Trattoria Cattaneo

Great food great value. The antipasto platter is my favorite but there is nothing I’ve had I don’t live. The focaccia is wonderful. The service makes you feel like you are visiting family.

We visited on a rainy afternoon to have lunch before going to a movie at the nearby Summerfield Theater. We were greeted by an effusive man who made us feel welcome and, comfortable. A basket of bread and olive tampanade came promptly. We perused the menu that had a variety of traditional Italian trattoria fare. My wife ordered the Linguini Carbonara and I a Caesar Salad and Capellini with meat sauce and a meat ball thrown in for good measure.
The salad came and it was very good. There was a good balance between the greens and the Caesar dressing and cheese. Things quickly went down hill from there. My wife’s Linguini Carbonara was literally inedible. The linguini was rubbery and the pancetta was charred and tasteless. The rubbery pasta may have come from using refrigerated pasta heated in a microwave oven rather than cooked to order. During lunch my wife did observe the chef placing a large bowl of freshly cooked pasta on a large flat pan and into the refrigerator. Just sayin’
My pasta course was marginally better if not very appetising. The meat sauce was a dull brown and the meatball had a different sauce that combined with the meat sauce to overwhelm the Capellini pasta. It was as if little thought had been given to presentation.
The service was good with the server quite attentive.
On balance we would have a hard time recommending this restaurant when for the same price one can dine at Lacoco’s and get really good pasta.

Packed on a Wednesday night. Need I say more? Gnocchi is incredible. So is the polenta. Really friendly staff. Check it out!

Went last Saturday for the first time since I have been hearing from many about this place. First and foremost the service and staff treated us like old friends. A nice change from your average restaurant. The menu is nice and we chose tortellini and cannelloni as our entrees and we were delighted with our choices. The focaccia bread was to die for with the olive tamponade. Add a nice Peroni and I was in heaven. Even better was the no rush no pressure to turn the table. Nothing ruins a great meal like being treated like you’ve stayed too long. Will I go back? Easy answer — YES and OFTEN!!!

Find my passion right here! Food, desserts, people, full of passion and love!
Great Tiramisu by the way!

The food was awesome. The staff was very knowledgeable and attentive. Definitely going back.

We ordered take out cheese pasta with half marinara and half pesto. Meat lasagna. And a special order of garlic bread. I am ONLY giving 3 stars due to the wonderfully made garlic bread they special made. The meat lasagna was bland tasting as if it was all made separate rather than baked together. Meat was only in the sauce which was very plain. Not very tasteful wouldn’t order again. The pesto pasta was really good the marinara very bland.
Special order garlic bread amazing!

Extra Star because their are some seriously awesome people here. You walk in and it’s a Love Fest of cool happy people. The bar is small but happy to get a seat because everyone is so friendly and loving it.
Nice unique selection of wines by the glass. I was there and enjoyed talking to everyone but then got my food and took it home. We split a Caesar Salad (tasty dressing), They made a Seafood Special Fettuccini for me, and my buddy had the Gnocchi.
The pasta, gnocchi, and salad were all fresh and prepared well — not underdone or overdone. My issue was it was lacking flavor. There was little to no seasoning meaning no salt or pepper.
So I sautéed it at home with some salt, pepper, and a touch of cayenne which helped tremendously. Fact is I want to love this place — if there’s a way you could ask for it to be seasoned without getting something salty that would be perfect. If I can get that accomplished then this goes up to 5 stars for a warm and friendly atmosphere, nice room, and good wine and beer selection. I’m hoping to try it again next month.
As in other reviews — too bland but Great People.

Went there for a friends birthday party! We had the linguine carbonara delicious and the Caesar salad so good and a bite of some homemade tiramisu light and just disappears on your tongue! Everyone there is so kind and friendly and helpful definitely going back! We met the owner he gave everybody a hug like I said this place is warm and friendly just a delightful experience!

This has been our second visit here and we continue to be impressed. If you want a warm and friendly neighborhood restaurant with excellent Italian cooking and very friendly wait staff, this is the place to go. The focaccia and olive tapenade presented before your order is a very nice touch. This time I took the Seafood Cioppino and it was outstanding — lot’s of goodies and a delightful spicy tomato base. My wife ordered the Veal Piccata which she very much enjoyed. All of this was accompanied by a carafe of the house Chianti which wasn’t too bad. Overall a very enjoyable and reasonably priced meal.

We dropped in on a Saturday evening at 5:30 without a reservation, hoping we could get worked in if we got there early enough. There was one table open and we had a great time, again. Started off with attentive service from several staff.
The focaccia and olive tapenade at greeting really sets the tone for the food to come. We shared a terrific spinach salad then went on to two specials — a mix of salmon, scallops, and shrimp in a lemon cream sauce over pappardelle pasta and a beef ravioli with a pork ragout. Both very tasty and servings that required that we eat half and talk half home for leftovers so we could have a dessert. Had to try a chocolate torte that was over the top with a couple cups of cappuccino.
What a great experience! The place filled up quickly, so there was a lot of energy. A couple of tables with groups clearly in celebration mode.
Totally unexpected, four young men at a front table, for an unknown reason, broke into singing a barbershop style song and get the attention of most of the diners, many of whom gave a standing O. Something you don’t expect in a casual restaurant, so on our way out, we stopped at their table and personally thanked them for adding to our total experience. They immediately broke into another song directed just at us that made our evening complete (I used to sing barbershop, so it took me back a few years). The customers near the entrance, waiting for their tables, were clearly taken aback and joined us with our applause and compliments. Not many restaurants happen to have singing groups at the table that break into song with dinner. Says something about how nicely this restaurant appeals to people.
Don’t expect songs here, but you sure should have great food and service like we experienced.

5 Stars for the warm family style service. We didn’t know anyone that works at this restaurant, yet as soon as we stepped in the door we were greeted and welcomed as if we knew them for years, quite nice in this day and age! All of the staff were very hospitable. The ambiance is cozy, a nice little hidden gem in the Bennett Valley. The food was decent, appropriately priced and satisfying. The Unilocal discount was also a nice draw. I’ll be back for more delicious bread and pasta soon!

Excellent Italian restaurant. Great atmosphere, great food, great wine. You can’t go wrong. Minestrone is the best I’ve ever had. Pasta with Italian sausage and mushrooms followed by a chocolate cappucino crème brûlée that was actually made by someone who knows how to make a proper crème brûlée!
Yes, I’ll be back. No problem.

Went there for the first time the other night with friends that go often and I can see why — it’s quite yummy and very reasonably priced — and free corkage on 2 bottles — how grand! It was a packed night and the only downside is it was very loud — hard to converse with only 4 of us at the table but otherwise liked it lots! Thanks to our waiter Robert for his attentive service!
We had:
their bread and dipping sauce are fabulou
polenta with gonganzola cheese — husband liked it, me not so much — more baked then creamy but very tasty none-​the-​less
meat lasagne with bolognese — a huge portion and really really good — took some home
pasta with white clam sauce — yum
cesare salad — and real anchovies on it by request
and a mix of all sorts of desserts — heaven
We will be back — it was yum!

Came here after a day of ziplining so my group was pretty famished! Portions were big for very decently priced meals, continuous refills of focaccia bread, friendly and super attentive staff!
Only negatives: bathroom is next to /​kind of in part of the kitchen which is gross that it’s so close to where the food is being made.

After my 4^th reluctant dinner (went again only because I had another $ 40 food coupon purchased for $ 20), I no longer endorse this restaurant. Why?
1. Food prep is not refined. Pastas are gloppy. My usually preferred ½ chicken plate was no better than a roast Safeway chicken. Overcooked.
2. The dining room noise level is still too loud to converse or even think.
3. Tables are too close together. Banging into fellow diners while sitting and clashing elbows with neighbors during a meal is ridiculous.
Kudos still deserved for the friendly if forgetful service. Asked for a knife, forgot it until 2^nd request. Ordered a 2^nd glass of wine, forgot it until asked again…
These folks mean well but food execution, room noise level and forgetful servers no longer deserve my hard earned money.

Wanted to write an update for Trattoria Cattaneo since my previous review was 3 stars and at the time of eating there in 2010 I had a horrible cold and was doped up on cold meds.
This weekend another of my cousins was married and he too had his rehearsal dinner here since it’s a family favorite of those who live in Santa Rosa. My wife and I were excited to be invited since it’s rare these days that all the family is together since we’re all geographically spread around.
The restaurant did a 100% perfect job this time around. It was a well oiled machine. Each course delivered with perfect timing, nobody was missing anything, food delicious and cooked to perfection.
Upon sitting down there was bread baskets waiting. Focaccia bread served with a unique garlicky version of tapenade. It was fantastic and being devoured fast. Next bruschetta was dropped off at the table. One of the best I’ve had. The tomato mix was loaded with garlic and packed a flavor punch to the taste buds.
Next came a choice of mixed green salad or caesar. Since I didn’t like the dressing last time on the mixed I went with the caesar. Very good dressing, definitely had a nice anchovy undertone which I love.
Main course was a choice of cheese ravioli, penne pesto, or chicken parmesan. Even though it’s what I had last time I went with the chicken parm again. Unlike the last time this was pure perfection. GIANT slab of golden brown fried chicken that was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I was able to eat it with a fork, no knife needed. Not a dry chewy piece to be found. The tomato sauce was rich and loaded with flavor. Was served with a side of penne. Had a nice glass of local Zinfandel which was a generous pour!
For dessert we were served tiramisu. My Aunt who’s been to Italy several times said these guys make the best tiramisu she’s had anywhere. My experiences are pretty much in California only, but I too agree it’s the best I’ve ever had.
Excellent experience at every level. Friendly staff, comfortable restaurant for a large group, delicious food, and quickly refilled drinks.