Fresh seafood from coastal Italy and the Pacific, brought to your table in the heart of Santa Rosa’s wine country.
At Capriciano, our pesce e molluschi course honors the seafood traditions of Italy’s long coastline — from Sicilian sea bass to coastal shellfish, from raw oysters to firewood-grilled octopus. As an authentic Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa, we work with the freshest catch we can source, prepare it simply, and let the ingredients speak. Whether you are after a delicate piece of petrale sole, a robust seafood risotto, or a glass of crisp white from our Italian and California list, the sea has a place at every Capriciano table.
What Makes Our Seafood Special?
The Italian Coastal Tradition
Italy is a peninsula — never more than a short drive from the sea — and seafood has shaped its cuisine for thousands of years. At our Santa Rosa osteria, we honor that tradition with both raw bar classics and slow-cooked specialties. Our oysters arrive on ice with seasonal mignonette. Our sea bass is poached gently in olive oil; our petrale sole is finished with lemon butter and basil oil; our risotto ai frutti di mare brings shrimp, clams, and lobster into one warm, fragrant plate. Each dish is built to highlight the fish, not hide it.
Highlights From the Seafood Menu
- Sicilian Sea Bass — olive oil poached Yukon Gold potatoes, fennel, San Marzano, shishito
- Fillet of Petrale Sole — crab mix, caviar, clams, gnocchi, lemon butter sauce, basil oil
- Ora King Salmon — kale, Tuscan white beans, pomme puree, lemon butter sauce, basil oil
- Risotto ai Frutti di Mare — shrimp, Manila clams, lobster, Calabrian chili, basil oil
- Spaghetti con Gamberi e Vongole — clams, shrimp, toasted garlic, chili, white wine, parsley, lemon
- Oysters on the Half Shell — East and West Coast varieties with seasonal mignonette
Is Seafood Right for Your Evening?
Our seafood pairs beautifully with:
- A long, leisurely seafood dinner
- Wine country date nights
- A light, elegant first course
- Sharing a chilled platter with friends
- A glass of crisp Italian white wine
- Sonoma County anniversaries and milestones
- Pre-theater dining before a night out
- An intimate evening for two
Whether you are starting with a few oysters on ice, building toward a full seafood feast, or stopping in for a glass of crisp white and a single perfectly cooked filet, our pesce e molluschi course meets you where you are. Every plate is rooted in coastal Italian tradition and served in the heart of Santa Rosa’s wine country.
What to Expect at Your Table
Our seafood arrives as you would expect at a proper Italian osteria — fresh, beautifully plated, and simply prepared so the fish remains the star. Raw bar selections come chilled to the table; warm dishes arrive at the proper temperature, finished with bright herbs and finishing oils. Your server is always nearby to recommend a wine pairing from our Italian and California list, or flag the evening’s specials. No rush, no shortcuts — just the pleasure of a table done right.
Why Choose Our Seafood?
Fresh & Carefully Sourced
We work with trusted purveyors to bring fresh seafood to our Santa Rosa kitchen — Pt. Judith calamari, Pacific oysters, line-caught fish, and shellfish chosen for quality and seasonality. Nothing complicated, nothing fussy — just the best of what is available, prepared with care.
Coastal Italian Tradition
From Sicilian sea bass to risotto ai frutti di mare, our seafood menu honors the long coastlines of Italy and the cooking that grew up around them. Every plate is sized for sharing and pairs naturally with a glass from our Italian and California wine list.