The era of white tablecloths, free bread baskets and the ritual crumb sweep between courses has largely faded from American restaurants. Once shorthand for fine dining, starched linen gave way to wipeable tabletops and the efficiencies of modern service. Pandemic sanitizing protocols seemed to deliver the final blow.
But as diners seek more experiential dining — weighing service, hospitality and the feel of a room as heavily as the food — the formality of white tablecloths may be inching back.
At Santa Rosa’s Ca’Bianca Italian Ristorante, it never left. And if co-owner Karin Hoehne Diana has it her way, it never will.
“We pay tons of money for linens, but I’m not going without. It just gives it a different feel,” said Hoehne Diana, who has run the restaurant with her husband, Marco Diana, for 30 years.
Instantly recognizable, the white Victorian on Second Street has long been a destination for business lunches, anniversaries and candlelit dinners. Tucked behind a well-tended garden of trellises and secluded nooks, the restaurant makes no bid for trendiness.
Crystal chandeliers catch the light above carved moldings and wood-mantled fireplaces. Soaring ceilings amplify the hush. Nothing feels dusty; everything feels deliberate. Veteran servers move with the unhurried confidence that once defined fine dining — and complimentary bread still arrives at the table, warm and without ceremony.
Connected to Santa Rosa’s beginnings
The Queen Anne Victorian that is home to Ca’Bianca (“white house” in Italian) was built in 1876 by pioneer James Marshall. Over the decades, it has served as a private residence, social hub and library, remaining in the original family for generations. When the Dianas took over the property in 1995, it was operating as a German restaurant. Both seasoned San Francisco restaurateurs, they were looking for a slower pace for their young children.
In the three decades since, the house has become part of their family story. Hoehne speaks of it less as a building than as a presence.
“There is the energy of wonderful people in this house,” she said. “There’s warm kindness, and the house hugs you.”
Charged with much of the upkeep, an ongoing battle against time, she regards the home almost as another child.
“Restaurants are a way of life, not a job,” she said.
It’s a sentiment shared by her son Nico, who spent his childhood exploring the rambling rooms and is now a partner and manager of the business.
The food
Marco Diana, an Italian immigrant whose career has been rooted in fine dining, keeps the menu close to tradition. Italian chefs Vincenzo Cucco and the late Angelo Zicaro helped develop many of the original recipes, which remain anchored in housemade stocks, handmade pastas and carefully prepared sauces.
Today, chef de cuisine Arturo Cardenas oversees the kitchen, maintaining consistency across longtime favorites such as Gorgonzola gnocchi, rigatoni with peas and sausage, fettuccine Bolognese, and rack of lamb.
“People get mad when we make changes,” Hoehne Diana said, noting that while the core menu rarely shifts, frequent specials keep things fresh.
Best bets
The menu follows a traditional four-course Italian format, but diners may choose their own progression.
Impepata ($20): Clams and mussels in a saffron-laced tomato base, fragrant with garlic and leeks. The deeply aromatic sauce is the star, so order extra bread to capture every drop. Pair it with the soft pillows of potato gnocchi ($16) in creamy Gorgonzola sauce, a perennial favorite.
Parmigiana ($17): A layered stack of eggplant, mozzarella and tomato arrives surprisingly light and is easily shared.
Funghi ($25): Seasonal foraged mushrooms and zucchini crown ribbons of housemade tagliatelle in a crème fraîche sauce. A vegetarian standout.
Ricotta gnocchi ($24): Delicate dumplings carry brown butter, sage and tomato with restraint and balance.
Cotoletta di Maiale ($39): A thick, French-cut, bone-in pork chop finished with pistachio and port wine reduction. Simple, elegant and timeless.
Desserts ($11-$13): Tiramisu (layered mascarpone and espresso-soaked ladyfingers) is hard to resist. So are the vanilla bean panna cotta with berry sauce, apple strudel and Delizia di Cioccolata, a flourless Belgian chocolate amaretto mousse cake.
Vegetarian options are plentiful, and the kitchen accommodates gluten-free and vegan requests with ease.
The drinks
The wine list features roughly 350 bottles, largely local, alongside a full bar.
The price
At a time when $20 fast-casual salads are commonplace, Ca’Bianca’s prices feel reasonable. Appetizers range from $14 to $18, with the Impepata at $20 substantial enough to serve as an entree. Pastas range from $23 to $29 and come in generous portions. Main courses range from $32 to $44, with market prices for some fish and specials. Desserts range from $11 to $13.
The perks
White-glove service, without the gloves. Veteran servers know the menu by heart, guide diners with confidence and anticipate needs before they’re spoken. Exactly what you’d expect from fine dining. The full menu is available at lunch, along with entrée salads, a burger and a grilled chicken sandwich.
Dining rooms are notably and unusually hushed, thanks in part to linen-draped tables and carpeting that muffles sound. The carpeting also protects the original hardwood floors, inlaid with eight types of wood, visible in the entryway, a glimpse of the craftsmanship beneath. In nice weather, the garden and porch are excellent options.
Overall
Ca’Bianca isn’t reserved solely for milestone celebrations, though it excels at them. It remains one of Santa Rosa’s most enduring Italian restaurants, a place where the tablecloths are pressed, the bread is free and the rituals of old-school hospitality endure.
The spot
835 Second St., Santa Rosa, 707-542-5800, cabianca.com