Food I'm Eating: Café Citti

Had lunch yesterday at Café Citti, a roadside restaurant that has been a fixture in the Sonoma County wine country for many, many years (9049 Sonoma Highway--which is Highway 12--in Kenwood, CA). It is perhaps unusual in that it never seems to vary much. That is a good thing. The food is always tasty, the atmosphere relaxed, the staff friendly. At this time of year, seating is indoors, but there is a patio open during the summer.

I've never been for dinner, but I always seem to end up there when I'm in the area, and that is usually when I'm up Highway 12 on some errand during the day. Café Citti is a couple miles beyond Oakmont on the right if you're heading out Highway 12 from Santa Rosa, a couple miles before Oakmont if you're coming from the city (San Francisco, that is). 

It's right next door to the VJB tasting room, another place worth a stop. I'm a long-time fan of VJB's Danté (a Cabernet Sauvignon/Sangiovese blend). The winery makes good Barbera, Sangiovese, and a tasty Chardonnay as well. The prices keep creeping up, which has been a disappointment, but the wines are still nice for a special occasion. 

At Café Citti, I had the tasty Penne al Funghi--penne with porcini mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce. My wife had the Special Ravioli, which is ravioli stuffed with pork and chard in a tomato cream sauce. There's a range of other pastas (you can design your own by picking any combination of pasta type and sauce). There are sandwiches and many deli-style salads, too. The Caesar's salad is a good one, especially if you love the bite of raw garlic, as it's generously applied here. The wines by the glass are overpriced--as they are almost everywhere--but they are generally decent. If you're traveling in the area and don't know where to eat lunch, I recommend Café Citti. 

Two nearby wineries worth a visit are Wellington Vineyards and Loxton, both a short drive down Dunbar Road, which branches off Highway 12 at the Kunde Estate billboard. I can recommend Wellington's Cabernets and its white wines from Rhône varieties in particular.