Della Fattoria, Petaluma

I recently met with Molly Best and Lisa Modica, the brains behind Thistle Meats, a new butcher and charcuterie in Petaluma, Sonoma Co., for lunch at Della Fattoria. You can find that interview in SF Weekly’s SFoodie section here.

In the meantime, I realize I have been negligent in not writing about Della Fattoria, which, in case you’re not in the know, is a family-run bakery and eatery and the North Bay’s answer to Tartine Bakery. Situated on Petalulma Boulevard, in an old Victorian building, the glass-fronted store is a shining beacon of all things baking.

The wonderful aroma of bread and delicious baked things, hits you as soon as you walk in the door. Della Fattoria’s bread, made from a natural starter and cooked in a wood oven on a ranch just outside of town, could easily go head to head against the best breads in San Francisco. Behind the counter are rows of freshly baked breads: round, baguettes, sourdough, semolina flour. It’s all here. And under glass are all manner of delights: frosted cakes, cookies, pastries, French-style patisserie and desserts.

But this is not just a bakery, it’s also a café. Open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week, the menu makes the most of bread-based dishes. For our lunch, Molly and Lisa, opted to split a Spring Panzanella Salad with chicken ($15) and a Tuna Melt Piadina ($12).