“Mozzarella Bar.” Those two words alone are reason enough to get me over the hill to Petaluma’s new outpost of my favorite pizza spot, Rosso Pizzeria and Wine Bar. The über talented gang who opened the creative, seasonally inspired, always yummy – and always packed – restaurant a few years ago in Santa Rosa launched an almost identical branch in Petaluma’s Theater District a few weeks ago. On a recent Sunday we decided to venture westward, a mere twenty-one minutes from our driveway, to check out the new Rosso Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar and the cute little town’s bustling riverfront scene.
Wedged into a smallish, cool corner space, the restaurant manages to exude an industrial-chic, big city vibe, in lieu of its small town, shopping center locale. I was immediately drawn to the rustic wood finishes – is that old barn wood? – and love the signature “Rosso red” here and there, family photos scattered about, and a giant flat screen broadcasting nothing but soccer. The atmosphere is really comfy, utterly conducive to just hanging with friends in one of the phat window front booths passing around platters of salumi or sitting solo at the bar with a carafe of rose and a pizza to devour all on your own. A handful of patio tables overlook a common courtyard, where lovey looking couples and families meandered about window shopping…a charming spot to linger on a warm summer evening.
The menu is similar to the Santa Rosa outpost, although Petaluma’s rich dairy history is celebrated at the very exciting, aforementioned “Mozzarella Bar.” The freshest mozzarella is stretched to order and served in various forms, with scrumptious additions. We opted for the decadent, gooey, cream-filled, Burrata, which was served simply with paper thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma, a drizzle of olive oil glistening on top. My first bite of just cheese was startling. One of those rare moments when you place something in your mouth and your eyes widen and you can barely bring yourself to finish chewing lest the deliciousness might end. Oh yes, “happy dance” inducing for sure. The Burrata was cold and tasted of nothing but pure, buttery cream. My next bite I sliced a small piece of the ham and then stabbed another hunk of the cheese, popping them both in my mouth. It is mind boggling that something so completely simple, so unadulterated, can be so earth-shatteringly good. Tiny, fat crystals in the Prosciutto are salty, with a bit of crunch that when eaten with the creaminess of the cheese and the peppery olive oil it is just perfection in a bite. This was immediately a taste combination that I would crave. A singular dish that would undoubtably bring me back to Petaluma time and time again.
Next time I will surely try the “Roman stracciatella,” a heavenly sounding combination of chopped up mozzarella with a vibrant basil puree and garlic, served with flat bread seconds out of the wood-burning oven.
Amongst a small list of pre-pizza antipasti that include an oversized platter of perfectly crisp calamari, roasted octopus with olives and a smokey paprika oil, or a somewhat surprising tripe dish, I needed the “Goomba” meatballs the most. A favorite of mine in Santa Rosa, these definitely did not disappoint. Each ball was light and fluffy, made with ground pork and veal, and speckled with fresh herbs. They arrive floating beautifully in a rich, garlicky tomato sugo, sinking into a thick pool of creamy, polenta. The corn for this dish, I was proudly informed, is actually ground in-house. Actually ground there?! That is serious love. You can tell that something special is happening in that polenta dish, it’s the corniest corn polenta ever. Creamy and ooey gooey, infused with locally produced Bellwether Farms Crescenza cheese. It is the most perfect wintery dish that I could conjure up. Oh gosh, bring on the “happy dance.” In January, if you can’t find me, I will be here, digging into this dish and sipping a big glass of Sonoma County Pinot.
Salads all feature only the prettiest local produce from neighboring small farms. This season’s chopped salad had lovely little lettuces, fresh peas and sweet corn, while a classic Caesar is made super special with fancy white anchovies and a spicy, puree of gorgeous red Calabrian chilies. It’s impossible to pass up a Rosso pizza, even though you may be tempted to order every other thing on the menu instead. On this occasion, we opted for a classic, simple Margherita over my typical go-to pie, the mushroom filled “Funghi.” If you know me at all, you know how picky I am about my pizza pies and Rosso’s crust never fails to leave me seriously swooning. It’s perfection in my opinion, just so wonderfully crisp with a nice, yeasty flavor and the yummiest elasticity and chew. The classic red sauce was everything you’d want for a classic pizza red sauce, not at all sweet with just a hint of spice and a nice background garlic flavor. Whole leaves of peppery, fresh basil are placed artfully over pure white, melting slices of homemade mozzarella. Serious yumminess is happening here.
The charming staff took great care of us, always offering a smile and exuding a very professional attitude. The restaurant has awesome sounding plans for daily specials featuring freshly prepared, homemade pastas. I am counting the days until I can pop in for homemade pappardelle with a rabbit ragu or light-as-a-feather gnocchi with pristine, locally caught seafood. I can see that Petaluma’s new Rosso will easily become my new favorite lunch joint or my Sunday date night spot, I am already craving more mozzarella!
Rosso Pizzeria and Mozzarella Bar is located in downtown Petaluma in the Theater Square at 151 Petaluma Blvd. South. Call 772.5177 or visit rossopizzeria.com for more information.
Meatballs with ClassicTomato Sauce
Makes 8 servings
For tomato sauce:
4 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice (preferably San Marzano)
1 medium onions, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
For meatballs:
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cups torn day-old Italian bread
3 cups whole milk
6 large eggs
2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 pound)
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 pounds ground veal
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (not lean)
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
Accompaniment:
grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Make sauce:
Drain tomatoes, reserving juice in a large bowl. Crush tomatoes with your hands and add to juice. Cook onions in oil in pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, 4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt.
Make meatballs while sauce simmers:
Cook onions in extra-virgin olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool. Soak bread in milk in another bowl until soft, about 5 minutes. Firmly squeeze bread to remove excess milk, discarding milk. Stir together cooled onion mixture, bread, eggs, parmesan, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, 51/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper until combined. Add meats to bread mixture, gently mixing with your hands until just combined (do not overmix). Form meat mixture into about 70 (1 1/2-inch) balls with dampened hands, arranging meatballs on 2 large baking sheets or in shallow baking pans. Heat olive or vegetable oil (1 cup) in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown meatballs in 4 or 5 batches (without crowding), turning frequently, about 5 minutes per batch. Return to baking sheets. Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
Be First to Comment