Water Street Bistro in downtown Petaluma is a great place to take visitors
from France.
“Ooh-la-la,” they’ll remark, “we did not know Americans eat le dejeuner
this way.”
If leisurely French lunches aren’t on your schedule, Water Street Bistro
hosts dinners once a month that are among the most sought-after seats in Wine
Country. Dinners follow the seasons. Although it’s rare when a specific dish
appears a second time, themes are repeated year after year.
“There goes the last of the tomatoes,” chef and owner Stephanie Rastetter
says as she prepares September’s Farewell to Summer. Adios eggplant. Good-bye,
gypsy peppers. Happy trails, zucchini.
October’s dinner celebrates harvest and in early November, it’s a Mexican
fiesta honoring El Dias des los Muertos. Dinners begin at 7 and last about
three hours, with eight courses, each paired with a special wine. The price is
$75.
Rastetter worked side by side with Daniel Patterson at the beloved
Babette’s in Sonoma, which closed in early 1999. Fans of Babette’s will
recognize her delicate touch in Water Street’s lusty yet focused cuisine;
they’ll also be thrilled to see Babette’s bartender, Sid Nappi, waiting tables
at the monthly fetes.
Rastetter takes reservations for the next dinner beginning at 7:30 a.m. on
the Wednesday following the last dinner. She set the time because regulars,
who know she arrives at her restaurant around 4:30 a.m., begin calling at five
in the morning. Capacity is just 30 guests and seats sell out within a day or
two. But there are always cancellations, so ask to get on the waiting list.
Water Street Bistro, 100 Petaluma Blvd. N., Suite 106, Petaluma,
707-763-9563. Open daily for breakfast and lunch.
