Spaghetti and Neat-Balls: Homey Italian Food is the New Nifty

The sign of good Italian food. Photo by Carey Sweet.

For all the sophisticated restaurant cuisine that Sonoma boasts, it’s an old-fashioned favorite that’s the new trend.

Italian food.

And not fancy Italian food, but simple, delicious, stick-to-your-ribs eats like your mother (if your mother was a good cook) might have made.

Catelli’s opened in Geyserville in March. Baci Café & Wine Bar opened in Healdsburg in April. And Franco’s Ristorante & Wine Bar opened in Santa Rosa in June.

Between the three spots, there is plenty of spaghetti. You can get calamari, Italian-style chicken, piping hot minestrone, steak, lamb, and clams. Except for when the chefs get inspired with daily specials, the fanciest things on these menus is polenta (which, in fact, originated as peasant food).

And diners are eating it up. Catelli’s, in particular, is often packed, especially for its newly introduced Italian barbecue, done on

Spaghetti at Catelli's in Geyserville. Photo by Carey Sweet.

Wednesdays and Saturdays over an outdoor oak- and mesquite-fired grill. Franco’s, meanwhile, fills up for weekday happy hour on the patio, late night on Fridays and Saturdays for pizza by the slice served until 3 a.m. (yes, 3 a.m.), plus lunch and dinner all days in between.

Call it a craving for comfort. But also call it a sign of these rocky economic times, and a return to more casual dining. One-third of U.S. adults haven’t visited a fine-dining restaurant in the past year, according to a March survey by consumer-research firm Mintel. Instead, they’re looking for food that is familiar and affordable, and if they can enjoy it wearing jeans and flip-flops, all the better.

Fortunately for North Bay diners, familiar doesn’t mean flavorless.  In fact, the result of this downtrend is often great eating at lower prices. With even the most limited budget, a talented chef can use the premium, locally grown ingredients that are the mainstay of the Sonoma landscape, and put out a meal fit for a special occasion.

At Catelli’s, chef-owner Domenica Catelli favors Geyserville-area ingredients, including wines she sources from within a 20-mile radius of the restaurant. With her specials in particular, she showcases fresh-harvested boutique items, such as one recent appetizer of Bernier Farms figs wrapped in prosciutto di Parma then pan seared to melt the Pt. Reyes Blue cheese within, nested on a bed of peppery arugula drizzled in a reduction of balsamic, honey and Dry Creek olive oil. That same evening, she presented a stunning rabbit entrée of Jones Farm rabbit liver pate- and mushroom-stuffed loin alongside a pair of shanks set atop polenta and dressed in red wine reduction sauce dotted with pancetta and onion. The crown of pickled red cabbage came from the garden that frames Catelli’s back patio.

Franco Fabiano, center, with staff at Franco's. Photo by Carey Sweet.

For Franco’s owner Franco Fabiani, it’s all about authenticity. His sister Maria came from Rome to coordinate the menu, and the heart of his kitchen is a classic Italian wood-fired oven. The cooks take some liberties – when the menu promised calamari “served with spicy marinara,” the breaded seafood arrived actually coated in sauce. But one thing is predictable: meals are tasty and soul warming, like an enormous chicken parmigiana draped in gooey mozzarella and decorated with bright, pungent basil, paired with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus.

When you go to Catelli’s, don’t miss the meat ravioli, which is a recipe from Domenica and her brother/restaurant co-owner Nicholas

Domenica & Nick Catelli of Catelli's in Geyserville.

Catelli’s grandmother. The dozen pasta pockets are lacy-thin, yet gutsy when ladled with “Domenica’s sauce,” blooming with tomato, fresh herbs and a walloping load of garlic. You”ll also love the satisfying chicken sauté sec, bringing bone-in Rocky chicken browned with rosemary, garlic, mushrooms and white wine over soft pesto polenta and chard.

If you’re really hungry, you can tackle Franco’s enormous portion of lasagna bolognese (it reheats wonderfully later, too). A moist, baked chicken breast is another good choice, stuffed with spinach, feta and sundried tomatoes then finished in D’Argenzio Pinot Noir sauce.

For this new bent for old-style Italian, bring your appetite. Just leave pretense – and expectations of high prices – at home.

Details: Catelli’s, 21047 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, 707-857-3471, mycatellis.com. Baci Cafe & Wine Bar, 336 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-8111, bacicafeandwinebar.com. Franco’s Ristorante, 505 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-523-4800, francosristorante.com.

Looking for more travel tips?  Here are a few about Geyserville.