Scopa Restaurant
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The food at Scopa certainly does not disappoint: Paper-thin pizzas and creative salads exemplify the idea of fresh, local, and sustainable cuisine that prevails in this part of the country. What makes Scopa that much better is the fact that the atmosphere is casual and the prices extremely reasonable, all the more reason to indulge in what this tiny gem has to offer. Seating can be very cramped, and the room can get loud, so be sure to put on your social hat before coming. Reservations are highly recommended.
Atmosphere
Squeezed onto the busy plaza in downtown Healdsburg, Scopa is a small, narrow space with a long line of tight banquet seating to the right, and a few tall tables and chairs to the left. Outside in front, there are a few tables with a little more room, though I imagine they are difficult to score. In the back, a small bar leads to a semi-open kitchen. On the left, an exposed cement wall gives the place a bit of rustic character, and on the right, small round mirrors add depth. High ceilings make the room echo when it is busy, which is pretty much always, and candles on the tables make the room, literally, glow. Be prepared to enjoy the company of others when dining at Scopa, whether it's another table sitting right next to you, or a server pressing closely to get by, there are people everywhere. The whole experience was very similar to eating in the East Village in NYC, but without the thrill of actually being in NYC. Still, the overall atmosphere is fun and upbeat; people seem happy to be there.
Service
Service at Scopa is very, very casual. Our tattooed and t-shirt clad girl enjoyed leaning on our table and calling me Sweeti (though she was easily 10 years younger than I) and her informality almost made me uncomfortable. That said, she was knowledgeable about food and very enthusiastic, and was eager to assist in our ordering.
Food
Scopa is known for its whole-hearted, rural cuisine, focusing, as most restaurants do in this area, on what is fresh and available on any given day. We were looking forward to going, as Scopa was highly recommended to us but, being that we did not want to set our schedule in stone, we didn't plan ahead and could only get a reservation at 9:15. Because of that (stay with me here...) we decided to eat a snack around 7 and, then, were not very hungry when we arrived at Scopa. This is something I deeply regret.
The menu at Scopa is not large, featuring mostly salads, starters, and pizzas, with a few entrees sprinkled in. Simple things like Burrata with grilled bread and arugala, and Grilled Romaine with anchovy garlic dressing sound amazing to me now, as does the Braised Chicken with polenta ($17.50), or special Osso Bucco ($17) that was featured that night. But, at the time, being full as we were, we were only able to manage a few small dishes.
To start, a zingy, fresh salad of roasted beets, ricotta salata, tangerines, and arugala (($9) was dressed with a light vinaigrette and had the most delicious, crunchy fried chick peas as a garnish. To go along with that, the Pizza del Giorno ($15), topped with rapini and sausage, had the thinnest, most delicate crust I had ever tasted, and a spicy drizzling of hot chili oil. To wash it all down, a half bottle of Chiarito Zinfandel ($16), which came in a small carafe, was an OK choice, but next time we will go ahead and order a full bottle.
Feeling too full for dessert, but not wanting to miss out, I ordered a slice of apricot-ricotta cheesecake with hazelnut crust to go. The sliced apricots themselves, as well as the tangy apricot sauce, absolutely bursted with fresh sweet flavor, though the cheesecake was so unsweetened it practically bordered on the savory. Personally, I prefer my desserts to be sweet. Still, I have to admit, that cheesecake made a great breakfast the next day.
The menu at Scopa is not large, featuring mostly salads, starters, and pizzas, with a few entrees sprinkled in. Simple things like Burrata with grilled bread and arugala, and Grilled Romaine with anchovy garlic dressing sound amazing to me now, as does the Braised Chicken with polenta ($17.50), or special Osso Bucco ($17) that was featured that night. But, at the time, being full as we were, we were only able to manage a few small dishes.
To start, a zingy, fresh salad of roasted beets, ricotta salata, tangerines, and arugala (($9) was dressed with a light vinaigrette and had the most delicious, crunchy fried chick peas as a garnish. To go along with that, the Pizza del Giorno ($15), topped with rapini and sausage, had the thinnest, most delicate crust I had ever tasted, and a spicy drizzling of hot chili oil. To wash it all down, a half bottle of Chiarito Zinfandel ($16), which came in a small carafe, was an OK choice, but next time we will go ahead and order a full bottle.
Feeling too full for dessert, but not wanting to miss out, I ordered a slice of apricot-ricotta cheesecake with hazelnut crust to go. The sliced apricots themselves, as well as the tangy apricot sauce, absolutely bursted with fresh sweet flavor, though the cheesecake was so unsweetened it practically bordered on the savory. Personally, I prefer my desserts to be sweet. Still, I have to admit, that cheesecake made a great breakfast the next day.
Cleanliness
Delicious simple and rustic cuisine at very reasonable prices.
Pros
Delicious simple and rustic cuisine at very reasonable prices.
Cons
Crowded seating and over-friendly servers. Can be very noisy.
