|
|
|
North Beach, The Italian QuarterBy Nina Wu with contributions by Karen Solomon |
||
Much more than just a popular tourist destination, this intimate Heart of the City still beats with the resonance of its Italian residents, though few Italians live in the neighborhood today. Also, contrary to the name there is no beach in North Beach, but there is plenty of warm weather to be enjoyed in Washington Square Park, and the vacation feel of the area permeates every grappa and espresso at every outdoor cafe. As far as the restaurants are concerned, many cater to tourists along the area’s tiny cosmopolitan thoroughfares. But for the intrepid, there are still plenty of family-owned gems that conjure charm and personal warmth. Locals and visitors alike will enjoy one perfect day in North Beach. |
||
| Start your day in North Beach with a cup of coffee at none other than Caffe Trieste (609 Vallejo), the coffee shop of world renown started by Giovanni Giotta fifty years ago. Sitting at one of their cramped indoor tables, you’ll feel as if you have stepped back in time as you take in the black-and-white photographs and the LPs on the walls. | ||
Follow the best coffee of the day with a late breakfast
at Mama’s on Washington Square (1701 Stockton),
voted by locals as the best breakfast in town. Owned by  Debra
and Michael Sanchez, Mama’s offers a selection of locally named
omelettes or "momelettes," such
as the Washington Square (Italian sausage, red bell pepper, tomato, hot
pepper jack), the North Beacher, and Mama’s Children’s favorites.
Eggs benedict, salads, sandwiches, coffee, and house wine are also on
the menu. Mama’s
is a comfortable place with floral tablecloths, an open-air feeling and
plenty of local and visiting patrons who hang out in the morning with
their newspapers and coffee. The waitresses will take good care of you,
greeting anyone who walks in warmly and serving up the dishes with a
hearty “Mangia!” |
||
As lunch time rolls around, you’ll notice
that North Beach offers a wide variety of choices, both simple and fancy,
from almost every region of Italy, including Sicily, Calabria, Firenze,
and Roma. If you’re pacing yourself for a North Beach day,  lunch
might be a simple, home-cooked dish, and these are found in pleasant
abundance at the Original U.S. Restaurant (515 Columbus).
U.S. stands for Unione Sportiva, and it’s also the Italian name
for the San Francisco Italian Athletic club next to the post office.
Alberto and Ann Cipollina were owners of the restaurant that has been
in their family for 50 years. They reopened the Original U.S. Restaurant
after losing their old spot at the intersection of Columbus, Green, and
Stockton, where it had been located for four generations.
Cipollina, who is originally from Sicily, has this philosophy about food: “If
a person goes to a restaurant to eat, give them enough food so that they’re
not going to go hungry.” One serving of their ample stewed rabbit,
roast beef, ossa bucco, minestrone, and pasta and you’ll see that
his mission is accomplished. As of September 1, 2004, the restaurant
was purchased by Trinacria Corp., consisting of new owners Meagan Cunningham
and Giovanni Favognano, and chef Benjamin Ruiz. |
||
Note: The Gold Spike, described below, is now a San Francisco ghost. It operated from 1920 to 2006. While it still lives in the minds of many San Franciscans, don't try to go there for dinner. It is now a photography store that bears no resemblance to the restaurant. One positive note: It was largely spared the invasion of the Internet and the iPhone. — Louis Martin Down the street, The Gold Spike (527
Columbus) has been a North Beach haunt since 1920, and it has always
been owned by the Mechetti family. It began as a candy store that sold
homemade wine in the backroom during Prohibition. Legend or not, what remains true today is that The Gold Spike still lingers with the aromas of old Italy and the feel and tenor of the real North Beach. Regulars come in for the remarkable six-course dinner of pasta, meat, salad, antipasti, soup, and spumoni, or just stop in for a beer. On occasion, a regular patron will order a Campari cocktail or spin a 45 from the Brat Pack classics on the jukebox. |
||
| Note: The
description below is historical; it applies to the Washington Square Bar &
Grill in its final days. The name Washbag was coined by Herb Caen, as one
might guess, and it pretty much stuck like wet socks. When it was sold and
Ed Moose departed to Moose's across the square, it briefly became Cobalt
Tavern or Cobalt Blue, or something like that—it doesn't matter, it
didn't last long. It has recent reopened
as simply The Square, and is doing a good but noisy
business with a lot of high-on-themselves techies dropping cash and talking
about XML, the Extensible Markup Language. That would have been a no-no in
the good ol' days when more reality, and less virtual reality, prevailed.
But, hey, dude, get with it; reusable code is everywhere. It's just that I
miss the real conversations with eye contact.. - Louis Martin The Washington Square Bar & Grill (1707 Powell) is one of those places where everybody knows your name—and where you can dine at a table or sit at the bar for a dose of good food, drink, and conversation. Originally opened in 1973 by Ed Moose, whose moniker is better known as the proprietor of Moose’s across the  way, the WSB&G, also called “the Washbag” was sold to
Peter Lomack in 1990 and then Peter Osborne in 1995. Today it’s
owned by chef/proprietor Guy Ferri, who has brought back a classic Italian
menu suited to the location. The lunchtime and afternoon crowd is made
up of regulars from the neighborhood (and talkative old-timers in tweed
jackets) along with a few out-of-town visitors who wander in. Bartender
Michael McCourt sings as he pours you a drink, but don’t ask the
native of Limerick to recite a limerick, because he doesn’t actually
like them. He’s a good source for tales and is happy to answer
questions about the area; he'll even scribble names and places on bar
napkins for you. The "Washbag" has jazz music every night. |
||
| The Square is a good example of
the new generation of San Francisco restaurants. And it exeplifies a split
in restaurant philosophy. The split is old versus new in almost every way.
Old generation restaurants have large menus of dishes that are known and
that people like to eat. In the grand old days of San Francisco restaurant,
places like the Palace Hotel and the Poulet Dore, had a vast number of items
on their menus. The new-generation restaurants have small menus with items
that are described in the vaguest of terms. They tend to be pricey and are
aimed at a younger generation of customers who think they are reinventing
the world and food too. Are they? Maybe. Let us reserve judgment for now.
Invention is not a bad thing when it works. The Square has but six entrees,
five appetizers, and three desserts. They are not thinking expansively as
old San Franciscans did. But has the world shrunk that much? Probably not
but the new generation of "creative" minds seems to have. At The Square the noise is also extreme. But then it is in many of the new-generation restaurants. If you are the kind of person who does not mind your neighbor's HI-FI thumping through your wall after work, this may not bother you. Some even find the noise exciting. But if you are planning a real conversation, maybe you had better go to one of those old-style places like Osso up on Nob Hill where they have private booths and you don't have to shout to be heard or cup your hear to hear. Despite massive exposure to the written word via the Internet, the younger generation seems to have a problem when it comes to using words. The restaurant describes its food as "straight-forward" and "approachable." What does that mean? Read the menu. Does anything look "straight-forward" or "approachable" at The Square? But many other new-generation restaurants use the same lame language, so maybe we should not hold them accountable. After all, they are young and may change. What about the reviews in the age of "citizen journalism"? If there were a shooting rampage at The Square, I expect citizen journalist "reviews" would be pretty accurate. But for food? The reviews are all over the place. Some think The Square is "really cool" and the greatest place they have ever been; others think it "sucks." But maybe this is not the fault of The Square but rather the new generation of restaurant customers/reviewes. A more mature reviewer—i.e., an older one who has seen something of the culinary world—might well find that The Square is only slightly better than mediocre. One thing is for sure, however. The new-generation restaurant is not a place to relax. It may be a place to be seen, it may be a place to impress a date ... And the customer is "never right" anymore; the restaurant is, especially the more "attitude" its staff has. Nice to have healthy self esteem in your wait person, but you don't want to be served by the young Napoleon Bonaparte or Elizabeth Taylor. They will look down upon you. Bottom line: If you are looking for a challenge, don't mind noise, don't need to relax after a hard day of work, and don't want to eat known, time-tested recipes in a peaceful environment in which you, the customer, are at least sometimes right, go to The Square. But if you are "old generation" and need to unwind, have a conversation with a friend, and eat dishes you know, then maybe you had better go to Original Joe's or North Beach Restaurant. North Beach does have it all. Now as Robin Goodfellow says in A Midsummer Night's Dream, "And if we shadows have offended, think but this and all is mended...." Restaurateurs are a touchy bunch., especially in a city that has "attitude." - Louis Martin |
||
Another longtime resident gem is Capp’s
Corner (1600 Powell) just around the corner. It’s another
old-timer with lots of character and charm, and it’s always  good
for conversation. The bar is afloat with photos of all the folks who
have visited Capp’s over the decades. Bartender Ray Boatright
says Capp’s is one of the few old-school, family-style places
left in North Beach. The menu features amply-prepared classics like
spaghetti with meatballs, linguini with steamed mussels and clams,
calamari steaks, osso bucco with polenta and grilled steaks. The food
is pretty good, but it’s the vibe and the ambience—and
the value for the money —that keeps customers coming in. “We
get two to three generations of people coming here,” he said.
The walls are also covered with black and white photos, the prerequisite
for any real San Francisco place. Boxers, baseball players, and celebrities
from the famous Beach Blanket Babylon show next door. Every other Thursday,
there are jam sessions with cast members from Babylon and other local
entertainers. “You never know who might show up,” Poatright
said. |
||
Those who want the authentic feel of being in Italy
can try the sidewalk seating at places like the Steps of Rome
Trattoria (362 Columbus and not to be confused
with the Steps of Rome coffee and dessert shop at 348 Columbus)  or Figaro
Ristorante Italiano (414 Columbus), both of which feature Roman
Italian food. Figaro’s founding Chef Luigi Dominici is from Rome,
and the menu offers crispy, thin-crust Roman-style pizzas, fresh pasta,
risottos, meat, and seafood. Figaro, which takes its name from Rossini's
opera, “The Barber of Seville,” has a nice garden patio in
the back for San Francisco’s rare sunny days. Take note of the
ceramic-tiled floor and beautiful 87-year-old fresco of angels on a blue
background painted on the ceiling. If you happen to walk by during the
afternoon, you’ll probably find Alessandro Pedani standing outside
to usher in new customers. If you ask, “How long have you been
here?” he jokes, “I have been here 75 years.” He recommends
Figaro’s potato soup and their housemade gnocchi. |
||
Though many people in town know North Beach
Restaurant (1512 Stockton), few may know that co-owner Lorenzo
Petroni has made his own wine out of Sonoma Valley since 1998. (In
Search of the City: Wine, Women, and War.) He’ll  be
happy to tell you all about it, “From the hills of Montalcino
to the heart of Sonoma.” A few bottles of Petroni’s wine,
including the Poggio Alla Pietra, are visible at the restaurant entrance.
According to Lorenzo, it’s the first Brunello ever produced in
northern California, though technically he can’t call it a Brunello.
More information on the housemade wines can be found at www.PetroniVineyards.com.
Lorenzo also makes his own Petroni Extra Virgin olive oil. Guests at
North Beach Restaurant can vouch for the good manners that greet them
at the door, and the fine, classic cooking of chef and co-owner Bruno
Orsi. Maitre d’Hotel Joel Pierre Schweitzer knows how to treat
customers, which is probably what makes the place one of ex-Mayor and
socialite Willie Brown’s favorite haunts. And the menu speaks
for itself: delicioso. |
||
Those who are artistically or romantically inclined
will enjoy the nearby Michelango Restaurant Caffe (579
Columbus) or Ristorante Mona Lisa (3353 Columbus). At
Michelangelo, a large, cherubic angel face blows kisses from the wall,
as do replicas of the famous David sculpture and the figures of the three
 muses.
Owned by the two Salvatores—Salvatore Cortara and Salvatore
Sarinelli—Michelango specializes in seafood and pasta. Cortara,
who hails from Calabria, the end of the toe in southern Italy’s
boot shape, says the cioppino (seafood soup) is their signature dish. “That’s
my own recipe,” he said. “But no, it’s not secret.” He
calls the place “continental Italian.” Art and food lovers
had better bring cash, as no credit cards are accepted.
Couples looking for a romantic night out might also fall for Ristorante
Mona Lisa, which has replicas of the famous painting of the lady with
the winsome smile on its walls (and a topless one as well!) along with
a velvet, red decor. Open since 1979, Mona Lisa offers all the
usual pasta dishes, along with a wide selection of wines. Owner Maurizio
Florese took over the business from his father (there’s a portrait
of his father near the doorway, and father and son look so alike it’s
uncanny). From time to time, a shiny black 1951 Fiat 600 parks in front
of the restaurant. It belongs to Maurizio, who had Mona Lisa’s
logo stamped on the hood. Mona Lisa offers 65 selections of pasta, Maurizio
brags, along with 70 types of risotto and 25 kinds of fish. Dessert’s
not bad, either. At the end of the meal, entangle forks with a friend
over a dish of Tiramisu. |
||
| Note: The description below of
Moose's is historical. Park Tavern, descripted following Moose's, operates
in the same space that Moose's did and pays tribute to the legedary San
Francisco restaurateur. It has changed, though not much in terms of kitchens
and dinning space. And with executive chef Jennifer Puccio it may even be
better than the restaurant to which it pays tribute. How many restaurant
replacements in the city can you say that about? See description following
Moose's. - Louis Martin Along the perimeter of Washington Square Park are some other astounding local mainstays, so hope you’ve saved some room. Moose’s (1652 Stockton) is a  favorite for
newspaper people and politicos. Ed Moose, himself a former newspaperman,
greets customers by name at the door. He’s known to be a good listener,
lending his ear to many a personal tale. Kind as he is, though, he can still
draw a hard line: placards on each table forbid customers from talking on
their cell phones or succumbing to their beepers. Moose explains: “The idea
is to go to lunch, have a drink, relax, get away from the cares of the day
and yourself.” Besides, he says, it’s rude, and chefs hate watching someone
yakking away at the table instead of enjoying the meal they so carefully put
together. Herb Caen was a regular (see the tributes to him on the walls); Walter Cronkite and Danielle
Steele are also regulars. Ed and his wife, Mary Etta, have created a community around Moose’s.
In addition to jazz every night, Moose's puts out a newsletter, hosts
special events like the hotel doormen and bellmen gatherings, and breathes
life into the aging North Beach community. Park Tavern executive chef Jennifer Puccio has created a mouth-watering menu that is even fun to read. In a city where the quality of menu writing has gone straight down hill with the ascent of electronic gadgetry and Millennials, this menu can almost be read as literature. It is also not a "minimalist" menu, as so many menus are these days. It is not as grand in scale as, say, the old menus from restaurants like the Palace Hotel or the Poulet Dore, but it offers choices along with descriptions that give you a good idea what you are ordering. It is also a quiet atmosphere where you can talk without shouting. If you think noise is festive—many people do these days!—you might try The Square across the park. Your date may not hear a word you say, but he or she will certainly walk out with a buzz of babble and excitement still ringing in his or her ears. You might start with a cocktail at Park Tavern at the long, dignified bar where Ed Moose once held court. It all looks good to me. If you're feeling sentimental, you might order Ed's Negroni or Mary Etta's Bubbles, or the Country Lawyer if you are suing someone, as we often are in San Francisco. The later consists of Knob Creek bourbon, Zucca amaro, Vermouth and bitters. But the Cruel Summer—must be seasonal—also looks interesting with Bulleit bourbon, La Pinta, blackberry mapple and lemon. (La Pinta, if you don't know, is a blend of pomegranate flavors and Clase Azul Silver Tequila.) But they have a lot of other choices under "House Cocktails" and the curious category of "Parks Recreational Drinking" (the Washington Square, Fort Fungston, Aquatic Park ...) But if you are going to have a drink or two, you will probably want something in your stomach. Here you could go for Crispy Soft-Shell Crabs, Demons on Horseback (Lardo-wrapped smoked prawns with remoulade and cucumber). Or you might have smoked deviled eggs or Crispy Lemon Chips under "jenn's classics." But there are a lot more starter items and all look mouth-wateringly good. When you have wet your appetite, you might move onto soup or salad, or you might plunge right into the entrées. Under fish and shellfish, there is Wild King Salmon, Roaster Red Snapper, Seared Scallops, or Portuguese Seafood Stew; under meat and poultry there is Poulet Vert ("fine herbs, French fingerlings, Thumbelina carrots, baby leeks, & mustard jus"), Duo of Colorado Lamb (with house-made rosemary sausage), Grilled Pork Chop, and Grass-Fed Rib-Eye. There are vegetables and side orders, such as Wood Oven Roasted Beets with "agrodolce" (meaning sweet and sour) goat cheese and breadcrumbs, which would be my pick; and there are artisanal cheeses from Greensboro, Vermont. This place is not cheap but it is not unreasonable for the quality of food. Poulet Vert is 29 USD, Grass-Fed Ribeye 38 USD. "jenn's classics" range from 2 USD for a single smoked deviled egg to 34 USD for the Bar Steak. If your ears are not ringing and you miss the excitement of people shouting, you can always go over to The Square afterwards for a drink, but I recommend the Shinning Star cocktail at the bar, followed by a walk around the park. - Louis Martin |
||
A longtime anchor or North Beach
is Fior d’Italia, now moved to 2237 Mason Street
from the corner occupied by the new Original Joe's, which moved up from the
Tenderloin following a fire, and so it goes in San Francisco. It is the oldest Italian
restaurant in The City. Dating back to 1886, the place hasn’t changed
much, though it has changed locations like a tramp. (It started down on
lower Broadway near Enrico's, if you remember that venerable establishment
that now bears a sign saying Naked Lunch, a reference to the novel
by William Burroughs. Stay tuned for the naked truth about the Naked Lunch.) That’s because Fior d’Italia doesn’t try to keep
up with trends. It offers unfussy traditional Italian cuisine; it always
has, and it always will. Generations of Italian Americans from the neighborhood
have eaten here, and  some will tell you that their wedding took place
there 20, 30, or more years ago. Chef Gianni Audieri says there will
be no travesties like blueberry risotto at Fior d’Italia. He’s
been there more than 20 years, and the menu has stayed virtually the
same. Sports figures adorn the walls of the Fior d’Italia. There
are signed photos ranging from baseball player Orlando Cepeda to cancer-survivor
and Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong and 49’ers quarterback
Jeff Garcia. As a matter of fact, three of Fior d’Italia’s
waiters are serious bikers—they race the Grand Prix every year.
Walking further into the back, the restaurant offers a large dining space
with curved booths. The Tony Bennett room, dedicated to the original
crooner of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” displays photos
of the star from his earliest days as a boy to the height of his stardom.
There’s even a copy of a letter from Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson, dated
Nov. 28, 1977, thanking Tony Bennett for his performance at the White
House. And a page from a short story by William Saroyan hangs on the
wall that establishes the character’s identify by simply stating, "I
am a waiter at Fior d'Italia." This is truly a part of North Beach
history that cannot be overlooked. |
||
| Note: La
Felce, described below by Nina Wu, is now part of San Francisco
restaurant history. Since it was on its corner location at Stockton and
Union for some 30 years, the description will remain, at least for awhile.
Fortunately, it has been replaced by another restaurant of quality,
Tony's Pizza Napoletana, as described below. Moreover, Original
Joe's has moved right across the street where Fior d'Italia
used to be, making dining choices even richer in this corner of Little
Italy. Enjoy! - Louis Martin Though it may not be the oldest, La Felce (1570 Stockton) refuses to be outdone by Fior d’Italia. Located right across the street from Fior d'Italia, La Felce dates  back
about 30 years. Owner Roman Marcucci will tell you through a thick accent
that his place is popular among the locals. “Everything is good,” he
says, but especially the veal and the pasta. And chef Liliano Salvetti
puts extra care into the food. Marcucci worked nine years as a janitor
before opening up the restaurant with his brother-in-law. This is the
kind of neighborhood place where regulars are recognized and greeted
like friends. Many neighborhood changes have transpired since Marcucci
first opened, and he sighs when he acknowledges that North Beach is changing
shape. Though it’s become more multicultural over the decades,
the restaurateur takes pride in the core Italian community he’s
a part of, and enjoys the annual Columbus Day parade. |
||
| North Beach is famous for Pizza, and now some of the best ever is coming from Tony's Pizza Napoletana that replaced Le Felce (above). It is also one of the most popular place in town now. The reasons? It could be the variety of pizzas, including wood- and coal-fired; it could be the variety of other antipasta dishes, including deep-fried green beans, chorizo mussels, Peroni batter-fried artichoke; it could be the chicken cannellini sandwich; it could be the experience and passion of award-winning chef-owner Tony Gemignani; it could be the Negroni cocktail or the New Orleans Sazarac cocktail with genuine Peychaud bitters. Or then it could be the seating along Union Street outside where all faces look like happy ones and the bustling waiters keep the food and drink flowing; or it could be the small, cozy indoor bar that is much the same as it was when Roman Marcucci owned the joint and it was mostly locals. Do past and present connect there at the bar? Quite possibly. - Louis Martin | ||
Just across the street from
Tony's Pizza is the new location of Original Joe's. It too
is one of the booming businesses in North Beach. This writer, having walked
by a number or times and saying to himself, "Oh, well, just another new
restaurant in North Beach," suddenly changed his tune when he went in and
had a look.
 The
place is gorgeous. The new owners, who are actually the grandchildren of the
original owner, have knocked themselves out on this place. Every dining
area, including the bak counter that looks like the original counter from
the old Original Joe's down on Taylor Street, is beautiful and warm and
friendly. Praise to those who do things well in San Francisco and not cheap
and quick and badly. I would recommend this place to my grandmother just to
go in and sit and have a martini but remembering not to light up a Lucky
Strike anymore. Sorry, Grammy, those days are over. Entering Original Joe's
you're going to hear Sinatra singing something like I Did It My Way,
and if you were ever successful but are, well, on hard times now, it will
bring back great memories. You will feel expansive, and not in a state of
contraction like the economy. And who knows, maybe good times are just
around the corner! It is possible. Anyway, you're going to want a drink as
soon as you walk in the door, and why not Joe's Martini with Grey Goose &
Noilly Prat Vermouth? Or the Sidecar with Hennesey VS, Combier Triple Sec,
and Fresh Lemon Juice? You'll be ready to head to Milpitas on the back of a
Harley. But you won't want to do that because, right now, you are feeling a
little hungry. You could start with a crab or prawn cocktail because Joe's
has 'em. Then you might have a Caesar salad or a Shimp Louie. Then, when you
are really hungry, you simply have a huge choice of traditional Italian
dishes along with steaks and chops and chicken and veal.
 Grammy
would go, I think, for the Veal Milanese, though I might have the lamb
chops. The old guy at the back counter in the 49er jacket is probably having
Joe's Famous burger but maybe I'm prejudging. Some of these old San
Franciscans have far more sophisticated taste than you might expect. For
desert I might order the Bombolini just to find out what the heck Bombolini
is. But Grammy would surely order the Warm Chocolate Cake with pistachio
gelato. The old guy at the counter? The Key Lime Tart with Whipped Cream.
See, I told you you can't tell about these old San Franciscans. But one
thing all three of us would agree on. For a digestif it would simply have to
be the Fonseca 10 Year Tawny. Then we might be ready to go somewhere else,
but I don't think it would be Milpitas. - Louis Martin |
||
| Note: After 50 great years in North Beach, Enrico's Sidewalk Cafe, described below, is truly gone now. For most of that time it was elegant without being pompous; it was fun; it was fanciful; it was poetry and music and some theatre too. And it was the unique creation of a multi-talented individual named Enrico Banducci. It is, or was, an important part of San Francisco restaurant history, so it's description below will remain, at least for now. (See Beatings & Bar School.) It has been replace by an eatery called Naked Lunch. What is the naked truth about Naked Lunch? What would old curmudgeon William Burroughs think about a restaurant named for his famous novel? Certainly something not printable, at least in fomer times. I will let others judge Naked Lunch the restaurant. Its menu is one of the most minimal I have ever seen in the City. Although I may have missed something, the chicken sandwich seems to be the most promising item on it. Did I just not spot the ham & cheese? The reviews of the youngsters on yelp are some of the most lame I have ever read. They reveal the limits of citizen journalism when it comes to restaurant reviews. But it seems popular with techies, and tourists from hell and nearby hostels such as the Green Tortoise next door. So I will let others judge. - Louis Martin | ||
Now if you take cocktails seriously, Enrico’s
Sidewalk Cafe down the street on Broadway (504)
is the place to go. Ever since this opulent, European dining
hall and patio opened in 1958, it has been attracting the menagerie
of masses who seek a cozy spot, a tasty, stiff drink, and a ringside
seat to the pumping muscle of Broadway at Kearny, the main arteries
of North Beach. Named for its original owner Enrico Banducci, perhaps
more famous as the owner of the 1960's comedy club hungry i, which
launched the careers of Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, and others, this
popular nightspot was closed for a few years in the late 1980's and
early 1990's. It was reopened again by the owners of Chez Panisse and
Oliveto, and the menu received a jolt of Mediterranean flair, with
favorites like the anchovy-stuffed fried olives, crab cakes, meat and
pasta dishes, that keep luring tourists and locals alike. But it is
the bar that dazzles. The cocktail slingers pour some of the best drinks
in town. Ward Dunham, the big man behind the bar, has been mixing cocktails
and throwing out drunks ever since Banducci opened his doors (Dunham's
now one of the shareholders), and he always has a great story to tell.  Award-winning
bartender Dave Nepove (left), bar manager and a passionate mixologist,
would be happy to take his custom-made muddling stick and gnash you one
of the freshest, most unusual cocktails you’ve ever tasted (listed
on the cocktail menu as "Stick Drinks"). His energy and enthusiasm
spill over as he takes fresh kumquats, sugar, ice, and vodka and magically
creates his seasonal specialty, the Kumquat Caipirushka—a cocktail
he colorfully describes as a "screwdriver on acid". Summer
brings on other specialties mixed with watermelon, kiwi, or housemade
blueberry and lavender liquor. Nepove advises his best customers to, "Look
at the bar to see what fruits are out. That will tell you what’s
going on behind the bar." Nepove, the self-proclaimed "Mr.
Mohito", offers
other fiery and original cocktails to accompany the restaurant’s
menu. But, as he points out, "The restaurant and bar are their own
entities, but they work well together." Just imagine the taste of
tequila, Liquor 43 (flavors of vanilla and honey), muddled jalapenos,
fresh lime juice, and sugar. It's called Sweat Heat. Or wrap your lips
around the succulent fruit of the Cactus Pear Margarita. In the airy
ballroom of Enrico’s
dining space, in the warmth of a spring afternoon on their expansive
front patio, or clamoring for an inch of bar space on a crowded weekend
night, those expertly created flavors truly make Enrico’s a potent
elixir. |
||
Tommaso’s (1042 Kearny) is
another favorite local spot that draws in tourists—many who are
grabbing a hearty meal before browsing at Black Oak Books, or perhaps
more likely, catching "the show" at one of the nearby strip
shows off of Broadway. This joint, which originally opened in 1935 as
Lupo’s, features original frescoes depicting Naples. Now owned
and run by the Crotti  family, the restaurant was founded by the Cantalupo
family from Naples. They sold the place to their longtime chef, Tommy
Chin, but only on the condition that he would change the name, and Chin
christened it Tommaso’s. When current proprietor Agostino Crotti
bought the place in 1973, he saw no reason to change the name again.
Now Crotti, his two sisters Carmen and Lidia (who is the chef), and his
son, wife, and three nephews run the place. He brags that Tommaso’s
is home to the oldest wood-burning oven on the West Coast and that it
is the one that first inspired Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and later,
Wolfgang Puck of Spago’s. The fare here is “old-fashioned,
rustic Italian” and the flavors are simply magnificent. Wood-fired
pizzas with hand-twirled dough, lasagna, manicotti, baked sea bass, clams,
oysters and eggplants are also popular here. A selection of 42 wines
from both Italy and California makes the perfect accompaniment to your
meal, and make this the perfect finale for a wonderful day exploring
SF’s Italian roots. |
Accidentally, it became
a restaurant as well: The aromas of Natalina Mechetti's homemade meat
and pasta dishes first lured the tenants of the building and then later,
people in off of the street, who paid twenty-five cents a day to join
the family for meals. Today, the pot roast, the meat sauce, and the minestrone
soup are still Natalina’s recipes, and remain the star offerings
of this popular restaurant and bar. "We never even had a menu until
15 years ago," recalls Paul Mechetti, third-generation owner. The
dÈcor of the Spike is unique, timeless, and worn—the entire
ceiling and most of the walls are plastered with business cards and old
dollar bills. Mechetti loves to tell the story of how this legendary
dÈcor began: In the early 1960’s, fitness star Jack Lalaine
was ribbing a customer for his drinking and smoking, and during their
well-spirited debate, he licked a cigarette and flicked it to the ceiling,
where it stuck. The drinking man wanted his business card next to the
cigarette, and paid then owner Atillio a dollar for the privilege. Other
patrons liked the idea of a card on the ceiling, and also paid a dollar.
Paul says his grandfather made $15 that first night alone. The bar’s
unique decor was born.