Aventine Glen Ellen

Adolfo, Toni and their team are the best! From the first glass of bubbly, to the yummy apps, prawns, arancini, buratta, to our main course, pesto gnocchi, almond crusted salmon, steak, and dessert, salted caramel budino and flourless choco cake, and finally big hugs goodbye! Aventine is great place for the cocktails and apps, a casual night’s dinner or a special night with great friends. We will definitely be back!

Wowza! Fabulous dinner & ambiance! Jeremiah was fantastic & we even got to meet the Owner/​Chef :) so many Chefs start a chain, get successful & don’t personally oversee, but not this guy, thank you! (i am a food & beverage director at a private club so i’m a harsh critic)

Aventine is great! We go out here a few times a year on special occasions because it isn’t exactly cheap but the food is delicious. Usually we stop at the bar before we sit down for dinner and the drinks are always amazing. Looking forward to eating here again! :)

2^nd time there. Great 1^st experience and equally great last night. The rustic ambience couldn’t be better. Service was wonderful. The foodserver checked on us regularly. We remembered how amazing the very thin-​crust pizzas were and were not disappointed this time. The pizza is thin, light, with fabulous taste, without being smothered with cheese and sauce. We would come here just for the pizza. We also had the short ribs, lasagna and lamb – and everything was spot on. When I am as tired as I was last night, it takes a great meal to perk me up, and Aventine succeeded in doing just that. I was trying to find something negative to say, to make this review seem more real – but I honestly couldn’t find anything negative. Also, on Wednesdays, the bottles of wine are half price.

I’ve been eyeing this place for most of this year when it crossed my radar. I am glad to say I’ve finally made the first trip happen last night.
I went after work for happy hour and just as I suspected the restaurant was quiet due to the weather. We didn’t mind though, plenty of seating and we didn’t feel rushed.
We opted for the potato croquettes, meatballs, truffle popcorn, medley of olives, almonds, and pickled veggies from the happy hour menu. There are other great choices available on the menu but none gluten free friendly and my dining partner was willing to play along with my dietary needs.
We also opted for the brussel sprouts with pancetta from the appetizer menu.
The stars of the night for me were the sprouts, and the olives. You can never go wrong with popcorn for me and it was a perfect pairing to my bubbles. But the olives are lemon marinated and were the perfect texture that came easily off the pit.
Well drinks are $ 5, wine is $ 7 and certain cocktails $ 8. I was pleased as punch to see Domaine Carneros brut for $ 7/​glass. That was my go-​to last night.
The restaurant has a great vibe, woodsy, rustic and open but not drafty. I loved that the menu offers gluten free pizza and pasta so I’ll definitely be back to try more goodies. I can the spot being dazzling in the summer with the trees and twinkle lights. It felt pretty special last night despite the drizzle and cold.

If I had written this review after my dinner in October it would have been five stars. Our party of six ordered 12 different things on the menu and passed them around for all to try. The food was stellar. As were the cocktails and the service. Even with a packed house, everything was tip top. Our new local fave.
Our dinner there last night, not so much. Service was really off. Everything about it. When our entrees were finally delivered, they were lukewarm at best. One of our party asked for her dish to be heated. It came back hot, but without the sauce it was supposed to lay on. Bread wasn’t brought until halfway through the meal. The coffee was also lukewarm and VERY bitter. It was a disaster. Please note there were only two other parties in the restaurant at the time. There is no excuse for the way our dinner went down. We will not bring our guests here again until we see proof that something is being done to fix this place. So disappointed.

Very very disappointed. I used to come here all time last year, I loved ordering food and drinks at the bar, their cucumber and basil gimlet is great. My boyfriend hasn’t been a big fan of this place since the beginning but I begged him to come here tonight for dinner because I had great experiences before. From the minute I sat down in the restaurant it had bad vibes. We were totally ignored for about 20 minutes until we could order and when we finally did we ordered just two entrees. We then sat for about 30
Minutes, ate two baskets of bread while everyone around us was getting served, I even sat there with an empty glass when I would have loved another cocktail. After that the server then came
Up to me and asked again what I had ordered, 30 minutes later. We then waited another 15 minutes till I couldn’t take it anymore and unfortunately had to walk out. All together it was about an hour and half we sat there with no recognition. By the way there was only about 4 other tables here on a Tuesday. Haven’t ever had this bad of an experience at a restaurant and am so disappointed and will never be coming back. Also side note, the pandora station you have playing is horrific, 90s dance music in an Italian restaurant, really?

Solid dinner experience here last night with one complaint (will get to it later.). Early reservation and we were promptly seated. While looking over the menu we ordered the POPCORN AL TARTUFO, Black Truffle Organic Popcorn, Parmigiano, Italian Parsley. Out came a large bowl of popcorn with just the right amount of truffle. Very easy to over indulge on this :).
We shared everything, GRILLED EGGPLANT PARMESAN CAPRESE, Buffalo Mozzarella, Grilled Marinated Eggplant, Tomato Jam, Balsamic Reduction, Micro Basil. Also started with AVENTINO, One Big Meatball Stuffed With Mozzarella, Basil Pesto, Golden Raisins, Soft Organic Polenta. Both starters were spot on with flavor and texture.
Mains were LASAGNA AL FORNO, Beef, Veal, Pork, Ragu, Cinnamon, Creamy Béchamel, Mozzarella, Grana Padano Cheese. Second entrée was SPEZZATINO FATTO, Slow Roasted Boneless Short Ribs, Butternut Squash Purée, Pomegranate Agrodolce, Fried Italian Parsley. Both were tasty and good portions, lasagna had some cinnamon (old world style) which was a good addition. The short ribs were tender, rich and satisfying.
Service from our server was friendly and helpful and a nice perk at Aventine is the first bottle of wine you bring in has no corkage fee. Too full for dessert but the list of desserts sounded good.
So what was the complaint. Both entrees, lasagna and short ribs were VERY salty. This come from two people (wife and I) that love salt but the entrees verged on too much. Fix that and Aventine likely gets another star.

One of the best meals we have had in a long time. This will become one of our favorite restaurants to go to. The atmosphere and décor are very appealing. The staff are on top of their game without being over the top. Food however is over the top.

Reliably good! wonderful setting and great food. Love to sit outside.

I loved it! The food was impeccable, the restaurant was quaint and fun and our server was super attentive, knowledgable and funny. Highly recommend Aventine.

Just had a chance to try Aventines unfiltered Blonde Ale. Very good, full flavor and complexity. Up there with some of the top brew makers in the area IMO.

I really wanted to give a higher review since the service was outstanding and the cocktails were fantastic (and our bartender before dinner was hilarious).
I grew up (and live) just outside downtown Boston. Massachusetts is certainly no stranger to Italian food, so I’d say I’ve had my fair share of arancini and risotto.
For drinks I had the Sazerac to start, which is basically an Old Fashioned with Absinthe. I loved it — but then again — I love every bourbon cocktail. Overall they have a great cocktail selection and talented bartenders.
After being seated, we started with the Arancini. I loved the presentation, and felt they were prepared and cooked perfectly; I just would have preferred more cheese.
For my entrée, I had the Smoked Salmon Risotto. The Risotto was very creamy and rich; although the lemon flavor was too overpowering. I understand why they’d use lemon since it’s being served with fish, but it was simply way too much. The salmon should have been grilled, in my honest opinion. Instead, it was the thinly-​sliced smoked salmon traditionally served on a bagel.
Kristina had the Mushroom Ravioli. She said the raviolis themselves were well-​made, but she felt too much salt was added to the cream sauce.
I think the prices of cocktails and food are reasonably priced. My risotto was $ 25 and Kristina’s ravioli was $ 16. Since the prices are fair, the cocktails are good, the service is excellent, I would say it’s certainly worth a visit to Aventine. If we return I will update this review after trying new dishes. I think we just ordered the wrong entrees and perhaps they were having an off night in the kitchen.

This was my third meal at Aventine and I think each time I have visited the quality of the food, and the service has improved. The patio is cozy and intimate for dining. The time between courses being delivered was just right and the wait staff was attentive but not hovering. THEY HAVE A GLUTEN FREE CRUST addition to the pizza menu. We started in the bar with cocktails, a Manhattan — it was fabulous and not overly sweet. We shared 3 appetizers, the fried cheese filled rice pyramids, Arancini — prosciutto grilled prawns, and a meatball. Then we shared gnocchi and a caprese salad, a fennel sausage GF pizza, and finally, the lasagna. For dessert, cappuccinos and shared flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m eating leftovers today. The GF pizza crust re-​warmed in the toaster oven is crispy, holds together well, and you’d never know it was GF.

I reserved a lunch date a month in advance on open table… even had to give my credit card number to reserve it. If I didn’t cancel at least 2 days in advance I would lose $ 40 if we didn’t show up.
THIS WAS THE ONLY restaurant to read my request and they had a QUIET table waiting for us on the patio when we arrived… it being about 95 degrees in the shade I asked if we could sit inside… they hesitated for a moment and said if we could wait they’d arrange a table for us right away.
While waiting the good natured hostess took family pictures for us. What a sweetheart.
We were soon seated and drooling over the menu. What to order? It was a dilemma because everything looked interesting.
Eggs benedict, Fried cheese stuffed with a tomato stew?, short rib hash, and waffle and fried chicken.
So let me tell you about the eggs benedict… they take a soft boiled egg — lightly bread it and flash fry it. It was a surprise to see and the presentation was great. The fried cheese was breaded the same way and was delicious. The waffle and fried chicken (this is a new combination) was fabulous… but the best –in my opinion – was the rib hash.
I was a little nervous about this choice and I think they should take the word HASH out.
The meat was so tender and the sauce delicious made only better by the fried egg on top.
The ambience and interior décor was so pleasant.
If it was a little cooler I think sitting on the deck would have really been special.
Would love to return when back in the area for DINNER and see what they do with that.

Boy this restaurant needs to address issues of service and training of their staff. Made a reservation and the table was not ready. Went to bar to have cocktails took 20 minutes for the drinks to be served. Once we were seated the waiter lacked basic service skills.
Had to ask for drinks, water and bread. Food was tasty, presentation was average. One meal was served after the three other diners had finished their meals. Heard nothing but really sorry, the kitchen staff is so busy, nothing but excuses for poor service. Since the food was pretty good and the staff was concerned and tried to make the experience right we will give the restaurant another chance. Really like the Chef, location and hope they can work out the bugs.

Appreciate that we could get a seat in the bar area on a busy long weekend evening. Lovely warm and welcoming environment with a genuine and helpful staff.
However the pizzas were mediocre — sloppy wet base, just not much going on my way of flavor. The soup was similarly dull. We finished off with deserts that the staff could not even explain. Sorry but I think there needs to be a bit more focus on the food.
Would probably not head back too soon.

The best Italian restaurant in Sonoma Valley, and probably the best I’ve been to in the Valley in the past thirty years.
Despite a reputation as a culinary destination, there are only a handful of restaurants worthy of a special trip. Aventine is among that handful.
Its magical setting, impeccable interior design and stellar management certainly impresses, but it’s the food, the personalized service and an almost too-​good-​to-​be-​true price that will keep you coming back week after week.
I came on a fairly busy weekday, sat at the bar and yet no fewer than FIVE employees took the time to check in on me, including the chef, the GM, the bartender, my server and the host. And not just the perfunctory «is everything okay» but an actual conversation. Maybe I looked lonely. But I saw them give this sort of personalized attention to all of the patrons, many of whom were clearly regulars. And no wonder: this is a place where every occasion is clearly a special occasion.
Everything I ordered was simple elegance: a negroni, house salad, a sazerac, pasta nero, butterscotch panna cotta. But the pasta nero demands special mention: larger than expected mussels and clams steamed to perfection on a bed of squid ink pasta that is one of the few restaurant pastas that deserves the appellation «al dente.»
Total bill? About $ 50.
Last month I paid three times that at a neighboring restaurant and wasn’t half as satisfied as I was after having left Aventine.

I loved this restaurant when it was Blue Grass Grill. Mostly because it has a cool bar, nice dining area, and an upstairs all covered with wood. The ambiance is my kind of style.
We had a reservation for 6 that I made over a week in advance. We had to get in earlier than we wanted, so I recommend making a reservation as soon as possible when you decide you want to eat here.
The signature drinks weren’t all that impressive to me, but my husband LOVED the bar tender. He let him try a couple bourbons free of charge before he picked one, which he really appreciated. On Wednesday’s they have half off wine bottles which is a GREAT deal. I loved that!
Literally everything we ate here was delicious. I loved the cheese/​meat plate to start as well as the truffle popcorn — such a fun starter! I ordered the chicken Parmesan and really liked it. Everyone loved their dishes but the one that stood out the most was my husband’s steak special. It was the best steak we’ve all ever tried. Even beating out Starks (in Santa Rosa) by a long shot!
We ordered a bunch of desserts as well and they were all delicious. Loved the pot de crème.
We enjoyed all our food and drinks, but the only complaint would be that our server took quite a long time to come over and greet us. He seemed a little too timid to approach us, and he spoke pretty quietly. He was very nice, but overall that was the only aspect that could have been approved upon.
We will definitely be coming back to Aventine. Though it’s an expensive place, you’re paying for an amazing meal/​experience. Loved it!

I’ve been to Italy several times, Italian food is my favorite and it’s difficult to find really authentic Italian cooking. Last night we dined at Aventine in Glen Ellen and well, I guess we don’t have to go to Italy anymore because the food here is BETTER. The historic building is absolutely charming. Our waiter Collin was knowledgeable, prompt and funny. The Sommelier was equally wonderful. Even the wonderful owners checked on us. EXCELLENT SERVICE start to finish.
The food was EPIC. I will be dreaming of the warm, home made bread, butternut squash and gnocchi pasta dishes. The scallops, as others have mentioned, are to die for. The desserts are beyond delicious.
We can’t wait to go back!