Italian done right at Cucina Paradiso

<p>Some restaurants may be struggling in this slow economy, but on a recent night, Cucina Paradiso in Petaluma was hopping. Cooks in white toques bustled about the bright kitchen. Wine flowed. The wait staff worked the tables calmly but quickly. Dishes hit the tables piping hot.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>The noise level was relentlessly driven upward as people tried to communicate through the growing din. But there was laughter in that noise, and it was a welcome contrast to some of the somber scenes encountered lately at less well-attended restaurants.</p><p>The key, of course, is that Cucina Paradiso is on just about everyone’s short list of favorite Italian eateries. And with good reason. Chef Dennis Hernandez knows what he’s doing in the kitchen. Don’t let the Spanish last name fool you; Dennis was trained at the Istituto Alberghiero Di Stato — loosely translated as the National Hotel School — in Italy. His wife Malena serves as manager at Cucina Paradiso.</p><p>For years, they entertained the palates of Sonoma County at Cucina Paradiso’s Eagle Shopping Center venue. They were successful enough to be able to move to a former sporting goods store on Petaluma Boulevard’s downtown row of fine restaurants, where Central Market, Hiro’s, Risibisi and Graziano’s are located. And now they’ve added to the luster of that block.</p><p>Their new place is beautifully redone, with six natural wood mesh trellises laid horizontally across the ceiling, a natural tongue and groove wooden floor, built-in wine storage units, and walls hung with eight large watercolors of vineyards and hillsides that could be Sonoma County, or Tuscany. Our lovely landscapes are so very much like northern Italy’s.</p><p>The walls have been formed into pilastered archways with recessed spotlights in the arches, which throws a pretty light down into the room. The color scheme is very Italian-yellow ochre paint and natural wood. And the wine storage areas conceal treasures, such as the 2007 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina that’s a stand-out among 13 Italian and 16 local whites. A 2005 Bruno Rocca Barbaresco is the highlight among 10 reds of Piemonte. Among wines from other regions of Italy, the 2002 Taurasi from Campania is attractive, while among local reds, the 2004 Louis M. Martini “Gnarly Vine” Zinfandel from the Monte Rosso Vineyard is a good choice with Italian food.</p><p>Vidalia onions are a sweet, short-season variety (like Maui onions) that the kitchen uses to make Zuppa del Giorno ($6.95, 3 stars). It’s a simple, cooked puree that’s mildly sweet and accurately tastes of that special variety. House-made croutons, a few strips of fresh tomato, and a few droplets of infused olive oil complete the dish. The Insalata Cesare ($5.95, 2 stars) is an inauthentic version of a real Caesar salad, originally created in the 1920s by an Italian-born Mexican restaurateur named Caesar Cardini. Thus the proper name of the salad is Caesar, not the Italian form Cesare. Cucina’s salad dressing contains anchovies, which, while pleasant, aren’t part of an authentic Caesar. And the real deal contains Romaine lettuce’s whole inner leaves. Cucina’s are chopped. Is it a bad salad? By no means. Is it a Caesar salad? By no means.</p><p>The Antipasti per Due ($12.95, 3 stars) is an abundance of good-tasting finger food, including grilled shrimp stuffed with cheese; capresi salad of tomato, mozzarella and basil; prosciutto; red and yellow beets; sweet bresaola (sliced air-dried beef) wrapped around bitter arugula, and roasted and oiled eggplant and bell peppers. Another worthy antipasto is the Calamari ($7.95, 2½ stars). Instead of the usual battered and deep-fried calamari, these pieces and whole baby cuttlefish are grilled unadorned and mixed with white cannellini beans and an arugula salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette.</p><p>Insalata Gustosa ($7.95, 2½ stars) translates to “tasty salad,” and it is just that, made from arugula, radicchio, Belgian endive and spinach dressed with an overabundance of olive oil and vinegar (rendering the leafy greens a bit gloppy), and topped with sheep’s cheese shavings.</p><p>Pasta choices at Cucina Paradiso are wide-ranging and wonderful. The Ravioli di Anatra ($12.50, 4 stars) is triumphant. House-made raviolis are stuffed with roast duck and given a sauce made of sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts and basil. Though the serving is generous, you’ll still wish there were more on the plate. Che fa gola! Another ravioli dish, also house-made, was Ravioli del Giorno ($12.95, 3 stars). This pasta of the day was stuffed with fresh porcini mushrooms and parmigiano cheese, and given a butter, sage and light tomato sauce. While excellent, it didn’t reach the heights of the duck ravioli.</p><p>Much Italian cooking is simple and very tasty, and that holds true for the Pappardelle con Prosciutto e Asparagi ($11.95, 3 stars). The noodles are house made and mixed with real prosciutto from Parma, diced fresh tomatoes and French-cut asparagus. Flavorful Gnocchi ($10.95, 3 stars) are a reliable indication of how good a restaurant will be, and Cucina’s house-made potato dumplings, enriched with a gorgonzola cheese and creamy walnut sauce, are very good indeed. The ravioli, pappardelle and gnocchi are all primi piatti-first plates, usually pasta, and that makes the appetizers antipasti, or “before the pasta.” Now come the secondi piatti, or what the French call the entrees.</p><p>The nightly fish special, Jumbo Scallops Grilled with Saffron ($22.95, 2 stars), was served in a light tomato sauce. The sweet scallops, the taste of the saffron and the tomatoey sauce worked at cross purposes, confusing the palate. All the ingredients of the dish were fine, but the combination jarred.</p><p>There was no problem with the Scaloppine di Vitello con Funghi ($16.95, 3½ stars), or veal scallops and porcini mushrooms in a marsala wine sauce. It’s a dish that’s traditional for a good reason: it’s simply delicious. Ditto with the Saltimbocca di Vitello ($17.95, 3 stars), or “jump into the mouth” veal cutlets sautéed with prosciutto from Parma, given a sage and white wine sauce and topped with melted provolone cheese.</p><p>The most exceptional entrée of the evening was the Pollo Rotolato Arrosto ($14.95, 4 stars), or chicken breast and first wing joint stuffed with arugula and pancetta, rolled up and roasted. It was perfect: tender and juicy inside, roasted to an intensely flavorful brown on the outside, with the meat enhanced by the stuffing. Simple, respectful of the flavors of the ingredients and perfectly executed in the kitchen.</p><p>The Semifreddo ($6.50, 3 stars) has always been a signature dessert of Cucina Paradiso and it’s just as good as ever, but to that nutty frozen custard now add these desserts: chocolate profiteroles, tiramisu, and affogato. The Affogato ($6.50, 3 stars) is typically Italian in its simplicity and irresistibility. You put a scoop or two of ice cream (vanilla or chocolate, but vanilla is more common) in a soda glass, pour a shot or two of espresso over it and top with freshly-made whipped cream. Once again, che fa gola (Italian for yummy).</p><p>A note on the service: one of the joys of the restaurant is interacting with the Italian waiters, who manage to make the meals even more pleasant than they would otherwise be.</p><p>To sum up: Cucina Paradiso turns out the same appealing Italian food as always, but is now ensconced in a beautifully decorated room on Petaluma’s street of great restaurants.</p><p><i>(Jeff Cox writes a weekly restaurant review column for the Sonoma Living section. You can reach him at jeffcox@sonic.net.)</p>