Cafe Citti – Italian Trattoria

9049 Sonoma Highway / Kenwood / 707-833-5837

Category: Italian Trattoria
Daily:  11am – 3:30pm  L                                                                                                             5pm – 8:30pm  D  Sun-Thu  &  5pm – 9pm  Fri-Sat
Limited parking – Kid friendly – Patio & Indoor seating
Beer & Wine.

*** 11/20/11     $-$$                

Family owned and operated for over 10 years by a couple from Lucca, Italy this small but efficient cafe feeds hungry winery tourists and locals alike. Located on Highway 12, it is very convenient for passersby to stop. Set up inside like a deli with large glass cases displaying hot and cold items, and a large menu board overhead, orders are taken and delivered to your table or packed to go.

The menu? Italian Panini style sandwiches served with house made Mozzarella, gourmet salads and soups, pick your own pasta noodles, house made ravioli and gnocchi topped with your choice of  8 different sauces, and grilled chicken. Deserts are plentiful with Tiramisu, Cannoli and Biscotti a specialty.

We have had several great meals at Cafe Citti since moving to Sonoma County over 10 years ago. This past visit, I am sorry to say, was not one of them! Perhaps it was because we came on a Sunday and I noticed the owner was not there. Perhaps things have changed, or it was just an off day. However, we ran into some of my relatives who were just finishing their meal, and I asked them to tell me about it. “Not great,” came the reply. Too bad, as my family loves this place and dines here often.

Ah well. A bad meal happens now and then. Let me tell you about ours. Hubby ordered the Lasagna with Bolognese Sauce, and I opted for Polenta with Marinara.  We shared one favorite dish, Blue Lake Green Beans. The Lasagna came to the table swimming in the sauce. So much in fact, the lasagna looked like a lump beneath it! I tasted the noodles and they were over-cooked and the filing was not discernable. My Polenta was fine and the sauce okay. But the Blue Lake Green Bean Salad was the most disappointing. Over-garlicky, with way too much lemon juice squeezed over them, almost inedible. Our past experience at this restaurant weighed heavily on my decision to rate them as “Good”.  In fairness, the saving grace for this meal was the house made Cannoli. Simply sinful…

We will return soon to make sure this visit does not indicate a trend to mediocrity.