Eating around the world without leaving Petaluma
Petaluma enjoys an unusually large number of great restaurants. Considering its relatively small size, Petaluma boasts a world’s tour of cuisine options.
Many of our dining choices connect directly to our community, whether that means farm-to-table options or traditional fare that connects to our region’s founding families. For a better understanding of how cultures have contributed to Petaluma’s dining scene, I highly recommend reading “Fog Valley Crush” and “Fog Valley Winter,” both of which are excellent chronicles penned by local author Francis Rivetti.
Here are a few reader favorites along with dishes each restaurant is well known for.
Starting with American food, we have a quite a few options, with most restaurants also paying homage to various European or Latin roots. So where as you will find great comfort food items such as chicken pot pie, burgers, and steak on the menu at Rosen’s 256 North, you will also find non-regional dishes like prawn risotto, French onion soup, Ahi poke, and Cajun pasta. Complimenting “authentic” dishes by adding inspiration from various cultures, as well as ingredients from local farms, pastures and fields is a hallmark of “California Cuisine.”
Some restaurants even go so far as to grow their own meats and veggies. Wishbone is one such restaurant, which is why you should jump at any beef specials you see on the menu. They are rare, but always worth it. They also have a great burger and their pâté is excellent. Central Market and Twisted 2 farm much of what they offer, and it shows. Another American favorite is Wild Goat Bistro, which along with great American food also offers excellent thin-crust Neapolitan style pizza, which owner Nancy brought with her from the East Coast.
Every place seems to have its own specialty salads, with Lunchette pretty much covering the most bases. Other salad favorites include Sugo, Wild Goat, Seared, McNear’s, Stockhome and Café Zazzle.
Seared seems to win as many awards each year as they have menu items, and for good reason and is the place to for steak, with Rosen’s 256 North following closely behind. Beyond the Glory recently re-opened under new ownership and is already impressing people, who mention that their lobster bisque is excellent.
Just down the road is City Limits, which offers a great happy hour menu, as well as affordable dinners. Brewsters serves up a great American menu, even reaching into our fifty-first state, America’s hat, taking inspiration from Canada’s poutine to create their own smoked brisket topped version. Chili Joe’s brings flavors from as far away as Texas’s Frito pie to New Mexico’s Sante Fe Carne Adovada, to Los Angeles’ street chili topped dogs to their tribute to San Francisco’s Doggie Diner dogs.
There is no end to the debate on who makes the best pizza pie in Petaluma, but that one is clearly driven by personal preferences. It is hard to compare the deep dish Audrey Special at Old Chicago to the Perfect Pair at Wild Goat Bistro, even though both are favorites of mine. Add in great pies from the Brixx, the New Yorker, Hector’s, Rafy’s, and all the rest, and there are as many combinations as we have pizza lovers in this town.
Petalumans are big on breakfast joints, although we seem to concentrate our cravings on just a few favorites, periodically venturing out for something different. The lines at Hallie’s Diner, Sax’s Joint make it pretty obvious that when it comes to breakfast, we like traditional dishes. On the East Side, Two Niner Diner, Palms Grill, Flamez, Pub Republic and Bright Bear Bakery are traditional breakfast favorites.
Wishbone, Speakeasy, Della Fattoria, Aqus and the Tea Room also draw in customers with a mix of traditional and unique breakfast and brunch options. However, Pearl burst onto the scene last year with a delicious Mediterranean breakfast menu that has been wowing customers. Situated at the outer reaches of town, Pub Republic sometimes gets forgotten down Lakeville Hwy, but also has an excellent menu, including great brunches, burgers, salads and seafood.
For BBQ, Lombardi’s is the place to go, with other restaurants like Roy’s Chicago Doggery, and Brewsters offering regular BBQ menu items. Butcher Crown Roadhouse is another that sits at the edge of town, out Bodega Highway, and mixed both American and Latin flavors with a lively barbecued menu inspired with smoked and barbecued dishes from throughout Latin America.
Being on the West Coast, it is no surprise that Latin America is well represented in Petaluma. Mexican is clearly the favorite, with readers gushing over the chorizo burrito at Mi Pueblo El Centro, the chicken tacos at El Roy’s, the shrimp cocktail at Don Ponchos, anything carnitas at Chunky’s, and just about everything at What a Chicken. We also benefit from having Karina’s on Petaluma Blvd North, which offers both bakery and regular Mexican food items. For those looking for Latin ingredients, we have several great markets, including Lolita’s, Lola’s, and Ortega’s.
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