My husband and I have wanted to try this restaurant for a while now, especially with all the rave reviews. Last night we went there for our 2 year Wedding Anniversary and I was a little disappointed. Previous reviews noted how romantic this place was, and our experience could not have been more opposite. We were greeted at the door with a hurried hostess who took us to the back of the restaurant, then left us in the hallway for 5 minutes while she found us a table. It was weird.

As for the food and drinks, the bread was really hard. Really hard. After about 5 minutes our waiter came and I ordered a glass of wine which was not the best so I gave that to my hubby. I asked for a taste of another wine, was brought a full glass and the waiter walked away quickly. After another 10 minutes our order was taken. The food was pretty good and the prices were fair, but after all the hype, I was really hoping for more on the service end. We would have stayed for desert, but after waiting another 10 minutes for the desert menu we opted out.

Has anyone else had this level of non-service at Cucina?

Our saving grace of the night was La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge - they rescued our Anniversary night out with a glass of phenomenal wine and even better tiramisu so at least we ended our night on a high note. THANK YOU SAHAR!

That's too bad. Sounds like a seriously off night - I'm sorry it had to happen on your anniversary.

Happily, I can testify to just the opposite experience! My wife and I also had our anniversary dinner there recently. We're kind of burned out on Petaluma fine dining (Central Market and Risibisi and Graffiti are all quite good), and we didn't have time to go out of town, so we thought let's try the new Paradiso location. We've long thought of them as the best Italian in town (especially for those who want more than just the red sauce staples), but always hated the Golden Eagle strip mall location.

And we had a marvelous time! Did you make resos? That's important, but even if you didn't it doesn't justify bad service. Our service was understated yet attentive and professional. We were indeed offered a taste of the wine we chose before pouring it. We had a shared salad, two apps, and one entree which we were going to share but they graciously split it onto two plates and I suspect upped the portion a little without our even asking! We forewent dessert in order to make it to a film, got our check and with all that and a $25 bottle of wine the whole bill, including a far tip (20+%), was right around $100! Total bargain in these tight times.

I would totally recommend Paradiso to anyone, and hope you'll try them again.

And yes, Dolce Vita rocks!

i've been to the new location a couple times and have had a similar experience... not necessarily with the food, although the veal i had wasn't spectacular. there's a two seat table next to one of the doors that leads outside to the river. well, i was seated there with my girlfriend when we celebrated our third anniversary. whenever one of the wait staff entered from that door they left it open and it nearly touched the table (probably about a foot away). it totally ruined the "space" and i felt cramped. they'd be much better off having that as a wait-table with water, silverware, etc rather than squeezing another two-top into the room. just my thoughts on the place. oh, each time i've gone there the service has been above average.

I've been to the new location 3 times now and have had great food and service every time. Think they could do something about the noise level - can be a bit much. Sorry to hear some of the experiences listed here weren't good. Hopefully the owners will take some of these critiques to heart. It will continue to be one of my favorites. Dolce Vita is great - wine, food and service!

We've been going to Cucina for a long time. I loved sitting outdoors at the old location on a warm night!

Been to the new location 3+ times. Each and every time the food and service were well, perfect.

I agree that the front room at the height of the dinner hour is incredibly loud. We have never made a reservation, always gone on a Fri or Sat night. Never waited longer than 15 minutes for a table for 2 and always request a table in the back of the restaurant, less noise. I refer Cucina to friends and out-of-towners all the time.

My single complaint is the parking at the new location is awful, nothing new in that area of town...

Strongly encourage you to give them another try. Be sure to let them know that your last experience wasn't the best. These folks appreciate feedback both positive and negative; seeming to thrive on creating a positive experience for everyone. And yes Dolce rocks!

you really should not bash the reputation of a good place where all the staff and food is wonderful.you liked the food you ordered the wrong wine it was a busy night for them by the sound of it. no ones fault. or maybe you like to complain

re: vgirl... this is a public forum for discussing local restaurants.

My daughter and son-in-law took me to this restaurant for my birthday two months ago. I am newly retired and have only lived in Petaluma for five months. I was MOST impressed. Yes, the front room is noisy, but no more than any white linen tablecloth restaurant in SF. The food was wonderful -- we had multiple appetizers and desserts as well as entrees. The wine list was impressive. And our waitperson (the wonderful gentleman who received the Best in Sonoma County award) was top-notch. Vegetarians can eat here easily. I plan to take all of my East Coast visitors and relatives here as they wander in this summer.
Did anyone who has had a bad experience ask to speak to the manager? Dining establishments seek to please and will always rectify bad experiences with return coupons or alterations to the check. Of course, such complaints should be made with tact and understanding for the odd situations that pop up in crowded hotspots. I have only once in my adult life (lengthy, I should add) had a bad dining experience that went uncorrected. In that case I was living in Charleston, SC, and a roach the size of Manhattan crawled out of the wall and across my plate. The manager smashed it on the table and went about her business. Needless to say, I didn't go back.

quote:

Originally posted by vgirl:
you really should not bash the reputation of a good place where all the staff and food is wonderful.you liked the food you ordered the wrong wine it was a busy night for them by the sound of it. no ones fault. or maybe you like to complain

I think the poster was simply trying to see if the experience was an oddity or standard fare. It wasn't unreasonable at all and I don't think your comment was warranted, vgirl.

Cucina Paradiso is one of my favorite restaurants ever. The service and food have been out-of-this world good every single time I've been there. I am addicted to the warm calamari salad. Holy crap, that's some good stuff.

Only been there once since they moved, but I welcome the change of locale. My only complaint about the old place was that it was so small and so cramped. More than once, the customer sitting next to me was practically in my lap.

Heather, I think your experience was an anomaly and hope you'll give them another chance. AND TRY THE CALAMARI SALAD!