Caffe Giostra — Restaurant in Petaluma

The food was incredibly good. I grew up on the east coast where Italian restaurants are prevalent like Mexican food restaurantsis here on the west coast. It is difficult to find an Italian restaurant with the feeling of being family while you are there & a menu offering authentic Italian food but we managed to find both of those elements at Caffe Giostra. At the last minute, on Christmas Eve, my friend & I wanted to try a restaurant, just up the road from where he lives, technically in Penngrove but some would say Petaluma. I called to see if they happened to have a table available but they were packed & for good reason, as we soon found out. I then made a reservation for about an hour & a half later but unfortunately the couple at the table we reserved decided to stay & chat long after they were finished with their meal. It seemed to me like they were on a first date. So instead, we were warmly invited to order our dinner to go, which wasnt a big deal, neither of us minded in the least. We were happy that they were open on Christmas Eve & that we were going to eat a meal from somewhere other then a fast food restaurant. They had a wonderful selection of items on a special Christmas menu. We were both happy with our entrees, as well as with the Caesar salad & dessert that we shared. We will definately be eating there again. Absolutely...

Me and my step mom. came there after leaving the doctors office went to orchard supply then went there it was just closed for lunch but the waiter said no problem just me and her they brought us bread and butter olive oil fresh each had a glass of house wine great I ordered for my step mom veil picatta its brown gravy with capers lemon wow un beliveable me had neokke dont know how to spell it , with cream sause a huge plate we tried each others plates wow mom bever had this food she was in heaven me too since they were closed they treated us so well opended the kitchen for us the waiter I forgot his name grey hair good looking,so nice,and the waitress so nice they didnt push us to leave,brought more bread wine olive oil so nice the bill was not bad at all the food was to die for me my mom and sis gonna take mom for lunch sunday tomorrow 89-birthday after they go shopping of corse woman you know to say food 10-nice 10-service10-price out or 5$, $$ to $$1 half or top $$$-glad I found this place see ya tomorrow there, me a Electricial contractor from pacifica moved to Windsor 10-years ago not italian Hungarian but wanna be italian love the food and people me yak yak yak on and on I will shut up now thank you randy see ya tomorrow lunch if you find me there I will treat you to a glass of wine...

Food is amazing. I have been here maybe 8-10 times. If my only criteria was food, then it's a 5. But the service here is probably the worst I have experienced. And it's consistently disappointing. They always overbook the place. Probably why you have to wait so long every time. After going today, I will never be returning which is a shame. Like I said, the food is wonderful. But after making reservations for 6:30 and being seated at 7:05 (which happens almost every time, 15 minutes late was the best they have ever done) I was already off to a bad start. Then they waited to within 5 minutes of our food arriving to finally remember to bring our drinks and bread. They didn't tell us about the specials and never came back to fill my water once. The chefs in this place are amazing. The lady cleaning up the tables and bringing bread (black hair in her 20s) was the most hospitable person there. She was very nice. But the short lady waiter is consistently rude and forgets things I ask for. I think she may be part owner or something...