Hello all,
I found another one! Cucina Paradiso, truly a little slice of paradise located at 114 Petaluma Blvd, Petaluma, Ca (www.cucinaparadisopetaluma.com). There are several Italian restaurants within a few feet of one another on this stretch of Petaluma Blvd, I happen to think Cucina Paradiso is the best overall.
Originally located across the river in the Golden Eagle Shopping Center (a small strip mall), this little jewel had everyone buzzing. The small but humble beginnings of Chef Dennis Hernandez and wife Malena never discourage a steady stream of loyal customers from venturing over the foot bridge and away from the main stream restaurants on Petaluma Blvd.
Recently Cucina Paradiso moved onto the Blvd., the new space has a nicely appointed dining room, same great service, and please let’s not forget the superb food! Generous portions of expertly prepared traditional Italian dishes made with the freshest of local ingredients.
My youngest daughter (now a Petaluma resident) and I decided to give Cucina Paradiso a try. My daughter has always been a bit of a picky eater, never, EVER finishing the food on her plate. I have to say history was made that night! Not only did she finish her diner of Medaglioni di Bue con Salsa Tartufata-$21.95 (Beef medallions sautéed with truffle sauce), she also shared the Carpaccio Di Manzo-$7.95 (Thin sliced, raw filet mignon with olive oil, capers, mustard, arugula & shaved parmesan). I had a wonderful Pappardelle Con Prosciutto Ed Asparagi-$11.95 (Homemade pasta with proscuitto di Parma, asparagus, and diced tomatoes) with a lovely Chianti chosen by my waiter. What about wine you ask? $15 corkage and I thought the wine list was reasonably priced with a good selection of both Sonoma County and Italian reds.
So for those of you who are looking for a thoroughly complete all around GREAT Italian dining experience, I highly recommend you give Cucina Paradiso a try.
I can easily say this has become my all around favorite Italian restaurant!
A couple of things to consider when dining at Cucina Paradiso:
1. Make reservations
2. Parking can be a bit of a challenge
Welcome to Leslie’s Culinary Adventures! 
I am blessed to live in one of the richest regions for culinary delights and world class wines. Follow me as I chronicle my personal experiences eating and drinking my way through northern California’s wine country and beyond.
First stop on my culinary adventure is Zazu restaurant & Farm in Santa Rosa (www.zazurestaurant.com). I live just up the road from this little jewel and have wanted to try it for quite some time. I am a food network junkie and was watching chef and owner Duskie Estes give what could only be considered a spectacular effort in a Food Network challenge. That is when I decided I couldn’t wait any longer and made reservations for Saturday night at 7 p.m.
I am a member of the Hartford wine club (www.hartfordwinery.com) and had picked up my wine earlier in the day. I selected the 06 Outer Limits Vineyard-Sonoma Coast Syrah to bring to dinner.
Arriving right on time with great anticipation we were seated immediately at a very comfy table for two. There was a rather large party and it made the dinning room noisier than I would have liked. Zazu is in a former roadhouse and the dinning area is a bit tight. I was also concerned about the quality of our dinner. It has been my experience to have sloppy, poor quality plates served very slowly after a kitchen has been slammed preparing service for a large party. This WAS NOT the case at Zazu!!! Our food came out directly after the service for the larger party and our plates were beautiful and prepared to absolute perfection. We ordered a green garden salad, skirt steak served with Point Reyes Blue Cheese ravioli, and a wonderful Fazzoletti pasta with a delicate creamy lemon sauce and vegetables from the garden. The steak was flavorful and tender, one of the best I have ever had. The pasta was light and delicate and practically melted in my mouth. The wine selection went well with both dishes and in the end I was “Fat and happy”. I would highly recommend Zazu and can’t wait to try the next round of fresh seasonal dishes!
A couple of things to consider when dinning at Zazu:
1. Corkage is $25.00
2. Dinning room can be a bit noisy
