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Santi – Bigger than one expects; a wood-darkened bar that can’t quite decide if it’s rustic or touristy leads to a rather large pair of dining areas, with well-spaced seating and, tonight, a lot of empty seats. It’s a dark, moody restaurant that probably shouldn’t be quite so moody (or dark), but maybe things are different when it’s not so quiet.

The menu is classic Italian and Italian-American done in the most authentic way possible outside Italy…which is to say that the ingredients are local, providing some interesting twists on Italianate classics. Semi-crispy polenta crespelle with fall vegetables and parmesan are a little thicker than I’d like, and though the overall effect is quite tasty the dish is somewhat dominated by a rather doughy expression of ground corn. On the other hand, a relatively straightforward osso buco is fabulous, with a few bonus marrow-filled bones on the side. An espresso granita with crème anglaise rounds things out nicely. Service is highly rushed – for no apparent reason, as the restaurant is still doing a steady business when we leave, yet never approaches even 50% capacity – but pleasant enough.

The wine list features a good selection of local product (exclusively from the Sonoma side of things, and definitely skewed towards the north) and a less-interesting collection of grossly overpriced and mostly pedestrian Italian wines. (8/04)