Some waiters hover. You know the type. They stand a few feet away and repeatedly ask, “Is everything OK?”
But at The Plaza Bistro, an eatery in a historic building on the Square in downtown Sonoma, the charming Italian Maitre ‘d and his waiters don’t need to hover. They just provide the perfect blend of service, food and Italian bistro atmosphere for a relaxed meal in the heart of California wine country.
My colleague John and I began with a few salads: organic mixed green with diced tomatoes tossed with citrus vinaigrette and butter lettuce with crumbled blue cheese, Asian pear, golden raisins and whole grain mustard vinaigrette. These, along with the fresh French bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, were the beginning of a truly wonderful meal.
For entrees, we chose an Open Face Grilled Portobello with roasted red bell peppers and Chevre goat cheese on Focaccia. Scrumptious. I had the Grilled Salmon Sandwich BLT with lemon aioli on a sweet roll. Delicious. These were accompanied by a fantastic Apple and Fennel Soup that was slightly creamy but perfectly balanced.
We saved room for dessert: a fresh raspberry sorbet and a fantastic lemon vanilla crepe. In all, we dined and chatted for over two hours without feeling the afternoon was slipping away. So if you’re in the Sonoma area, you shouldn’t miss a lunch or dinner at The Plaza Bistro especially since the Maitre d’ is so charming and other restaurants on the Square don’t have the ambience of this new restaurant.
A. 420 First Street East, Sonoma, CA 95476
T: 707.996.4466.