Monti's

Monti's has been part of Santa Rosa's Montgomery Village since 2004, when restaurateurs Mark and Terri Stark opened it as a casual Mediterranean room in the shopping district on the city's east side. Two decades on, the Starks gave it a full makeover: new floors, bar surfaces and kitchen, new furniture, and larger outdoor seating areas, all dressed in Mediterranean blue and yellow with rattan finishes. The reopening brought a clearer focus to the menu as well. The rotisserie that once anchored the kitchen is gone, and the cooking now centers on Mediterranean-inspired dishes, made-to-order pizzas and housemade pasta. What has not changed is the role it plays for the neighborhood: an easy, all-day table for families and shoppers. The same owners have run it from the start, and many of the regulars have been coming nearly as long.