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Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
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A few friends had recommended this place so we thought we'd give it a try. The food was very good, better than average but not amazing- which sounds bad but it was very good. 2 salads, 2 beers, 1 glass of wine and two entrees put us, with tip, at $80 which I wasn't expecting. The Cesar salad was over dressed but the rest of the food was good. We sat outside which was very fun, a little loud but we liked it...all the people there in big groups knew each other from around town and it was very quaint.
Warning- you order at the front window then sit down, get served, eat, then pay so it isn't you usual waitress experience.
I am not usually a fan of restaurants that don't offer waiter service. I think its really impersonal. The first time I came here was with my sister (her first time also) and when we walked in and realized that we had to order and pay at the counter.... well basically we were over it. I think since it is such a small restaurant that it would be pretty simple for them to change things around but whatever.
So my ex insisted that I try this place and to my surprise the food is actually really really good. We had a pizza and yummy pasta and salad, his friend had the creepy chicken thing where you tear it off the bone like a caveman, and his gf had pasta too. We all tried each others stuff and it was all good!!
I'm glad I tried it, I will be back for sure!
It's not fancy. It's not a Michelin star restaurant. Hell, they don't even have a wait staff. Even the floor is crooked in this old clapboard roadhouse.
But, it's a great little casual place where you place your order at the counter, put your number on the table, and wait.
The service is friendly, it's family owned, and it's worth the time to get to know the menu. There are some great finds there.
We love this place.
Such a cool restaurant! You walk in and order food from the board that's is over the counter, pay for the food and wait for the deliciousness to come! The only negative was the last time we went there. It was my son's graduation. They brought him the wrong food! He said it didn't matter, he ate it, but it was his graduation dinner!!
My wife and I stopped by this place as Chateau St Jean Winery recommended this place. It is their staff favorite.
Food:
My wife ordered the Mortadella on wheat with Provolon. She liked it very much with the exception of the staff or chef used white bread instead of wheat. She didn't bother to change or mention it to them as she says it taste wonderful!
I ordered the Homemade Gnocchi served with Pesto Sauce. This dish was perfect. The Gnocchi was made perfectly very light and airy. The pesto sauce is what made this dish wonderful as Gnocchi is overall tasteless.
Price:
Very affordable. My wife and I spent barely over $20.
Service:
Very quick
Friendly
Provided suggestions on their favorite dish and what they didn't like
Decor:
Simple, small place, and they do have outdoor seating.
Parking in the back
When we are staying in Kenwood, this is are go to spot for dinner. Informal, simple but good italian food. Order from the board and sit down either in or out on the patio. The service is friendly and attentive every time and most likely why the locals go to dine and socialize. Also the place is fairly cheap (although the wine is a tad overpriced, $8.50 glass for local Kenwood Red Table wine? for shame!!). I strongly suggest the ravioli daily special (or Ravioli all Citti) and caesar salad which are excellent everytime. We like that you can pair any sauce with any pasta choice. Other solid choices are the calamari salad and Lasagna (which at first borders on bland but still creamy and quite yummy). They also have all the Russian RIver beers on tap, so that seals the dealio!
I love this place, too! The Pasta Arrabiata and the Puttanesca are fabulous!
This little place really reminds me of an authentic Italian Cafe'. The service has always been great and the servers themselves have always been SO friendly! I remember going there a few (maybe 4) years ago and getting there right before they closed thelunch time out and started prepping for the dinner crowd. They invited us in warmly and asked us to join them drink wine with the entire staff. We didn't actually stay for this because of time constraints, but how nice?! I can go there for lunch by myself and have a glass of Chianti, a pasta dish and an espresso for about $22.00 excluding tip. OH! I almost forgot about their Tiramisu!
Oh my God! Complete and utter decadence! What a perfect romantic date place or just a place to go when you feel like treating yourself!
OH! One more thing! If you were thinking of having a pic nic at any one of the wineries... this is a great place to pick up lunch from their deli case! They offer some very nice Italian salads and pic nic-esque type foods.
Basic but good. And the guys and gals who work there are usually really friendly and helpful. I'm currently working my way through the menu (it's kind of large) but really like some of the pastas, the roasted chickens, the chicken salad, the draft beers, and the roast turkey breast which is house roasted.
I was so excited to take my girlfriend here after reading all of the reviews. Upon arrival I was not disappointed and was excited to enjoy a tasty meal in this quaint cafe.
We were both very pleased initially with the meals and friendly staff. We noticed that her sandwich was missing the grilled bell pepper it was supposed to have. The waitress was apologetic and took care of the problem immediately, but brought her plate back missing the spoon for her enjoyable split-pea soup, but it did not matter because by this time it was cold and not so desirable. Next thing, I found a wiry hair in my sandwich. I did not say anything and we continued trying to enjoy our meals until she bit into an approx. 4cm long bone in her chicken. At this point she had lost all appetite and the experience had quickly turned dissatisfactory.
Tired of the uppity Italian restaurants that tend to dominate the Sonoma Valley? Cafe Citti's cuisine holds its own with more sophisticated locations but is relaxed and comfortable.
Cab, viognier, barolo -- doesn't matter. You'll get your wine in a short cup and you'll like it, damn it.
Citti is a little cottage of sorts decorated with pictures of the owners kids and butcher paper on the tables, just feet from the main Wine Country highway. So, it can be noisy if you choose the patio. You order at the counter off a big white board but servers will bring your food and provide full table service from there on.
Citti has a mix-and-match menu of pastas and sauces, which I love because it means they always have what I want. Try the housemade ravioli with tomato basil cream sauce.
It its known for its rotisserie chickens, however. You can get a half chicken and pasta for about $12. People rave about its super garlicky caesar salad, but I skip it. It don't actually like when my tongue stings from garlic overload, but maybe you're in to S&M dining.
Citti is a paradox -- it's far enough away from Sonoma that a lot of locals forget about it and its often easy to get a table. But its close to several popular wineries so it can get busy. The food is certainly worth a short wait, however.
Citti has a sandwiches and deli fare for picnicking wine tasters, and does a busy take-out business too.
We'd lived in Santa Rosa for two years and never noticed Cafe Citti on our drives to Sonoma. . . until an LA friend told us it was his favorite eatery in Northern California! He made us promise to stop by. We did. Again and again and again. It's a 14 mile drive each way but we're there 2-3-4-5-6 times a month. We've celebrated birthdays there, anniversaries, special days, and totally love it. The House salad. The rotissarie chicken. The draft beers - we love Pliny the Elder. The calamari. The pastas. The soups. And we love the roadhouse feel of it. . so cozy and welcoming. Yes, waiting in line to order is kind of weird and often results in less attention from the wait staff, but it works for them so we make it work for us.
I really like this place. It doesn't have much atmosphere, however, the food is really great. They have homemade breads and Biscotti, which are very tasty. The foot is so affordable and I've always received top notch service whether eating in or getting food to go. Some of the other reviewers might have been there on an off day or something. I've visited about five or six times and was always happy and full afterwards and ready for more wine tasting!
Carbs help soak up the alcohol. Right? If not, Cafe Citti still hit the spot and was a wonderful lunch stop between wine tastings.
They offer large plates of pasta covered in your choice of homemade sauce, piping hot servings of lasagna, a good wine selection, and large salad assortment. Best of all, you can take your food to go and enjoy it on the grounds a nearby winery.
Also, the friendly staff at Chateau St. Jean recommended Cafe Citti as one of their favorite lunch places.
Minus one star for the small dining room that is not capable of handling the 1:30pm (!?) lunch rush and the out-of-date table settings (there was a dusty fake olive branch in a jar at ours).
I really don't like to talk smack about a restaurant because I know how much hard work it is. So I'll brief. My wife and I ordered the 2 specials from the whiteboard, me lasagna, her bowtie pasta cabonara (I think). We were the 2nd diners of the evening, but the (small) lasagna was way overcooked. And bland.
I was ready to send it back but my wife doesn't like scenes so we traded. Her bowtie pasta was just as overcooked, swollen and mushy. And bland as well. Maybe it was an off night, but we probably won't be back.
I actually reside 20 miles away from this restaurant, but that does not stop me from going there at least once a month. The atmosphere is nothing to rave about, but the food is fabulous. Being Italian and passionate about cooking, I normally steer clear of Italian restaurants because I am usually disappointed with the food. Cafe Citti is an exception.
The ravioli are just as delicate and authentic as my Marchigianan mother's. The gnocchi are also stellar. One of my favorite selections, however, is the polenta (try it with the pesto sauce). Do not miss the Ceasar salad (NB- it is garlicky) or the Caprese Salad if you like fresh mozzarella. The paninis are very filling and flavorful. Wine prices are reasonable- and you are in wine country, so enjoy.
I could continue item by item as to the menu listing, but you really won't be disappointed here, so give it a try. Food is exceptional and the bonus is the reasonable prices.
Great location and very friendly staff. Although I was a little unhappy with the lunch I got. I found a bone in my chicken which pretty much ruined my appetite, but otherwise I enjoyed it. I would come back here but maybe order something different.
Recommended by a local, which is always a great lead.
The food was really good, but maybe that was a result of our starvation. We got here right at the cut off point, 3:25pm. You order and pay at the counter, get number and stake out your seat. The servers will bring your food and tend to your needs like a full service restaurant. Don't forget to tip your server.
The Chicken breast/leg was delicious along with the salad, which you have a choice. Once we had our fill we headed over to VJB to wash down the meal. VJB had some decent wines and resulting in some purchases.
Definitely a good spot for food on your wine journey.
We live 5 minutes from Cafe Citti so it is our favorite takeout spot. I crave their pasta with meat sauce as well as the lasagna. My husband's fave is the Garlicky Chicken Caesar- its way too salty for me... their whole rotisserie chickens are a great to go item- very well seasoned and only $9. They have Russian River breweries ON TAP which is a major bonus. I don't like getting their wine there because they serve in low-ball glasses instead of wine stems- it feels like I'm drinking a glass of milk or something. For the view of the vineyards across the street, get some wine stems to enjoy the full feeling of the wine country. I could eat here everyday- but take out in front of your TV is even more rewarding. They have great customer service and there is always a seat available- even if they seem full. A great staple of Kenwood
I went there 3 times in 3 weeks before writing this review, my tummy had its heart broken there before, so I wanted to make sure.
Let me tell you as little story first. I used to work in Sonoma and lived in Bennett Valley, so I used to drive by this cafe everyday. I loved their chickens, I mean I loved them loved them loved them. They roasted there, slowly, with perfect seasoning and perfect technique. It would not be unusual for me to be found with my face plastered on the glass door waiting for the cafe to open. Open open open, chicken chicken chicken.
But in the beginning of 2000 they chickens became smaller, and drier, not as yummee. So I stopped going, I had fond memories every time I passed by but my tummy wanted the same as before, juicy plump, natural, savory. So I started coming back, and the chickens are back! they reminded me of the Spaniard rosticerias in chihuahua when I was a little niño. What a joy!
2 out of the 3 times the chicken was perfect, but the last time I had it in a sandwich and it was not as flavorful, or let me re-phrase that. It tasted like day old chicken. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as it has been refrigerated. ( and reheated) but is not what i signed up for..
Ill be back next week and we will see.
My tummy is very hopeful.
I don't think I can provide a wholly accurate account of my dining experience. After an afternoon of tasting (and ingesting) many different types of wine, anything that isn't wine tastes amazing.
That being said, their roasted chicken seems to be their specialty. It was cooked to nice tender degree with a crisp skin and came with a side of pasta. I found their chunky marinara sauce a bit on the garlicky side (my preference).
The service was fine. You order at the counter and they deliver the food to you. The bread baskets and soda glasses stay full; as long as you ask. Try not to show up too drunk and get there before the big rush (around 6:00 on weekends). Considering that I witnessed nobody passed out in the outside patio, I deem it to have sufficient umbrella coverage.
the best, authentic Italian food at a reasonable price on the planet!!!
the owners do a great job running this place...
the fish is always superb...
and while you are free to bring your own wine, they actually have a very good, Italian wine!
Yum, Yum, Yum!
We went to this place to have a nice dinner and get out of the hotel after a nice day in wine country.
The place looked empty when we got there, but apparently the patio was quite popular that night. We opted to sit inside in the a/c since it was still quite warm outside.
The food however, was phenomenal. We started with a great ravioli soup in a great broth. The ravioli in the soup was filled with a cheese and green vegetable mixture which was great!
I ended up having the veal scallopini and she ended up having the Penne with Pesto. Both were well cooked and the flavors were great! We shared half of our meals with each other and enjoyed them both!
For dessert she had the Tiramisu and I had a cannolli. The tiramisu had a great flavor and was done just right. The cannolli was great but there were raisins or something in the filling which was something I wasnt used to in the cannollis my mom and grandmother used to make but it was still good nonetheless!
All in all, this place was great and i highly recommend visiting it if you are in the area!
The two times I've come to Sonoma County I've stopped by Cafe Citti for lunch. The service is very friendly, and it's a nice place to eat. The outdoor seating is really nice on warm days.
The pastas are pretty darn good, too bad they don't have them with chicken or anything, but the meat sauce is good. The pastas aren't too overcooked as well, makes me feel like it's a bit more like the style of pasta served in Italy (just a bit hard).
I also tried their Pizza special, it was really good, though the crust wasn't as thin as I like, but that's just my preference.
Fun place to go for a nice lunch! Also next door to VJB Winery tasting room, they have some of my favorite wines.
This is a casual down home restaurant that will blow your socks off! Family owned by immigrant Italians. They do it just like in Italy! You must eat here!
I wrote a long & loving YELP! review in December 2006. In July 2007 I moved to Kenwood. One of my motivations was to be within walking distance of this restaurant. - I kid you NOT!
I eat here at least once per week. If you're at table #11 when I arrive, Get outt'a my chair!
Located right next door to VJB Wine Tasting room, it's a great location to grab something quick to eat before tasting wine. It has a nice patio area to eat outside. The service here is excellent and the staff are very friendly.
The food was good but I wasn't taken away by it.
If you're anything like me you indulged yourself with wine tastings all morning long. Your head is abuzz and all you can think about is getting a quick and tasty lunch so you can spend the afternoon doing much of the same.
We asked an employee at a local winery where the locals go for lunch and she directed us towards Cafe Citti.
We liked this place. Our meals were good, service was pleasant and we were able to get back on the wine tasting trail again pretty quickly. Since the ambiance is minimal here, the next time we stop in we'll be certain to get our order to go and head over to Chateau St. Jean for a picnic instead.
My word to the wise: if you've got a small or average appetite and dinner reservations later in the day you'd be smart to share a lunch. The place is Italian but the sandwiches we got were American-sized HUGE. We could barely stand the thought of having another meal, even 5 hours later.
Menu stand-outs: the pesto bow-tie pasta salad and the "Italian" chicken salad, which uses olive oil and not mayo.
Me and my friends stopped here for lunch before wine tasting because we had heard great things about the restaurant and we definitely were not disappointed!
We dined outside on the patio, which means you have to go inside to order your food. The server then brought us our food very quickly - an important thing if you want to get back to your wine sampling. My lunch was superb! I had a salami sandwich and it was SUPER yummy. The best salami ever!
What's especially cool about this place is that they make their own mozzarella - I didn't sample it but next time around I will definitely purchase some.
The service, location, and ambiance was great; nothing beats eating yummy Italian food outside in the middle of Sonoma's wine country in sunny 70 degree weather!
Cafe Citti is one of the meccas that draws us to Sonoma for our what-is-turning-out-to-be-annual trips.
It combines my two favorite qualities that any restaurant could have:
1. Excellent food
2. in a completely unpretentious environment.
I love the fact that it's counter service, that the wine is served in little jelly glasses, and that the food is fit for any urban restaurant at 3x the price. I wish this were the model for all Italian restaurants.
Best Italian food in Sonoma County hands down and the sandwiches are very tasty too. Prices are little high, but everything here is fresh and homemade.
Don't let the little country deli-cash register counter with the long line to order food fool you. Full wine menu, most from talented locals, available to compliment a variety of foods ranging from custom pastas to veal. This is where my winemaker/best pal, Ty Caton, insists on bringing people when you want homestyle food from the area. Italian, family style cuisine. THE BEST Italian vinaigrette. Order invidual meals or family style. Share, share, share. Extremely family friendy (little guys are always happy there), yet romantic in the rainy season with the fireplace in the main room, and romantic in the summer sunsents sitting outside. Wine country cozy in the better valley.
9049 Sonoma Hwy
Kenwood, CA 95452-9028
(707) 833-2690
This is a great spot for a time-out during a long day of wine tasting, good place to gather yourself before you gear up for the afternoon. Food is fast, affordable and delicious. People are generally a bit buzzed and its always a fun place to eat. A great stop before or after Landmark.
The caesar salad is potent and full of garlic -- you've been warned!
My hubby and I just got back from Sonoma Wine Country and did the wine tour deal. Got a driver and visited 4-5 wineries. We got hungry and our driver took us to this small, side of the street "dive" looking restaurant. For lunch you have to order at the counter and then they bring it to you. Oh my Goodness, the food was soooo good! It was some of the best tasting Italian food that we have had, and believe me, we eat a lot of Italian food.
I had to give it a 5 star, because it was "inexpensive" and I mean "cheap" and worth triple the price...I loved it.
Don't blink, you might miss this no frills roadside cafe. Luca and Linda Citti have owned and operated the Caf for over 10 years. The menu is hand written daily on the board above the open kitchen in the tradition of a true Italian roadside cafe. A group of us came here for lunch one afternoon, half of the group ordered the Lasagne, which is made with a wonderful rich bolognese sauce, and the other half got sandwiches. All were untypically quiet as we worked through our chosen dishes. For dessert get the Tiramisu and the Canolli. A perfect meal, and very reasonable.
A warm evening, music, the moon, a quaint romantic outdoor patio setting complete with hanging vines, California and Italian Wine and food that will make you feel like you're in Italy. Did I mention that they sell their sauces by the quart?
Foccacia Frittata Sandwich.
'nuff said.
But for those of you that need the l o n g d r a w n out recommendations, the bread is light, it's got tast and texture, a good crumb. The frittata is the same (minus the crumb you literal ass). I love this sandwich. You can partake in their deli case as well and get your Honey some dinner, whole roast chickens, pastas, salads - it would look like you slaved in the kitchen while we both know you went out and had a kick-ass lunch.
This place is tiny and the locals ain't silly, so it's packed at all the usual times. Get there early or late.
If you're lucky you'll get there on a day that they're having the calamari foccacia special.
Then you'll really have something to say.
From the outside, this place looks like a hole in the wall. The decor inside won't add to your experience, but the food is excellent.
This is the perfect place to pick up something and take it to one of the wineries and eat outside. Plenty of sandwiches, soups, and entrees (chicken, fish and pasta) on the menu to satisfy your every craving.
I stopped for lunch and had the prosciutto and parmesan cheese sandwich on their homemade bread with side bowtie pasta covered in pesto sauce. The sandwich was excellent - great prosciutto and cheese and their bread was delicious. The pasta was ok, but I was so stuffed I couldn't even eat much of it. The tortellini soup was excellent, as well. Very flavorful and plenty of pasta in their.
Perfect place to have a casual lunch or to pick something up on your way through Sonoma.
Cafe Citti's is one of my all-time favorite places to eat whenever I visit Sonoma. The atmosphere is comfortable and casual. There is usually some classical italian opera playing in the background. There is a big fireplace that is lit on cold nights. It's a good place with good food and the only thing you provide is the good company.
You order at the counter and then pick a table and a waiter will bring you your food. Depending on the season, there may be outdoor seating available.
The specials are always a good choice. For lunch, I love the Chicken Foccacia sandwhich with the pesto bowtie pasta side. I LOVE the pesto mayo they put in the sandwhiches. Dinner, I go with the Rosemary Chicken with the Calamari side salad. The food is ALWAYS fresh and DELICIOUS. I have never been disappointed and I have been coming to this place every chance I get for the last few years!!!
this was my third visit here and its worth it every time. cafe citti closes early so early diners love it here. we sat outside and it was a bit chilly. would stay indoors next time. food is outstanding a a great value. very quaint and romantic. you have to order then sit down and they bring your food to you. pay your waiter at the end. this process is a bit hard to understand to newcomers. music could be louder. can't quite hear it. seems that lots of locals go here. i love it and its one of my favorites. wish we had one in my area.
Yikes. My husband and I stopped here on our way back to St. Helena. We thought it looked like a nice local place. The one positive thing I can say is the wine was good. I had the Chardonnay, my husband had the Pinot Noir. As for the food... not good at all! We ordered a garden salad and the gnocchi with pesto. In my opinion, these are probably two of the easiest things you can make in an Italian kitchen. In fact, I make gnocchi with pesto at home all the time. Very disappointing. The salad was uninspired and came with a tiny container of gelatinous, thick dressing. We skipped the dressing and poured on our oil and vinegar from the bread plate. Next, the gnocchi... completely over-cooked leaving it mushy and sticky. The pesto was ok. Our server was sloppy and rushed even though the restaurant was not even half-full. Overall a disappointing experience. With so many excellent restaurants in the valley, take your $50 and choose a restaurant with better ambiance, food, and service.
Although the food always tastes great, my only complaint is that the seating is tight. They are usually packed for dinner and weekend lunches. They have a fireplace and excellent service. ive only had great expriences here. The Gnocci with red meat sauce is fantastic and so is their Potato Salad. My Gramma gets the linguini with white clam sauce (i dont like clams) and she loves it too! The Terrimissu is amazing and so is the creme brule, And they have a Zagat Award
They serve ROYAL CROWN cola!
The choice of kings and queens everywhere!
One of my favorite sandwiches in the world is the Italian Chicken Salad on their fresh baked foccaia bread with a side of pesto bow ties.
an excellent place to stop and consume something other than the gallons of wine you have already consumed while hanging in this area.
I may have them cater my funeral. Ill let you know.
Kenwood, CA
Category: Restaurants
Glen Ellen, CA
Category: Brasseries
Kenwood, CA
Category: Wineries
Glen Ellen, CA
Category: Wineries
Glen Ellen, CA
Category: Restaurants
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