The Details
Poggio Trattoria
Address: 777 Bridgeway, Sausalito.
Chef: Benjamin Balesteri, Executive Chef
Phone: 415.332.7771
Poggio is a classic Italian trattoria with comfortable neighborhood charm and destination-caliber cuisine. Executive Chef Benjamin Balesteri sources local ingredients from the best purveyors and highlights these quality products in the daily changing menu.
Chef Balesteri offers a menu that features soulful classics of Northern Italy including a variety of antipasti, house-made pasta, spit-roasted meats, and wood-fired pizzas. He often catches the fresh fish served at Poggio with daily specials that include line-caught local salmon, tuna, and halibut. The notable wine list emphasizes vintages from Italy and Northern California along with a unique selection of hard-to-find vintages of some of the most sought- after varietals in the world. Poggio is open seven days a week offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, a full bar, and ample private dining rooms for special celebrations. In 2022, Poggio was voted best Italian Restaurant in Marin Magazine’s Best of the County, and the restaurant will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023.
Chef Ben Balesteri Shares Poggio’s Most Popular Dishes for the Holidays
Larry Mindel, Proprietor of Poggio Trattoria, set out in 2003 to create a restaurant that reflected all of who he is. With more than 30 Italian restaurants under his belt, Mindel crafted Poggio with a clear eye on the tenants of Italian hospitality and cooking, bringing in Amy Svendberg as managing partner and Ben Balesteri as executive chef to actualize a menu that is grounded in northern Italy but reflects classics of the broader Italian culinary canon.
From Ben
Dish featured and what makes it special?
The dish I brought was the burrata with honey confit cranberries, baby kale, delicata squash, candied pecans and crostini — this dish is ready to serve and enjoy!
What are popular holiday take-out dishes?
One of Poggio’s most popular take-out items for holiday entertaining is our grilled porterhouse steak. It is for two or three people and it comes with two side dishes. Our arancini — fried risotto balls — veal and pork meatballs and our tuna tartare are also very popular appetizer options.
What are you looking forward to this holiday season?
Restaurant wise, I am looking forward to white truffles coming up, and then hopefully a nice break after the new year ending up somewhere tropical.
Favorite holiday dishes you love to eat and serve?
Dungeness crab is one of my favorite local delicacies around the holidays, as well as the bluefin tuna I have been catching the last few weeks for Poggio. But unfortunately the season is winding down.