Caffe Giostra - Italian, Petaluma

Best: Lasagna

1390 N McDowell Blvd. #L
Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 664-9441
Parking: in shopping center

Last Visited: September 18, 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Caffe Giostra is located in the same shopping center as the OSH Hardware store. It’s a small place, but the food is excellent. In particular, I enjoy their lasagna of the day. You can’t go wrong, especially if it’s one that has meat in it.

The restaurant is small. Upon entering, to your right is a raised seating area. Further back are additional tables, and on the left is the open kitchen. Reservations are recommended since there is limited seating.

I was coming here a lot around 2003, and recently decided to make a trip back to see if Caffe Giostra was as good as I remember it. For things I had recently, you'll see a detailed account, otherwise, for the other items, I’ll write generally. In 2003, I found them to have four star food, and service and atmosphere were both between three and four stars. Since then though, I've had to downgrade their service. Repeated trips and my most recent visit revealed things I didn't like seeing. Too bad - I always am on the lookout for places with the best combination of food and service.

White tablecloths cover red and white checkered table coverings. Each table also has one of those olive oil/vinegar glass containers shaped like a cylinder where there is another container shaped like grapes within. I don't want to think too much about how these things are cleaned, but aesthically, the balsamic in the grape cylinder and the olive oil outside with small corks to top off the spout for both is a cute addition to the table setting.

Upon our arrival, we were brought a nice basket of both loaf bread and focaccia (soft and with olive oil drizzled on it) along with a small ramekin filled with marinated olives.

- Carpaccio di Manzo - Thin slices of raw beef are topped with a drizzle of mustard, drizzle of olive oil, capers, shavings of parmesan, and served with a wedge of lemon. I really wanted to like this, but it lacked flavor. If it weren't for the toppings, I probably wouldn't have eaten it at all. While the beef is tender, it tastes like it's been frozen or refrigerated too long. The meat flavor is missing and it tasted a bit watered down (like when you have ham pumped with too much saltwater). I wouldn't get this again. Ever. $9.50

- Pasta dishes – Pasta is freshly made and sure to please. I have tried a number of dishes and am always impressed by the sauce and the quality of pasta. If you’re looking for lighter fare, you may consider splitting dishes (I split a seafood pasta) which is allowed for an additional charge.

- Lasagna of the day – Upon entering the restaurant, you’ll see a specials board. Each day is a new lasagna. I have separated the lasagna from the pasta dishes because their lasagna is exquisite. Knowing that it’s so good, I always have a difficult time deciding whether to get the lasagna, or take the chance to try another item. The lasagna is hand rolled, making the layers so thin that the sauce is wonderfully absorbed in each layer. Excellent. Today's special (September 2010 visit) was Chicken Lasagna. While the sauce is still just a touch sweet (oh so good), the chicken reminded me a bit of eating an enchilada, so it wasn't as authentic as I hoped. It wasn't my favorite, but certainly not bad. The noodles are just as tender as I remember them to be though. $13.95

- Profiteroles – These pastry puffs were filled with vanilla ice cream decorated with chocolate sauce. The presentation is great, but I didn’t find the profiteroles outstanding, though they were good.

- Osso Bucco - Osso bucco, in Italian, means bone with a hole (which refers to the marrow inside). Traditionally, it's made with veal. I was therefore expecting this dish to be made with veal, but instead, found out that it was pork after ordering (why the server didn't clarify with us that it was pork, I don't understand). Served on a bed of polenta, this large piece of meat was juicy initially, but began to dry out as the evening wore on. The polenta was standard as well. Okay. $18.75

Service at Caffe Giostra varies depending on the server and the time you arrive at the restaurant. During peak hours, though the staff does a good job of checking on you, I did feel neglected several times. My most recent visit though was pretty pathetic in terms of service so I had to downgrade their rating. It started from the moment I was brought to a table - first we were brought to the rear, and then moved back to the center (not a big deal). Then, as we were waiting for the server to come and take our order, the manager came over to say our server was on her way. He then proceeded to take our order and then when the server came, he interrupted us abruptly and the server's tone then became a bit rude as she asked us 'are you going to drink anything?' I was a bit surprised that a seemingly seasoned server would ask this in a somewhat irritated tone and use that wording in this environment. Things didn't get a whole lot better after that. However, Caffe Giostra still makes a great lasagna which is certainly worth a try (maybe takeout is the way to go though).