The Goat Bistro in Petaluma

A tiny jewel box tucked in the historic Great Petaluma Mill, European-style Wild Goat Bistro was built with reclaimed materials like 100-year-old siding from a hop house and a copper-top counter in front of the bustling open kitchen. For the past decade, the eatery has been a labor of love for owner Nancy De Lorenzo — a love she now happily shares with Sharon McAuley, who owned the Tuscan Gardens home design store nearby. The restaurateur met McAuley about three years ago; soon after, McAuley joined the restaurant as the manager, co-owner, and most importantly, wife of De Lorenzo.

The couple works together on the seasonally changing menu, dreaming up bubbly crust Neapolitan pizza dotted with house-made fig spread, fontina, prosciutto, grana padano, goat and blue cheese, and wild baby arugula; or a Liberty Farms duck breast paired with honey-roasted root veggies, cipollini onions, Swiss chard, and a swath of huckleberry sauce.

Guests love the gluten-free desserts, too, such as the German chocolate cake spread in coconut-butter pecan cream. “We think Petaluma is the most charming town in Sonoma County, and we get a constant flow of visitors,” says McAuley. “We also are so fortunate to have Petaluma-based customers who have supported us all these years. It has been incredible.”

Wild Goat Bistro is in the Great Petaluma Mill at 6 Petaluma Blvd. N.; open daily from 11:30am – 9pm (8:30pm close on Sundays).