Cuisine type: Traditional Italian
Atmosphere: rustic, elegant, intimate
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.1
Nina
We landed here since it was the nearest place with good Yelp reviews from where we found parking on Geary (not a very exciting story). The restaurant is hidden in a hotel lobby, with the main entrance from a higher level back alley, which makes it feel low-key. The atmosphere is subdued and authentic, with rugged-looking stone walls, warm tones, dim lighting and rustic decor. Their wine selection was all Italian imports, with enough wines served by the glass that we didn’t have to get bottle service to enjoy something we liked.
One of their daily special was certainly not authentic Italian, but a tempting treat - fries with parmesan, parsley, garlic and truffle oil. They came on a plate in a huge pile of crispy potato sticks, almost glued together by melted parmesan, and with a pleasant nuance of garlic and truffle.
For the entree, I turned to something more in tune with the restaurant’s theme - I ordered gnocchi with gorgonzola, tarragon and cream sauce. While the gnocchi were a bit dense and chewy, they had a delicate flavor that paired well with the gorgonzola cream sauce, and the tarragon provided much welcome relief from the richness of the dish. It was a generous portion a little on the heavy side, but overall a good experience.
For dessert (of course there had to be dessert) I ordered the zabaione marsala mousse with fresh berries - for the cost and just generally for what I am used to for dessert portion sizes, I was expecting a small cup (maybe a martini glass?) with berries, topped with a few spoonulls of decadent zabaione. What I got was a little surprising - a large, hurricane glass, with berries at the bottom and filled, overfilled even, with warm marsala and egg yolk mousse. The presentation was messy, with the zabaione flowing over the sides of the glass and pooling around it on the plate. However, the execution was beyond reproach, with the warm mousse light and delicate, complementing the berries perfectly, and the marsala coming through without overwhelming the flavor of everything else.
Overall, I found the restaurant to be authentic with sparks of brilliance, but not outstanding; portions were very generous but presentation was somewhat lacking, and service was good, but the experience not quite memorable.
One of their daily special was certainly not authentic Italian, but a tempting treat - fries with parmesan, parsley, garlic and truffle oil. They came on a plate in a huge pile of crispy potato sticks, almost glued together by melted parmesan, and with a pleasant nuance of garlic and truffle.
For the entree, I turned to something more in tune with the restaurant’s theme - I ordered gnocchi with gorgonzola, tarragon and cream sauce. While the gnocchi were a bit dense and chewy, they had a delicate flavor that paired well with the gorgonzola cream sauce, and the tarragon provided much welcome relief from the richness of the dish. It was a generous portion a little on the heavy side, but overall a good experience.
For dessert (of course there had to be dessert) I ordered the zabaione marsala mousse with fresh berries - for the cost and just generally for what I am used to for dessert portion sizes, I was expecting a small cup (maybe a martini glass?) with berries, topped with a few spoonulls of decadent zabaione. What I got was a little surprising - a large, hurricane glass, with berries at the bottom and filled, overfilled even, with warm marsala and egg yolk mousse. The presentation was messy, with the zabaione flowing over the sides of the glass and pooling around it on the plate. However, the execution was beyond reproach, with the warm mousse light and delicate, complementing the berries perfectly, and the marsala coming through without overwhelming the flavor of everything else.
Overall, I found the restaurant to be authentic with sparks of brilliance, but not outstanding; portions were very generous but presentation was somewhat lacking, and service was good, but the experience not quite memorable.
| Food | 8 |
| Drinks | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 9 |
| Service | 9 |
| Value | 7 |
Ben
A classic italian restaurant downtown SF with a dimly lit, intimate ambience. This is a place on the edge of casual and formal, and both seem perfectly in place. Following some delicious fresh-baked bread, we started with a mountain of french fries for appetizer; loaded with parmesan and garlic, along with parsley and truffle oil. In all its simplicity, it was delicious and a tough dish to beat if you’re in the mood (though it is probably more appropriately portioned for a party of 4 than 2). My main course was al dente fettucine with prosciutto and mushrooms in a creamy garlic tomato sauce. A classic, heavy, simple italian dish - “it is what it is” - it was executed very well and I really enjoyed it. Completing the theme of large portions - I tend to eat what is on the table .. so no complaints from me :) - we had a “zabaione”(very airy warm mousse) with marsala and fresh berries, served in a tall glass that had been completely overfilled, spilling down the sides and puddling into the bottom. As desserts go … it was pretty solid (though a little too light, almost soda-esque flavor), and we again managed to take care of the large portion. I will say Nina’s dish was less recommended - in that it was extraordinarily heavy with dense gnocchis and a very rich thick cream sauce, which had a somewhat homogenous cream flavor, but overall it is a solid downtown Italian date place, with reasonable prices.
| Food | 8 |
| Drinks | 8 |
| Atmosphere | 9 |
| Service | 7 |
| Value | 8 |
