With thirty years of business under its belt, Petaluma sure seems to be doing things right in The Upper East Side. Winner of OpenTable’s “Diners Choice 2015”, Petaluma seems to have struck a chord with its repeat and new customers by providing some amazing Italian American cooking to the masses each and every year. I stopped by yesterday to see what all the fuss was about, and was quite pleased with the end result.
Petaluma is about a 10 minute walk from the 77th Street stop on the 6 Train, located on 1st Avenue between 73rd and 72nd Street. Sundays weather saw a spike in the cold here in Manhattan, so I was delighted to get to their location and dive into what looked like a diverse and fantastic menu.
Something I loved about the look of Petaluma is that it wasn’t too modern in its approach. You get the sense that this place has been around for quite some time (since 1984 to be exact), and I say that in the most positive of ways. It is generally a one floor restaurant with a step up that leads to a beautiful elongated bar and plenty of seating to enjoy the meal with your family and friends.
Their brunch menu had Italian themes throughout, and provided a ton of great flavor, heat, and execution in each meal they presented me. As someone who is never one to turn down the aspects of all things short rib, their Short Rib Hash was a perfect example of what a brunch menu item in Manhattan should be. Complete with a braised short rib, 2 eggs and breakfast potatoes (including my favorite, sweet), this dish really had a lot of hearty flavors that works well for people who have a strong appetite.
Speaking of Italian, Petaluma provides a ton of great Wood Fired Pizzas that are available on both their brunch and dinner menus. Their brunch versions run the muck, however if we are sticking with the duality of brunch and lunch, then their Breakfast Pizza will really do the trick. The pizza comes with bacon, cheddar, sausage and a big sunny side egg. Simply scrumptious and not too thick to where you get full really quickly. If pizza is the name of the game, then this is a great sharable option with the people you are with.
To contrast the savory of the Pizza and Hash, I wanted to try something on the sweeter side and was delighted with their Donutella. The Donutella essentially reads like a Zeppole and comes with a Nutella chocolate sauce which was mindblowingly good.
Petaluma also gave me a taste on some standouts from their dinner menu, and I was excited to try each of them. One of the standouts is their Nonna’s Sliders, which is a trio of bite sized meatballs, basil oil and crispy angel hair pasta. I love the layers that each provides, and it made for a perfect two bite option that is a great starter should you be there for dinner. They also had me try their Gnocchi Bolognese, with house made Yukon Gold Gnocchi and a bolognese sauce. I’ve watched enough chefs go home on “Top Chef” because the Gnocchi was under cooked, so am always a bit weary of trying this sort of dish because it seems almost impossible to perfect. Petaluma’s version, however, was cooked perfectly and really paired very well with the bolognese sauce to make it a great entree dish in the dinner time.
Petauma will be open for Thanksgiving, and are providing an absolutely wonderful meal to enjoy.
A very Italian-styled Thanksgiving for the Upper East Siders featuring a 4 Course Pre Fix Menu with seatings at 12p/2p/4p/6p. $59 Adults/$29 Children (under 12yr). 30% Off SELECT BOTTLES OF WINE.
There will also be a Dougie’s Donuts Decorating Party 12p to 2p $20 per child, snacks and refreshments will be served. Dougie’s Donuts are usually only a once a week type of thing, where they serve super fresh donuts to the Petaluma crowd. I got to try two of them today, and they are super flavorful, fresh and taste great. The standout was the maple bacon, but then again bacon always stands out in my mind.
The menu is below; most items will be sourced from local farms, organic and antibiotic free!
MENU:
Choice of Starters
Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Butternut Squash Soup
Choice of Pasta
Ricotta Ravioli with butter sage sauce
Whole Wheat Pasta Primavera
Choice of Entrée (Mash Potatoes and Stuffing)
Roasted Heritage Turkey (antibiotic free)
Pan Seared Wild Long Island Sea Bass
Choice of Dessert
Cannoli
Chef’s Cake Selection
Overall, Petaluma provided me with a great foodie experience, and it will do the same for you upon your next visit. For more information, check out their official site.