – A large quantity of calamari, both rings and tentacles, is poached until tender and mixed with celery, herbs, peppers, and other vegetables. The bowl is filled to the brim and tastes flavorful and delicious. I was pleasantly surprised by the combination of flavors and textures. Very nicely done. $4.50
- Marinated Green Olive Salad – Even the small salad has a lot of olives and is enough for two to share. Very good. Small $4.50, Large Available
- Smoked Salmon Antipasto – Three slices of smoked salmon are drizzled with a lemon saffron aioli and topped with deep fried onion rings. Fresh chopped parsley is sprinkled on top to accent the dish. The onion rings are cut very thin and lightly breaded – light and crispy. The salmon is fresh and the aioli adds smoothness to each bite. Good. $9.95
- Lasagne – Layers of lasagna noodles are filled with Bolognese and béchamel sauce and topped with Parmigiano Reggiano. The noodles are so tender and delicious and thoroughly flavored with the two sauces. The Bolognese with its tomato, beef, and pork sausage mix is rich and scrumptious. This is one of my favorite dishes here. Four and a half stars. The only thing that could make it better is to have the top cheese crust be slightly less browned. Lovely. $13.50
- Gnocchi – A generous amount of gnocchi is served in your choice of sauce. The potato dumplings have a great consistency and are absolutely delicious in the Bolognese sauce. Very good. $12.50
- Pizza Al Fungi – The pizza is standard with a red sauce and about three types of mushrooms. Despite the freshness of the pizza dough and sauce, I was disappointed that the mushrooms were fairly standard and paired with cheese that didn’t emphasize the mushroom flavor. I found the pizza to be just okay and wouldn’t likely order it again. $16.50
- Arrosto di Aguello all’Agilo - Leg of Lamb Special – The leg of lamb was cooked just right and only makes you want more. The lamb is tender and every bite has wonderful flavor. It’s been a while since I had it, so I don’t remember the exact flavoring, but it was good enough that I would order it again. Garlic mashed potatoes and a seasonal vegetable are served with the lamb. Very good. $17.75
- Petrale Sole – Two lightly breaded fillets of petrale sole are cooked in a lemon, olive oil, white wine, and caper sauce. These are served with carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. The sole is almost boneless (I found one bone), and cooked just right. The sauce is great for caper lovers and the amount of lemon is just right so the sauce is not too heavy and almost velvety in consistency – just coating the sole. The carrots are a little underdone, but the mashed potatoes are great for garlic lovers. Four star fish. $16.50
- Raspberry Lemonade – Refreshing and delicious. $2.25
Service was good during my last three visits, though not perfect. The staff is professional, but on occasion, you’ll see that attention to detail could be improved. Overall, the restaurant is unpretentious and the food is very good. This is a terrific stop when you’re visiting wine country.
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