Sonoma County loves an Italian restaurant. Maybe it’s our broad swath of Italian immigrants; maybe it’s simply the enduring appeal of pasta and wood-fired pizza. Either way, it’s no surprise that Capriciano Osteria is already packed with eager diners a week after opening in downtown Santa Rosa.
The tables are filled with the classics — warm focaccia, burrata salad, ravioli, risotto and affogatos. The only real surprise is that the chef isn’t Italian. He’s Turkish.
Chef Baki Bekci grew up in his family’s restaurant in Fethiye, a port city and district on Turkey’s southwestern Turquoise Coast, where small fishing boats brought in the day’s catch and the menu centered on seafood and mezze. He later worked in the kitchens of Four Seasons hotels in Istanbul, Los Angeles and Calistoga before founding Mezzeluna in Cotati, which he has since left.
Now Bekci is running his own kitchen in Santa Rosa, in the former Tipsy Taco space, once home to the Acapulco Lounge. He has transformed it into a cozy dining room flanked by two large fireplaces, with an outdoor patio larger than most in the region.
The food is straightforward, built around familiar Italian-American and Italian classics, from bruschetta and Caesar salad to fresh pasta, chicken Parmesan, lamb chops and risotto. But Bekci’s fine-dining background shows in the artful plating and high-end ingredients sourced from local farms and producers.
“I just want people to feel happy and enjoy the restaurant and the food and come back again,” he said.
Best bets
Shrimp carpaccio, $22: Raw shrimp isn’t for everyone, but at Capriciano Osteria, it should be. Delicate shrimp are pounded thin and dressed with tart passion fruit vinaigrette, spicy Sicilian chile, avocado puree and croutons.
Grilled octopus, $24: Tender octopus is an oxymoron, as far as I’m concerned, but Bekci somehow gets it soft enough to cut with a spoon. It comes with a Southern Italian-style tomato-caper sauce and smashed potatoes.
Burrata salad, $19: Creamy-as-butter burrata surrounded by seasonal stone fruit, heirloom tomatoes and basil.
Ravioli al limone, $28: The lemon-cream Parmesan sauce is the real stunner here. You’ll want a piece of bread to soak up every last bit. The earthiness of the mushroom filling works beautifully with the tart citrus.
Red wine-braised short ribs, $36: A more herbal, spiced take on traditional braised beef, served with tender meat and craveable olive-oil mashed potatoes.
Risotto frutti di mare, $34: Bekci’s signature dish comes piled with shrimp, lobster and clams. It’s lemony, with a hint of basil oil.
Cherry Coffee Kick, $12: Save room for dessert. The tiramisu is composed and elegant, but the Cherry Coffee Kick — tart cherries, a hint of espresso and dark chocolate cake — really works.
Open for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Dinner 5-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
505 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-800-7904, capriciano.com.