I like Sonoma's. I like the casual neighborhood atmosphere and I like the friendly owner - I even like the menu (though it's grossly overpriced). Really, my only problem with Sonoma is the food. It really needs to be better and cheaper.
I last went a couple of weeks ago with Mike and a bunch of other people, who do love the place. We were there mostly to converse and drink wine, but we were hungry so we also ordered some food. The Coquilles St. Jacques ($10), scallops served in a creamy sauce were very popular, and everyone scooped off every last bit of the sauce. The mushrooms milano ($8), mushrooms sauteed in a sherry sauce, were also very yummy. The sauce was sweet, as you could expect, but not overwhelmingly so and complimented the mushrooms quite well. The portion was a bit small for the price, however.
The big disappointment of the evening was the main dish we shared, the veal saltimbocca ($20), veal sauteed with prosciutto and sage, then topped with mozzarella cheese and baked. It was so overwhelmingly salty and rich that I could not have more than a couple of bites of it. The prosciutto was completely wasted in the whole mess, and why you'd inflict it on a subtly flavored meat like veal is beyond me. It just did not work. Mike, surprisingly, agreed.
I had, on a previous occasion, had the veal marsala ($19) and I remember it being good, so next time I go to Sonoma's I'll probably order that again.
Sonoma's
1027 Macarthur Blvd
San Leandro, CA
(510) 636-1143