Picazo Cafe & Deli - Sonoma

19100 Arnold Dr, Sonoma CA 95476
(707) 931-4377
Parking: in front and side lot
Hours: Mon - Fri 5:30am - 4pm, Sat 6am - 4pm, Closed Sundays
http://picazocafe.com/

Last Visited: March 1, 2014

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

I've driven past Picazo cafe and deli for a long time and decided to stop in for lunch this afternoon. With indoor and outdoor seating, you'll find that it's a cozy cafe with friendly service and reasonably priced options for sandwiches, salads, and burgers.  A little ways from downtown Sonoma, you'll find mostly locals frequenting Picazo.

The menu above the counter shows all of your options and the side deli case features today's sides and salads.   The staff was very patient as people decided on their meals; after ordering, you can seat yourself and the food is brought to you.

We ordered both of our sandwiches grilled.



- Lemon Pepper Chicken Sandwich - Lemon pepper chicken breast (sliced thin), Havarti cheese, shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, homemade basil pesto on sour roll.  The ingredients make for a flavorful sandwich with the large strips of carrots, cucumber slices, and toasted roll reminding me a little of Vietnamese sandwiches without the pickling of the veggies.  Great combination.

- Pastrami Sandwich - Pastrami, deli-style mustard, swiss cheese, sauerkraut on marble rye.  The portion is good and the ingredients are fresh.  Everything is heated through, but the bread doesn't get soggy which made it even better.

Both sandwiches were about $7 and came with macaroni salad containing diced ham, green bell peppers, and red onions.  I appreciated that the portion was enough to try the salad without being overwhelming.

It appears that Picazo is a family operation as the staff really goes the extra mile to check on everyone during their meal, bring water, and generally show their pride in running the restaurant in all that they do.  The food is solid, no fluff/no frills, ingredients are fresh, and the place is quaint, filling up quickly not long after the noon hour. Check out Picazo for some good eats and friendly folks.

Traverso's - Italian/Deli, Santa Rosa

Fountaingrove Village, 2097 Stagecoach Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 542-2530
Closed for lunch on Sundays
http://www.traversos.com/

Last Visited: December 2, 2006

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$

Normally, I wouldn’t write about a deli, but I have had terrific sandwiches at their old location on Fourth Street.  I'm confident that their move hasn't affected their quality.

- Mild Coppa Deli Sandwich with Avocado – Choice of bread, choice of meat, and choice of what you want on your sandwich. They have a great gourmet selection, and the price of the sandwich varies by the type of meat you select. Some were about $5.99 while others would be about $9.99. I selected mild coppa on a soft sour roll with lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and mayo. Avocado was $0.55 extra. Delicious. The bread was crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and just amazing. What a treat. $7.54

- Hot Coppa Deli Sandwich – So you can tell that I like coppa. I don’t get it elsewhere, so that’s why I get it at Traversos. This time, I tried Dutch crunch, jack cheese, and the usual lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayo – absolutely delicious. And, they even gave me a slice of the coppa while they were cutting it for me. You can’t beat Traverso’s for friendly people behind the counter and excellent meat. $6.99

Check out the gourmet goods at Traverso’s deli and and market. Excellent cheeses and all sorts of goodies. They even offer cheese samples – the gouda is delicious. If you want an excellent, fresh, deli sandwich – this is the place to go. Yum!

Arrigoni's - Italian Deli, Santa Rosa

701 4th St., Santa Rosa CA 95404
(707) 545-1297
Parking: pay parking in rear, street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 4:30pm, Sat 8am to 3:30pm
http://www.arrigonis.com/

Last Visited: January 26, 2007

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

Arrigoni’s has been around for quite some time. Located at the corner of 4th Street and D Street, they tend to get a lot of downtown traffic. Walk into Arrigoni’s and notice the deli counter on your right, and the red and white checkered tablecloth covered tables to your left. The dining area is surrounded by windows making for a bright room with lots of plants and greenery. It feels like you’re in a picnic area.

Arrigoni’s is known for serving Mediterranean specialities, salads, sandwiches, omelettes, soup, and dessert. Upon arrival, you go to the start of the line located at the rear of the restaurant.

- The Beef Eater – Roast beef is topped with bacon and tomato. A tart caper sauce is spread on the bread. One thing I like about Arrigoni’s is that the sandwich makers will scrape out the center of the bread to allow for you to have a proper amount of meat and vegetables to bread. However, I found the beef eater a bit bland compared to what I was expecting. Okay. $7.75

They have a variety of sandwiches, and the salads looked like they could feed a large group of rabbits – mounds of lettuce and whatever other accompaniments on a plate. Overall, I found the deli to have a wide variety of drinks, main items, and nicely presented desserts, but based on the one sandwich alone – well, it was an okay experience. I wouldn’t mind returning, but I’m not running back there wanting to try their entire menu either. An okay place to go and a convenient meeting spot for lunch.

Angelo's Wine Country Deli - Deli/Smokehouse, Sonoma

23400 Arnold Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 933-3688
2700 Adobe Road, Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 763-9586
Parking: in parking lot
http://www.angelossmokehouse.com/

Last Visited: December 8, 2010

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

In Sonoma, it’s a building with some picnic tables out front available for patrons to enjoy a sandwich. This place houses so many goodies that you won’t know what to choose.

Angelo’s has been around for a while with both Petaluma and Sonoma locations. The sign is simple pointing out that meats are available along with sandwiches. The Sonoma location is a good-sized shop with lots of meats available in the deli along with other deli fare including chips and snacks. The refrigerator also features meats like beef bacon, sausages, and more. However, the fresh beef jerky is available for sampling, and ooh – what a treat. My loot from the 2010 trip is shown.

- Beef Jerky – The beef jerky runs for $25 a pound, but it’s super fresh. There are tons of choices for flavorings from teriyaki to pepper to hot pepper to garlic and more. Plain is available too. Each bite is delicious. Once you’ve had Angelo’s beef jerky, you’ll never go back to the packaged stuff you find in stores. You can buy it fresh out of the bag or pre-packaged.

- Beef Bacon – Raw beef bacon is available in the refrigerator. We cooked this up and enjoyed it for it’s meaty texture and excellent flavor. Very good.

- Steak – I heard that Angelo’s had good steaks, so I visited their Petaluma location and bought a rib eye. It was absolutely delicious – great flavor, well-marbled and I met Angelo himself – nice guy. Great steak – I will definitely be back for more. In 2010, I went to their Sonoma branch for steak and was offered a different cut (can't remember which, but it was tender and delicious). This one was available in thin cut or thick cut and they also offered me some bbq spice if I wanted it. I selected a thin cut steak and pan-fried it. $15/pound in 2007

- Sausage - I purchased one of many varieties offered. I found the casing to be tougher than I liked (I sliced it up and cooked it in a frying pan), but the flavor was still good.

Look for other specialty items that Angelo’s offers including BBQ sauce, salsa, olives, pickled garlic, and the like. You can also mail order from the website. I definitely need to go back one of these days to check out their sandwiches.

Morty's Deli - San Francisco

Best Reuben Sandwich

280 Golden Gate Ave
San Francisco CA 94102
(415) 567-3354
Parking: street parking, pay parking lot nearby
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8am - 8pm; Friday 8am - 6pm
http://mortysdeli.com/

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


Last Visited: September 29, 2009

I had a meeting near the Civic Center and was surfing the web for a place to have lunch and happened upon Morty's Deli. There were many references to their reuben sandwich and I couldn't resist trying it.

Walking in the area, there are a number of options, particularly Vietnamese, and you might just pass by Morty's without a second thought. If it weren't for that yellow ring around that sweet face on the window, you might miss it entirely.

I arrived at 11:45 am just before the lunch crowd rushed in. Upon entering, things are a little on the brown side. There are higher tables with stools on the immediate right, booths next to the window and in the nook to your left, and several tables down the middle of the deli. It's cozy, clean, and the service is friendly. I looked at the blackboard behind the deli counter listing hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, salads, soups, and a few other sides and although many things sounded delicious, I had to get the reuben and I was in for a treat.

The staff is efficient and know a newbie when they see one. That look in your eye as you try to navigate the chalkboard, but they're friendly and either help the next person if the place is busy or let you decide if there's nobody in line.

From an initial glance at the other patron's food, you can see that salads are fresh and good-sized and the cold sandwiches are also piled high with delicious meats. They also have vegetarian options available like the Soy Reuben and the Sloppy Soyrizo Joe.

- Reuben Sandwich - A scrumptious sandwich which if heaven had food and you wanted to know how a real sandwich could taste - this would be just perfect. Rye bread is buttered on the outside and grilled until just crisp. You get a choice of pastrami or corned beef, and I chose corned beef. The meat is sliced thin and piled on thick with warm sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and just the right amount of Russian dressing. Each bite melts in your mouth, and your hands get progressively wet from the drippings. I noticed that I kept eating faster and faster probably to just enjoy it in its state of perfection before it got soggy. Beautiful and the best reuben sandwich I've encountered. It also comes with a pickle spear. Just look at this goodness. $7.95 For my second visit, I went back to try some french fries and the 174, their other most popular sandwich.

- 174 Grilled Roast Beef - A toasted sub roll contains grilled roast beef, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, chipotle aioli, and peppers. The combination of the onions, peppers, and aioli give a wonderfully sweet flavor combination that is subtely spicy and not overpowering. And of course, the toasted bread and juicy meat give those feelings of comfort and home that make you feel warm inside. It a great sandwich for people who want to try something new and love roast beef. Just like the reuben, the 174 is sure to fill your stomach. $7.95

- French Fries - Crispy and fried in fresh oil, the french fries were delicious too. A great accompaniment as long as you have room to eat it all. $2.35Other delightful options include meatball sandwiches, and other treats named The Loin (after the area which they are located), Pop's Classic, Little Italy, and more. The website describes all of these.

I would definitely return to Morty's if I'm in San Francisco on a weekday. The reuben sandwich is incredible and certainly worth a try. Don't wait - it's one awesome melt in your mouth bite after another.