Don’s Fine Foods was a popular Petaluma eatery in the 1940s and ‘50s

In the 1940s and ’50s, Don’s Fine Foods was known for its family meals, where for $1.25 per plate (in 1956), families could feast on roast chicken, potatoes, salad, soup, hot rolls with butter and a warm fruit cobbler.

It made news around the county in the 1950s, when Chef Jack Beasely decided to showcase his knowledge of international cuisine with dinners for just $1 (75-cents for kids). There were Italian feasts of spaghetti, salad and garlic bread, or Swiss steak dinners with mashed potatoes and green beans. Every meals ended with Don’s Fine Foods’ signature cobbler warm from the oven, either apple or berry.

Owned by Don McNay, the restaurant sat in the bottom floor of 107 Main Street, a building constructed by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1881. Today, Sake 107 sits in the former Don’s Fine Foods location.