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The Kenwood location closed in 2020 when the Cittis faced extensive renovations to the building they had leased for more than 30 years, on top of COVID-19 restrictions, power outages and the threat of wildfires and evacuation orders.<\/p>\n
Roughly a year later, the Cittis opened their current location in Santa Rosa, a compact 900-foot space recognizable on Fourth Street by its tiny cupola and arched windows. Early on, takeout was their bread and butter, but as the world opened up again, the back patio became one of the best kept secrets in Sonoma County.<\/p>\n
Though there are a handful of seats in front of the restaurant, the coveted seats are in the quiet refuge at the rear (there is no seating inside the restaurant).<\/p>\n
On the way to the patio, you\u2019ll walk through the bustle of the busy kitchen with an almost constant stream of to-go and delivery orders.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll find that Cafe Citti is primarily a club for regulars, who know their order and embrace Luca and Linda like the old friends they are.<\/p>\n The surprisingly extensive menu, considering the small space, includes Cafe Citti\u2019s oft-imitated garlicky Caesar salad ($18), mix-and-match pastas and sauces and scratch-made desserts, as well as specials and low-alcohol cocktails.<\/p>\n The Santa Rosa location offers 14 sauces made from scratch, including Italian workhorses like Bolognese, marinara, pesto, Alfredo, white clam and puttanesca ($22.95 with choice of noodles). Upgrade to Luca’s signature sauces ($25.95): carbonara made properly (without cream), spicy pomodoro, smoked chicken with lemon and cream, and the luxurious porcini (29.95) with mushrooms, Marsala wine, garlic and cream. Each is easily shareable or enough for hearty leftovers.<\/p>\n Want more than just noodles? Cafe Citti’s housemade ravioli, gnocchi and fried slices of polenta don’t disappoint, and a towering slice of lasagna layered with Bolognese and b\u00e9chamel feeds my dad for days. The restaurant also serves 12-inch thin-crust pizzas with gourmet toppings and focaccia sandwiches.<\/p>\n For dessert, housemade tiramisu ($9.50) bathed in cr\u00e8me Anglaise is a charming finish at this neighborhood gem.<\/p>\n Linda Citti has concocted a variety of spritzes using herbal Cappelletti (a cousin of Aperol), Prosecco and Pinot Grigio infused with fruit. The Pomegranate Prickly Pear ($12) with fresh pomegranate and prickly pear nectar, lime, sugar, agave and maple syrup with a Prosecco float is a sweet but refreshing cocktail.<\/p>\n And, it\u2019s a perfect way to toast to my mom\u2019s favorite tuna egg mayo sandwich.<\/p>\n![\"Cafe](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cafecitti_caesar-1024x662.jpg\")
![\"Cafe](\"https:\/\/www.sonomamag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/cs0612_Cafe_Citti_Tuna_1-1024x734.jpg\")