$History, Location and Ambiance
Scopa, meaning sweep of the broom, is the name of an Italian card
game that is thought to be over 400 years old. Played with a special
deck of 40 cards by 2 to 6 players, cards are 'captured' based on
their values and the game ends once all cards have been played. When
a player 'sweeps the table' he calls out "Scopa!" Scopa, the
restaurant, is situated right on the square in downtown Healdsburg,
although it has a narrow storefront that can easily be missed.
This location makes it a perfect spot for tourists and locals alike.
Window shoppers, or those who want to stroll through the park before
or after dinner could enjoy the central location. Inside, one
rough cement wall is left bare save some framed prints and has high
top tables along its length. The opposite wall is painted creme,
hung with framed mirrors, and accented by a red banquet. Along this
wall are walnut tables, leading to a small bar area at the rear.
Maybe 30 some diners can fit in the restaurant altogether, and
we were told it's not always possible to get a reservation due to
Scopa's popularity. The front wall is glass and the ceiling has a
skylight. It's not necessarily a warm atmosphere, but it is cozy
purely because of its size.
Service
Our waitress was young and friendly. She was knowledgeable
about wines and very helpful when it came to describing various
entrees. She heartily recommended two of the 3 things we tried
and enjoyed.
Food
We started with the wine: Peterson Sangiovese (Dry Creek Valley)
2005. It was full bodied, slightly astringent, rough around the
edges but had lots of flavors--needless to say we drank it all!
The menu is Italian and not so large as to be overwhelming.
There are daily specials in each of the menu categories: antipasti,
pizza, pasta, and secondi. The largest section of the menu by far is
the antipasti (appetizers). We all shared an appetizer called tonno
del Chianti ("marinated pork tuna style"). A small mound of shredded
pork in a tart dressing was served at room temperature with greens.
The other appetizer we tried was a special of fried stuffed sardines
also served over greens. The filling was nice and the delicate
batter for frying the pieces of fish was fine, but the sardines
themselves were fishy tasting and in hindsight probably should have
been sent back.
For dinner two of our party had the special pizza which had lamb
sausage on it. It had a thin, crispy crust and was much richer
in flavor than any ordinary pizza. The other pizza we had was the
Pizza Caprese, which was a white pizza with a minimal sprinkling of
chopped tomato and basil. The other entree was a house specialty
called Nonna's Tomato-Braised Chicken. Several tender pieces of
chicken came cooked with tomato and greens in a small crock of soft
polenta. Total comfort food for me, very rich and flavorful--the
only criticism I could offer is that after awhile the saltiness
became a bit overwhelming.
For dessert we shared two selections: a chocolate flourless torte
that was very dense and rich studded with nuts and a panna cotta
(which means cooked cream), a soft gelled pudding topped with fruit.
Both were excellent.
Scopa
109A Plaza Street
Healdsburg, CA
707-433-5282
