I thought this would be a great restaurant based on the reviews both here, on other sites, and on the hearty recommendation of a British guy in the bar.

I made reservations for 9 p.m. and we showed up promptly at 9, to absolutely no one at the hostess stand. We waited patiently for a few minutes, thinking they might be busy. When no one showed after about five minutes, my husband went to the bar to inquire. He waited for another two or three minutes before he was acknowledged (there were four people in the bar). We finally got seated and ordered a glass of wine. Minor service issue aside, we were ready for a great meal.

I settled on the pumpkin canneloni and my husband, the veal special. The waiter came back after we placed our orders to apologize; they were out of pumpkin canneloni, but could offer pumpkin ravioli instead. Great, says I! Bring it on. A few minutes later, the waiter came back to apologize again, "I'm so mad at our kitchen. We don't have the raviloi either!" Okay, I wasn't happy, but several items on the menu looked pleasing, so I ordered the filet.

We got our food promptly (almost too promptly) and I have to say I was terribly underwhelmed. The steak, which I ordered medium rare, was rare. The sauce looked like it bad been dumped on top from a bucket. Presentation was not there at all. And the steak tasted like it came from Sizzler. We ordered panna cotta for dessert and it was flabby and uninteresting. My husband's veal was good though, so the dinner wasn't a total loss.

We found out as we were paying the bill ($150 with wine and tip) that the staff were preparing for an event the following day, which explained the lack of attentiveness both at the service and food quality levels. If I lived in Santa Rosa, I'd give them another chance, but since I don't I have to give them a poor rating. Sorry, Ca Bianca!

We dined at Ca' Bianca on Friday, March 24. Our party consisted of six people (three couples). Reservation was for 8:30 p.m. Found a parking spot on the street very close (almost right in front) of the restaurant. As we approached the front porch leading to the entrance, the owner came out to greet us. This was very cool and indicated the level of service that was to follow. The owner escorted us directly to our table, no waiting, exactly on time (we had arrived promptly at 8:30). We sat at the front round table partially surrounded by floor to ceiling bay windows. Wonderful table! Our waiter was Joseph, and he was assisted by two other waiters under his direction. Every utensil was promptly replaced as needed. No water glass was left unfilled. The professionalism of this waitstaff was of the highest caliber. (By the way, my friends and I are seasoned travelers/diners from the Chicago area and know a thing or two about fine dining). The menu offered a fine selection of authentic Italian dishes that were so delicious some were tempted to lick the plate clean! After we had selected two bottles of of wine, Joseph asked if we would allow him to choose the third bottle. We agreed and his choice was excellent (Sonoma county Kosta-Browne pinot noir). Everything from start to finish was as close to perfection as could be. And the best part, the bill including tip came to 195.00! (this included appetizers, salads, 6 entree's, 3 bottles of wine...talk about bang for the buck!)
I highly recommend Ca'Bianca. Fine dining truly does not get much better than this.

We live in Santa Rosa and first went here for my wife's birthday in 2003. We've been back many times and haven't been disappointed. The specials that we really like often become menu regulars later. If you want a quiet table, ask, because the main dining room can be loud if there is a big party or two enjoying themselves and the wine list. The service is almost always good to excellent. I plan to have my 40th birthday dinner here. Can't recommend a restaurant much more than that.