When Santa Rosa’s Rosso Pizzeria and Wine Bar closed its doors in March, it felt like the end of an era. Opened in 2009 by chef John Franchetti, formerly of Tra Vigne, and Kevin Cronin, the wood-fired pizza shop had built a loyal following with its focus on simple Italian cooking and seasonal, local ingredients. Franchetti insisted that everything — from dough to burrata — be made in-house.
But Rosso was too inimitable to go gently into that good night. Less than seven months later, the restaurant reopened under the ownership of John and Linda Ahmadi, a husband-and-wife team who previously ran Sandy’s Take and Bake Pizza. That last detail set off alarm bells in my head — was Rosso about to become another take-and-bake operation?
Happily, the answer is no. Rosso is very much itself again. The space and menu remain unchanged, many staff members have returned, and the food, for the most part, is just as good as you remember. Here’s my take.
Tender veal and pork meatballs ($16) swim in a chunky tomato sugo as bright as the summer sun. The Caesar salad ($14) remains a garlic and Romaine lettuce powerhouse, complemented by lemon anchovy dressing and the gentle heat of Calabrian chili…