189 H Street / Petaluma / 707-778-6060
Hours: B – L – D daily
Mon – Tues 7am – 8pm
Wed 7am – 9:30pm
Thu – Fri 7am – 10pm
Sat 7:30am – 10pm
Sun 8am – 6pm
Happy Hour Everyday! 4:30pm – 6:30pm
Beer & Wine
Indoor/Outdoor seating / Kid & Dog Friendly / Live Music
*** 3/2/12 $-$$
Located in the Foundry Wharf area of Northwest Petaluma, a live/work environment that screams “green” all around with its walkable paths meandering between warehouses, office spaces, small condo/townhomes and the Petaluma River, this cafe is a cute space on the corner and down the street from both a whisky and a port distillery. Kind of a “three-in-one” tasting package if you are so inclined!
We stopped for lunch on a beautifully crisp, clear day and sat out in the front patio area after placing our orders inside. They bring you the food; you need to order and pay for it first inside.
The vibe here is Momma Cass and the feel is very laid back. Service can be a bit slow and you need to haul your own water from the dispenser inside, but I had heard the food was pretty good, so we were anxious to see what Aqus Cafe had to offer. The menu is interesting. Starters ranged from Greek (Mediterranean Plate) to Mexican (Chicken Avocado Quesadilla) to American (Brie Plate).
Artisan Flatbread Pizzas looked intriguing. With seven to choose from, this was going to be hard! My eyes finally landed on the one with smoked duck breast, fig relish, caramelized onion, brie and gorgonzola crumbles! The Aqus ($6.95****) sounded like my kinda flatbread. And, since it had been recommended to me, a Traditional Nicoise Salad ($9.95***) white Albacore tuna, hard cooked egg, green beans, potatoes, olives, capers with house-made French vinaigrette was ordered, too. Hubby went for the Spicy Chipotle Tri Tip Panini ($9.95****) with caramelized onions, tomatoes and aged Pacific Blue cheese. 
The flatbread was delicious! All the flavors complemented one another and the crust was crisp and tasty.
The Nicoise was good but very different from any salad Nicoise I have had, probably because the tuna used was Albacore and not Ahi and the dressing was a little on the sweet side for my taste. Hubby’s Panini was a big hit. The meat was tender and the Blue cheese and caramelized onions with tomatoes brought a lot of flavor to the sandwich.
This is definitely a spot to return to. Lots more menu items to check out and if your tastes are vegetarian or vegan, plenty of selection for you, too. I want to go back and try the Salmon Club (it’s got bacon on it with lemon aioli!).
The Good, The Bad and The Inedible 