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…