Cucina Paradiso Selected Best Italian by Patch Readers

Earlier this week we kicked off a new series, , where we asked you, our readers, to name the very best stuff in Petaluma.

We started off with a veritable 'Sophie's Choice' of questions: Which one of Petaluma's amazing Italian restaurants is the best place for your primi, pasta and dolci.

You answered in droves, naming downtown’s as our town’s best spot for an authentic taste of Italy. 

In 2010, Cucina Paradiso was named one of Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand Restaurants, meaning it's the kind of place where you can still get two dishes and a glass of wine for under $40.

The restaurant prides itself in using ingredients from local farms, makes all pasta in-house and has an extensive wine-list and scrumptious desserts.

Dennis Hernandez, who co-owns Cucina with his wife Malena, shrugs off the success and says he is simply doing what he loves.

"It's about paying attention to the little details, listening to customers' feedback and making them feel respected and valued," he says. "But you always have to be on guard and listen to the critics, because as easy as it is to get a good review, it's just as easy to get a negative one."

In more than a decade in business, the reviews have been mostly positive, praising Cucina Paradiso for its tasty Northern Italian specialties, a big variety of pastas and freshness and lightness of the dishes.

Hernandez says he is focusing on consistency and creating the kind of restaurant Petaluma residents can rely on time and time again for a good meal — whether it's a work lunch or a family celebration.

Judging by the crowds congregating at Cucina Paradiso on any given night, it appears he’s hitting the mark. 

Congratulations Cucina for being named Petaluma Patch's Best Italian Restaurant!