After 30 Year Run, Graziano's Owner Retiring

After 30 years on the Boulevard, Graziano Perozzi is handing the reins of his namesake restaurant to another famous Petaluman, Jan Rosen, the creator of J.M Rosen’s Cheesecake company.

“I’m 71 years old, so it’s time for me to retire…I want to enjoy the few good years I have left,” said Perozzi, the pony-tailed owner and head chef of the popular Italian restaurant at 170 Petaluma Boulevard North.

Perozzi grew up in northern Italy and before arriving in the United States in 1969 spent half a decade in Bermuda and the Bahamas working as a chef and meeting celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. (One of his signature dishes was Graziano Spaghetti, with its famous meat sauce.)

But eventually the islands became too small for Perozzi and he sought new pastures.

He says he fell in love with Sonoma County right away because it reminded him of home (The rolling hills! The vinyards and temperate climate!)

And here he has stayed, serving up gnocchi, lasagna, eggplant parmigiana and other traditional Italian fare, in addition to Pacific Coast-inspired seafood appetizers to local crowds.

His vodka-tasting room, where customers don faux fur robes and sample vodkas in a walk-in freezer set at 28 degrees, is a big draw and one of only three in the country (the other two being in Los Angeles and Denver.)

Jan Rosen could not be reached by press time, but Perozzi said that the cheesecake empresario had promised to leave the menu and the venue, along with its banquet hall in the back, the same. The transfer of ownership should be complete by August.