By 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday, the open kitchen at Seared is already in full stride, and beef is what’s for dinner. Filets, hanger steaks, rib-eyes and prime rib move through various stages of preparation before hitting the live-fire grill and landing on plates with crème fraîche mashed potatoes and a ladle of demi-glace. Practiced hands gently press each cut as it cooks, reading rare, medium and well done by feel alone.
In the narrow galley kitchen, fryers turn out calamari and French fries at a breakneck pace, skillets hit the flames in constant rotation and a lone expediter keeps plates moving toward the dining room.
The downtown steakhouse is a local favorite, known as much for its happy-hour deals as its lobster mac and cheese and beefy rib-eyes. But instead of pricey wine lists and stiff service, Seared offers solid value, approachable dishes and an easygoing lack of pretension that feels tailor-made for Petaluma.
Chef Joe O’Donnell grew up in a restaurant kitchen, sneaking strips of bacon from the cooks and watching them prepare simple, family-friendly fare at McNear’s, just down the street. His father, Ken O’Donnell, has owned the pub for decades, and the family has long been part of the charm at the historic gathering place, which has welcomed generations of Petaluma residents through its doors.
After culinary school and restaurant stints in Arizona, Honduras and around the Bay Area, O’Donnell returned home. The former Graziano’s space seemed like the right place for something Petaluma lacked: a steakhouse. He and his father took over the restaurant and transformed it into Seared.
The restaurant quickly found an audience, offering not only steak and a full bar but also a menu that stretched to duck-fat-fried potatoes with smoked jalapeño aioli, ahi crudo with Thai chile, truffle-Parmesan fries, and lobster mac and cheese with bacon. Add an iceberg wedge with blue cheese, and the picture was complete.
“I wanted to stick to the idea of a steakhouse, but not be tied to it,” said O’Donnell, who keeps many popular dishes on the menu, including Yum Yum prawns with fried rice, a wagyu rib-eye, burgers and poke. Other dishes give him room for seasonal, chef-driven experimentation.
It’s a formula that has worked for more than a decade: polished steakhouse cooking with enough range to satisfy a table of mixed appetites, whether that means steak and carrots, crispy salmon, a burger or truffle fries. The result feels special without becoming fussy, with the kind of easygoing energy that keeps locals coming back.
How long in business
Seared opened in 2013, taking over the former Graziano’s Italian restaurant.
Fun fact
The attic hides plenty of treasures, according to O’Donnell, including religious relics left behind by previous tenants. One of his favorites was a wooden chicken adorned with several rosaries. She now lives in the dining room, sans prayer beads, tucked into a nook where she keeps a watchful eye over the restaurant.
The vibe
The cavernous, high-ceilinged restaurant is divided among a casual bar area with high-top tables, a dining room and kitchen-counter seating. Large groups, a popular happy hour and busy weekends mean reservations are a smart move unless you’re willing to wait or grab a seat at the counter. The high-energy atmosphere makes it better suited to lively nights out than hushed romantic dinners, though plenty of couples still cozy up over steaks and cocktails.
Best bets
The menu has a broad vocabulary without turning into a run-on sentence. Small-plate favorites include crispy pork belly with coconut-corn purée, miso butter and chile-lime glaze ($22); an indulgent lobster mac and cheese with bacon and silky Valley Ford Highway 1 Fontina fondue ($25); and savory Yum Yum prawns with bacon fried rice, housemade kimchi and ginger aioli ($23).
The classic steakhouse wedge ($16) gets dressed up with local Point Reyes Farmstead blue cheese, crispy shallots and just enough blue cheese dressing to make its point without drowning the lettuce. Pastas change regularly, but the spring risotto ($32) restored our faith in the notoriously difficult rice dish. The wagyu rib-eye ($49) is a flavorful cut treated royally, served with crème fraîche mashed potatoes and lemony broccolini.
The only critiques: A few dishes were slightly undersalted, and the desserts did not quite rise to the level of the savory menu.
The deals
Happy hour, from 3:30-6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, is one of the area’s better bargains, with substantial bites including a prime rib dip with horseradish aioli ($9.75), kung pao prawns with soba noodles ($9.75), a mini wedge salad with Point Reyes blue cheese, bacon and crispy shallots ($9) and mac and cheese ($8) with Highway 1 fondue and garlic breadcrumbs. Most cocktails are $9, house wine is $7.50 and draft beer is $6.50. Seating can be scarce, so early birds tend to get the tables.
The price
You’re in steakhouse territory, but you won’t be gouged for every side dish or upsold on sea salt harvested by mermaids. Prime cuts range from $46 to $65 and include sides, while a 42-ounce tomahawk steak with prawns and bone-marrow butter is $130. Seafood entrées hover around $40, and the burger is $26. Upscale small plates, such as steak tartare and roasted bone marrow, are just over $20, while fried calamari is $18, with generous portions throughout. Salads are $16 and cocktails run $13 to $15.
The spot
170 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-762-5997, petalumaseared.com