Santi may be the best Italian restaurant many people haven't heard of. For a decade it was housed in a historic brick building in downtown Geyserville, where it developed a loyal following; however, it was so far north that many in the Bay Area never got there.
This year Douglas Swett, who bought the 10-year-old business in 2005, moved the restaurant to a new space in Santa Rosa, where it has already captured a wider audience. On weekends nabbing even a 5:30 p.m. reservation can be difficult.
Under co-founders Franco Dunn and Thomas Oden, who died last fall, the restaurant received rave reviews. Current chef Liza Hinman, who also cooked in the Geyserville location, has continued to put out high-caliber, satisfying food, from the little radishes with anchovy butter ($4) to begin the meal to the buttery rhubarb crostata ($8) at the end.
For the reincarnation, the distinctive rooster logo has been transported from the historic brick building to the new complex in Fountaingrove Village. The ornate wrought-iron grillwork that distinguished the original location has been replicated in framed panels over the bar and around the restaurant.
There's also an open kitchen, uncomfortable but stylish wood chairs, and thick wood tables. The dark green and burgundy color scheme and the polished concrete floors add to the masculine look, blending elements of the past with today's fixation on rustic styles. However, the place feels a bit commercial and holds less allure than Hinman's well-executed food.
Grilled lamb tongue ($10) is her masterpiece. Tender slices are lightly infused with smoke and served with pickled radishes and dressed watercress. She also distinguishes herself on grilled local calamari ($9) set off with greens, tart pickled currants, pine nuts and a salty hit of prosciutto.
The tricolore salad ($8) is magnificent in its simplicity, with the green, red and white lettuces bathed in lemon, extra-virgin olive oil and shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. In fact, the only appetizer that disappointed was the wood-oven-baked tripe ($12), a signature at the original restaurant. Here the tripe was chewy and rubbery.
I also was disappointed with another dish I remember fondly from the original location: Oden's sugo Calabrese ($16) with spaghettini; it was dull and one-dimensional. However, flavors exploded in the lighter tagliatelle with braised rabbit, oyster mushrooms, asparagus and a hit of thyme ($17).
The half dozen main courses include pork braised in milk ($23), with the creamy solids still clinging to the outside of the tender meat. Hinman serves it with the natural juices, which mix with the polenta and wilted greens, so well cooked they float like silk across the tongue. I also enjoyed grilled swordfish ($26) on a bed of corona beans spiced with escarole and topped with a dab of thick sauce Amatriciana, the color and texture of tomato paste. On other visits, however, grilled lamb spiedino ($24) with favas, fennel and beluga lentils; and pork with polenta ($23) were overcooked and dry.
Each night brings a different special. On Wednesday, it's an excellent chicken under a brick ($19); on Sunday, a massive Porterhouse steak ($48, serves two). It's one of the best pieces of meat imaginable, sliced and served with tempura-fried spring onions, fried chick peas and chard gratin.
For dessert (all $8), profiteroles are filled with pistachio gelato with flavored creme anglaise and a drizzle of chocolate sauce, a refreshing ending to any meal. Other desserts include slices of strawberry semifreddo; rhubarb crostata with a thick, rustic crust and candied orange zest; and brown butter crepes - tender, buttery packages encasing berries and creamy Bellwether ricotta.
However, the pleasure derived from these final sweets doesn't always parallel the beginning of a meal, where the inexperience shows at the host stand. Once you're seated, however, things smooth out when the more experienced waiters take over.
Since the restaurant just opened in April, the staffs in front and in the back of the house are still learning, especially with pacing of the meal. The kitchen can get backed up at peak times, but the servers are good at attending to diners' needs. And, once the food arrives, a generous Italian spirit is evident on each plate.
Santi
2097 Stagecoach Road (at Fountaingrove Parkway), Santa Rosa
(707) 528-1549 or santirestaurant.com
Lunch and dinner 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Full bar. Reservations and credit cards accepted.
Overall: Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS
Food: Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS
Service: Rating: TWO STARS
Atmosphere: Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS
Prices: $$$( Expensive; most entrees $18-$24)
Noise rating: Noise Rating: THREE BELLS Talking normally gets difficult (70-75 decibels)
Pluses: Rustic Italian food; try the grilled lamb tongue, grilled squid, tagliatelle with braised rabbit; daily specials (especially steak for two on Sunday); fruit crostata.
