Petaluma Eats! at Sugo Trattoria

Housemade Pappardelle

I’d never heard of Pappardelle before Sugo, and am not exactly sure what it is, but on a cold winter night, or even a crisp summer’s eve, it is soul-warming beyond belief.   The flat noodles, rotisserie chicken, pistachios, and wild mushrooms are a perfect balance of flavors unto themselves but once soaking in the slightly spicy broth they, bring the dish to a whole new level.

The big surprise?  …the Bacon Cheese Burger.

Okay, it isn’t just bacon and it isn’t just cheese but I didn’t want to scare anyone off.  An Italian menu burger is usually there just to keep the kids happy.  It is an afterthought in an attempt to get parents into the restaurant who might otherwise not have visited without their kids, and to keep the kids happy once they are there.  Because of this, I resisted ordering Sugo’s burger for years because I didn’t want to be disappointed with one of their dishes.  I had yet to taste a dish of theirs that I didn’t love, and was afraid their burger would be the first.  Thankfully, someone else in my party ordered it before I could warn them otherwise, and from the look on their face I could tell it was something worth tasting.  I could also see that the “toppings” were actually placed under the patty, which is the proper way to make a burger if the “toppings” are worth tasting.  (Your tongue has an easier time tasting all the flavors when the burger is built this way.)  “Topped” with prosciutto, gorgonzola cheese, and caramelized onions, this is one of the finest burgers in Petaluma, and deserves a serious consideration for the next “Best of Petaluma” ballot.

Wine List

Sugo’s wine list continually impresses, not only with its diversity but with by quality and cost.  A knowledgeable staff can even give recommendations when pressed for suggestions of a red wine for fish or a white wine for steak or pork chops.  Additionally, they have several after dinner wines, which is where my taste buds reside.

 

Dessert* – don’t skip it…just don’t.

It is rare to find someone with a bigger sweet tooth than myself so I may be biased when it comes to after-dinner delights.  Luckily, I have confirmation from everyone who has ever dined with us at Sugo that the Zerts are incredible.  We seem to bounce back and forth between the Chocolate Mousse and the Panna Cotta.  This one has hints of lemon and is topped with a raspberry jam of sorts.  …and by “bounce back and forth” I mean that we always order both (plus a glass of Port or Moscato) and then bounce back and forth tasting each.  Some of us roll our eyes because the Zert is so good but all I can do is take big, huge sighs because I simply can’t believe that I can get such a great meal, followed by such a great Zert, within walking distance of my house.  (I have been known to stop in just to for the Zert…even in the middle of the day…even unattached to the end of a meal.)

(*I use the term Zert in place of ‘dessert’ because 1) dinner is usually just a pretext for Zert, 2) it’s important enough that deserves capitalization, and 3) I’ve already had to wait all through dinner for it so the anticipation has grown…and I don’t need the extra syllable slowing things down.)