Italian Restaurants in San Francisco according to me.
This post is to clean my conscience. I compiled this list list because I cannot be with my friends or everyone that asks me about Italian restaurants every time they go and I hate to see friends not have their best meal after a recommendation from me. What is a good Italian Restaurant? well, it depends on what you want. Do you want to eat pasta? Fish? Meat? Do you want to experiment and be surprised? Do you want to have a great wine with some food? Do you want to feel in Italy and find good, comforting food? Find the answer within yourself and see below:
- Farina: Order anything pesto and focaccia di recco. Again, order Focaccia di Recco. It is a rarity and worth it. It is not like anything you had before. Order ravioli and any pasta. Pesto has no garlic and is excellent. If they have onion focaccia, get it.
- SPQR: go once but not again. They don't change their menu in any meaningful way. Well, if you go, order the pork sausage and the cannelloni. That said, I go once or twice a month because they are close to my house. So they are not too bad.
- Amarena. Their wine is traditional but great. Order the Amarone (type of wine). Better yet, call them and ask if they would open it for you in advance. Food: order what goes well with Amarone. Their food is good, solid, reliable, consistent but not really exciting. Still, great place.
- Capannina. For the most Italian experience in SF, order the grigliata di pesce.
- La Ciccia. Try it. It is not Italian but Sardinian. Their pasta with pork ragu (if they have it) is simply perfect. My boyfriend and I are thinking that we could mix A16 and La Ciccia (maccaronara and pasta with pork ragu) and see if by mixing the pasta and sauce differently we can find a pasta that is more than perfect. Exciting thought. Order gattiau bread. Try any entrée with pork (maialino) if they have it or gamberoni (they were amazing)
- Random note: if you need to take a break from Italy for a little while, go to Laiola and have a drink and cured meats there. Good drinks. Good cured meats (try the lomo). Not Italian but their cured meats are worth trying a Spanish restaurant for a change. Well, is anything more Italian than cured meats even when they are Spanish? Nicest guys in the business!
- Ducca – arancini! Food is good but not memorable (except appetizers)…but a drink (cool, Italian-inspired drinks) and arancini and cured meats…makes for a very happy hour. Their arancini are almost perfect. Stay with primi, antipasti (ricotta gnocchi are very special, bigoli con sardines). Entrees are not worth the price in my opinion.
- Chiaroscuro. Simple: pesto.
- Perbacco. Hamachi carpaccio (not Italian but addictive). I like their entrees better than their pasta. Pork and lamb especially. Very good cured meats. Best place for a business meal but also for an anniversary dinner. Great Champagne.
- A16. My personal favorite and just apply a simple rule: stay always with the top part of the menu. No entrees and no dessert. Which is true for most or all of the above. Maccaronara is perfect. Cured meats are always different and always delicious. Mozzarella di bufala is fantastic. Sardines are wonderful. Wine list is to die for.
- Pazzia. Sometimes Pazzia has the perfect pizza. It is a very Italian spot and that is very comforting to an Italian (to find Italy that is). They also make perfect minestrone according to my father but only if you like minestrone (which I don't)
- Milano is the favorite restaurant of my Spanish boyfriend. Best zabaione in SF and beyond.
- Cassis claims it is a French restaurant but it is really an Italian or heavily Italian-influenced restaurant. I like the food (pork tenderloin, gnocchi, veal, lasagna) and the whole team is friendly, nice and gives a great vibe to the place. Hope they make it.
Finally, after an Italian meal, consider walking for 15-30 minutes or more. It is the Italian way to walk home or go for a walk after a meal and it enhances your overall experience. A lot. Guaranteed.
[ciò è buono]
Posted by: grahamblank | 04/07/2008 at 10:45 PM