Cafe Citti Opens in Santa Rosa

Cafe Citti owners Luca and Linda Citti are finally ready to take orders for their much-loved Caesar salads, focaccia sandwiches and fried polenta.


After renovating their new Santa Rosa location for nearly eight months, Cafe Citti owners Luca and Linda Citti are finally ready to take orders for their much-loved Caesar salads, tuna egg focaccia sandwiches and fried polenta.

It’s been a well-kept secret for several weeks that the couple were quietly launching their new takeout-only restaurant at 2792 Fourth St. (the former Whole Pie), but early this week an online ordering site went up at cafecitti.com.

The new digs are tiny and mostly taken up by the kitchen, but the couple are excited to be back in business after closing their Kenwood location last fall. In October, the Cittis cited a desperate need for renovations to the building, frequent power outages during the high summer season and threats of fire as the reasons for shuttering their beloved restaurant.

Like most restaurateurs, the Cittis were forced to lay off most of their staff at the height of the pandemic and slim down their menu to streamline operations. And, like most restaurateurs who are now getting back to “normal” after a year of significant challenges, they’ll be gradually scaling up to welcome regulars and new diners eager to get a taste of that Citti magic.

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