Wine Country Times

The Wild Goat Bistro has served patrons from its location in the Great Petaluma Mill since 2010, and owner Nancy Delorenzo said that her team hit the ground running from the moment the doors opened.

“I knew I wanted a restaurant that was warm and inviting. I have always admired the Mill Building, I loved the stone walls and that the space built in 1856. It just felt like it was exactly what I was looking for. It’s been noted that some of the rooms were also used as a cold storage locker for meats, hence the reason for wanting to name it after an animal.”

The restaurant is full of charm and gives the vibe of a European style bistro. The seasonal menu ranges from the house specialty – 10-inch Neapolitan-style pizzas – to sandwiches, salads and unique small plate options. As for recommendations? The staff does give them.

“What I usually tell my guests when they ask me that question is to share a pizza [the “Fog Lifter” is] a house favorite. A salad favorite would be “Get Chopped.” The small plate favorite [is “Polenta Fries,”] and the dessert favorite, Salted Caramel Cake is also gluten free.”

And even during the challenges of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the team stuck together.

“Most of our staff has been with us five to nine years. We are a family of 30+, with that comes the determination and commitment to not let anything stand in our way from doing what we love to do,” Delorenzo said. “Wild Goat is our home and we love being together, we work hard and play hard and truly enjoy serving our extended family and our community the most healthy food when can get our hands on.”

The chaos of the pandemic did bring a few changes and challenges to the business, but the commitment to healthy food and unique menu options remains.

“We opened and closed three times, we literally had to create two new dining rooms outside. I spent most of my time hunting down outdoor patio tables, chairs, heaters, plants, tents and lighting. We also had to change all of our takeout containers and our kitchen set up,” Delorenzo said. “We had to change our POS and website constantly to keep up with constant changes to menus and floor plans. We recreated new names and positions for all the front of the house employees and implemented a new shared tip pull. When money got tight and sales plummeted, we rotated workers and gave them option to go on furlough if they chose to do so. We did not lose any of our employees, they all came back.”

The Wild Goat is located at 6 Petaluma Blvd. North, #A5. The restaurant is open Monday through Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays between 11:30 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., and 4:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Visit wildgoatbistro.com to peruse the menu, learn more about the decision makers there or reserve a table.