Seared met our expectations for a nice group dinner on a Saturday night in Sonoma County. I searched Yelp for suitable restaurants both in Santa Rosa and Petaluma. Seared was one of the top results. I threw out some suggestions and Seared won. This was a guys trip. Others and I were leaning towards steak and seafood. Seared looked like the best option and it did not disappoint. The food, service, and ambiance were all great.
I booked our reservation. Seared used Yelp Reservations for easy booking online via the Yelp website or app. However, since we had a party of more than six, I had to call the restaurant to book. I left a voicemail. It didn't take long for owner Andrew Burnett to call me back and confirm.
Seared is located in downtown Petaluma in a row of old, historic-looking buildings filled with shops, restaurants, and other businesses. The location was great because of downtown Petaluma's walkability, places to go, and things to see, like the Petaluma River on the backside of the building. After dinner, we ended up walking one block north to Buffalo Billiards and Brewsters Beer Garden (https://www.yelp.com/biz/brewsters-beer-garden-petaluma).
We found free street parking on Petaluma Blvd N, in front of the restaurant. Our reservation was for 7pm on a Saturday night. This is a popular place. The restaurant was busy the entire time we were there. We were seated in our own section at the front of the restaurant, right by the entrance.
The restaurant has a nice interior with brick walls, exposed ceiling ductwork, and chandeliers. There's a bar, TV, a semi-open kitchen, and a dining room that's divided into different sections. This is a higher-end restaurant, but with a casual vibe. It's a modern steakhouse, not one of those older, stuffier places with white tablecloths. Seared opened in August 2013.
During our visit, the dinner menu had 20 selections. They consisted of nine small plates, three salads, and eight large plates. Below are some of the dishes we ordered. It should give you a good idea of what kind of dishes this place has to offer and what the price range is.
Smalls
* BBQ Oysters ($16) - roasted jalapeno butter, bourbon, bacon butter, Parmesan, chives
* Yum Yum Prawns ($20) - crispy prawns, pork belly, kimchi fried rice, pickled ginger aioli, scallion, sesame
Greens
* Caesar ($16) - Little Gems lettuce, farm egg, Parmesan, garlic croutons, Carlos' Caesar dressing
Bigs
* Short Rib Gnocchi ($36) - housemade ricotta gnocchi, wild mushrooms, summer squash, heirloom tomatoes, Parmesan brodo
* Wagyu Ribeye ($40) - 14 oz Beeman Ranch prime ribeye, creme fraiche mash, chili, citrus broccolini, chimichurri, horseradish
* Surf & Turf ($42) - filet mignon, day boat scallops, creme fraiche mash, spinach, mushroom jus
* 36 oz "Prime" Tomahawk Ribeye ($115) - Highway 1 scalloped potatoes, jalapeno corn, Gulf prawns, green peppercorn demi
I tried everything above except for the Yum Yum Prawns (allergy). Everything was delicious. I liked every dish. No single dish stood out from the others. They were equally good. Every dish was presented beautifully. They did a wonderful job with the presentation.
The BBQ Oysters were dressed up really well. They were rich and packed with flavor. My mouth waters just thinking about them. I had a Caesar to myself. It was a fresh, substantial, and satisfying salad with crisp lettuce and a good balance of ingredients, including the presumably housemade Caesar dressing (yummy).
Out of the Bigs, I ordered one of the Wagyu Ribeyes. It was probably my favorite. I had it cooked medium rare and it came out just right. The steak was thick, tender, well-seasoned, and flavorful. The chimichurri added even more flavor, which wasn't needed, but a welcome addition. The 36-ounce "Prime" Tomahawk Ribeye was a showstopper because of its large size and presentation with large prawns on top. The Tomahawk was split between two of the guys. It was also cooked medium rare. It was served sliced and cooked to perfection. I had a slice and it was terrific. The steak had an appetizing char on the outside and it was nice and dark pink/red in the center. It was juicy and really tasty. I liked Seared's creme fraiche mash because of its delectably creamy texture and excellent flavor. The Short Rib Gnocchi was gratifying and had a decent amount of short rib.
To drink, we brought our own bottles of wine from a couple of wineries in Glen Ellen, both of which I recommend: Loxton Cellars (https://www.yelp.com/biz/loxton-cellars-glen-ellen-2) and Lasseter Family Winery (https://www.yelp.com/biz/lasseter-family-winery-glen-ellen). Loxton is one of my favorite wineries in both Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley. There was a corkage fee of $20 per bottle.
Our server was Jordan. He did a great job. He was polite and attentive. Our entire order came out in a reasonable amount of time. We had no issues. This place is a well-oiled machine. Jordan brought out an ice bucket on a stand for our white wine. read more