Montis - Santa Rosa
Richard Palmer A kitchen firing on all cylinders — let down by the front of house.
Monti’s delivered one of those meals where dish after dish lands with quiet confidence. Not flashy for the sake of it, just thoughtful cooking, excellent ingredients, and plates that look as good as they taste.
The flash-fried calamari set the tone immediately: tender, impeccably crisp, and paired with crispy fried lemon slices that were nearly as addictive as the calamari itself. Salty, citrusy, and bright — the kind of detail that signals a kitchen paying attention.
Both burgers were standouts. The grilled lamb burger (gluten-free) arrived precisely medium-rare, juicy and deeply flavored, with creamy feta and cool cucumber tzatziki providing just the right contrast. The sirloin burger, topped with house-made bacon, blue cheese, and salsa verde, struck a similarly deft balance — rich without tipping into excess, the herbs keeping everything lively.
The lemon tagliatelle with Dungeness crab was a highlight: silky pasta, generous crab, gentle heat from chilies, and enough lemon to keep the dish vibrant without overwhelming the sweetness of the seafood. This is a plate that disappears faster than you expect.
And then there were the skinny fries — crisp, rosemary-flecked, and unapologetically indulgent thanks to the blue cheese. Not an afterthought side, but something you actively compete over.
Dessert was a quiet triumph. The lemon olive oil pound cake, moist and fragrant, paired beautifully with honey-roasted grapes that brought warmth and depth, while the vanilla crème fraîche added just enough tang to keep the sweetness in check. Refined, balanced, and deeply satisfying.
The wine choice didn’t disappoint either. The Guadagni Family Wines Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek Valley, 2024) was fresh and expressive, and the fact that Monti’s offers four Sauvignon Blancs on a compact list is genuinely impressive — a small but telling sign of a wine program run by people who care.
Visually, the meal was as strong as the flavors. The photos say it all: clean, composed plates with real attention to presentation, without drifting into pretension.
The catch: service. We waited a full 15 minutes before seeing a server and ultimately had to ask the host for help. When our server arrived, the opening line — “I’ll only be your server for the first half of your meal” — came before any apology or welcome. Add being seated at the table closest to the restrooms despite ample availability elsewhere, and the front-of-house experience simply didn’t match the quality of the food.
Bottom line: Monti’s kitchen is doing excellent work, and we’ll absolutely return for the food and wine. Next time, though, we’ll be much more assertive about service — because a meal this good deserves a smoother landing.
