OUR RESTAURANT
The DEPOT RESTAURANT is a charming neighborhood restaurant located in an historic stone building just a block off the Plaza in Sonoma. Locals and visitors to the Wine Country enjoy casual Tuscan-inspired cuisine in the Vinoteca, in the cozy dining rooms, and on the terraces surrounding the shady Italian garden and reflection pool. Food is a passion at the DEPOT RESTAURANT--whether it is making house made salumi and charcuterie, or handmade pasta, or fresh ricotta. In addition to products made in-house, the Sonoma wine country around us offers an abundance of new artisanal products. The search for the best local products is a treasure hunt the Chef enjoys--whether from the coast, local farms, or local cheese makers. Come join us for a trattoria-style lunch or dinner...or just drop into our Vinoteca for informal small plates of antipasti and a glass of wine. Our focus is casual Italian comfort food--served in an informal wine country atmosphere.

ABOUT OUR CHEFS
Owner and Chef-Proprietor Michael Ghilarducci was born in the Italian-speaking area of North Beach known as "Little Italy." At the age of eleven he began working in the kitchens of his father's restaurant. After graduation from the culinary program at City College of San Francisco and formal training in the Classical French tradition, Chef Ghilarducci has worked at some of the most prestigious restaurants in San Francisco. With his wife Gia, he owned three restaurants in the San Francisco Bay area, before purchasing the historic Depot Hotel building in 1985, opening the DEPOT RESTAURANT.

In 1987, Chef Ghilarducci and his wife Gia founded their cooking school and have been teaching cooking classes in Sonoma ever since. Chef Ghilarducci has continued to teach in Sonoma, Provence, Argentina, and Italy. In 2001, the Ghilarduccis began a program of week-long cooking classes in Europe—in Provence, Umbria, and Paris, as well as on Crystal Cruise Lines. In 2002, Chef Ghilarducci had the pleasure of joining Jacques Pepin for a week of joint cooking classes at Chateau Villette outside of Paris. In 2006, Chef Ghilarducci also began teaching a series of cooking classes on Crystal Cruise Lines.

In 2008, Chef Antonio Ghilarducci, son of Gia and Michael, joined the professional team at the DEPOT RESTAURANT as Executive Chef. After graduating culinary school in San Francisco, and extensive travel throughout Europe, Chef Antonio comes to the DEPOT RESTAURANT from working at La Folie in San Francisco, El Dorado Kitchen in Sonoma, and at Angele and the French Laundry in Napa. Naturally, with that background, he has developed a very loyal following of enthusiastic culinary fans in his own right.