Riverside Bistro- Petaluma
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
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We
are so lucky to live in Northern California where it is common
to be able to dine outdoors on summer nights. We had heard good
things about the Riverside Bistro which recently
opened in the old J M Rosen's space in the Golden Eagle Shopping
Center and decided to bring some friends to try their American
Cuisine. There are great views from the dining room and their
covered patio overlooking the Petaluma River. The dinner menu
features just enough choices for everyone and the prices are very
reasonable with entrees all under $20.00 and a $5.95 Kids Menu.
We
were seated on the patio right next to the river and settled in
for an evening of river watching and dining. Sammie, our server,
was soon at our table and we ordered some Calistoga Sparkling
Water, a Stella Artois Beer which is on Tap and a bottle of 2009
Clos Du Bois Sauvignon Blanc. We were told that on weekends
they have live Jazz including local favorite Peter Welker and
vocalist Jeff Oster on Fridays from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM and Surprise
Jazz musicians on Saturdays from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM.
The
Starters that we had were reasonably priced and delicious! We
loved the Tiger Prawns Cocktail which had large fresh
prawns and a spicy cocktail dipping sauce. The Crab Cakes made
with crab claw meat and a spicy remoulade dipping sauce was outstanding
and better than some we've had for twice the price. We also enjoyed
the Jalapeno Poppers which was a unique appetizer with a raspberry
dipping sauce.
The
Salads were both superior as well. The Caesar Salad made
with crisp romaine hearts, house made crunchy croutons and shaved
parmesan cheese with house Caesar dressing was light and tasty.
The Spinach Salad with roasted beets, walnuts, dried cranberries,
bleu cheese and bacon tossed with a vinaigrette dressing was delicious
and very fresh.
All
of the Entrees are served with house salad or soup of the day.
We enjoyed the Clam Chowder, as we had already ordered
salads. The 10 oz. New York Strip Steak grilled medium
rare as ordered, served with garlicky smashed potatoes and veggies
was our favorite entree. The Sautéed Scallops
served over Penne Pasta with mushrooms, spinach, green onions,
shallots and parmesan cheese in white sauce had large scallops
and was quite tasty once we spiced it up with salt and pepper.
The
2008 Coastal Vines Sauvignon Blanc paired well with the
scallops.
We saved room for Desserts and were glad we did. The classic J
M Rosen's Cheesecake had a hint of lemon and was as we remembered...
it creamy and outstanding! The Chocolate Cake was moist and light
but not too sweet or rich. We lingered and enjoyed coffee as a
cooling breeze came up. Dining at Riverside Bistro on the patio
watching the Petaluma River activity was a great way to spend
the evening. We look forward to returning for weekend jazz, as
well as trying their weekend brunch.
Riverside
Bistro- Petaluma
54 East Washington Street
Golden Eagle Shopping Center
Petaluma, CA. 94952
707-773-3200