Delfina - Menu Changes?

[Frosty Melon]

I have a reservation at Delfina in a few weeks and was casually checking out the menu online. Noticed some staples that have been offered since Day One missing. Notably: white bean salad with calamari or shrimp, roasted chicken entree, and the steak frites entree. Plus, one entree yesterday was $34...around 40-50% higher than their normal entree prices. When did this happen? I have no doubt I can still eat well but I was a little surprised.

http://www.delfinasf.com/menu.html

[eating out]

Yeah, I've been wanting to hit Delfina, I think I'll just stick with it. Thanks all!

[El Chevere]

Do Delfina....more of a neighborhood restaurant and you can take a BART and be within walking distance....for a hipster (though not Yuppie) bar afterwards, you can check out nearby Medjool. It's an Arabic restaurant, but has a rooftop bar that--on a nice night--has a really nice view of downtown San Francisco.

[eating out]

Cool - thanks for the tips. I've only got one night in San Fran, and I'd wanted to go to this place the last time I was in town but hit Gary Danko instead (wish I could go back there, but don't have the budget). Sounds like it should work out, but are there other good dining options for 1 that I should consider? - I've already been to Zuni Cafe. Thanks! (I'm staying in Union Sq.)

[Robert Lauriston]

If you liked Zuni and find Delfina appealing, you'd probably like Incanto. Very comfortable bar seating for solo diners.

http://incanto.biz/sample_menu.html

[monday]

Consider going to Perbacco. It's a much quicker cab ride, and the food is better. We were there last night:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/342636

The bar is comfy and large, too.

[El Chevere]

I ate at the bar on a Thursday night +/- 7:30 PM with no problem...worst case, grab a glass of wine and wait 15 minutes or so for a seat to open...they also have solo seats along a railing that you could eat at in the main dining area where you could dine as well. I would prefer the bar, however, as you would not be looking over people.

[eating out]

Is there a bar area at Delfina? If it's just me trying to eat there for dinner on Thurs night, will I have a good chance of snagging a seat?

[dunstable]

I've done it. There's a bar area but it's pretty tiny, perhaps three or four seats. I think your odds aren't too bad, but perhaps go early.

[Robert Lauriston]

There's always Pizzeria Delfina next door as a fallback.

And a hundred other restaurants within a few blocks.

[monday]

The earlier you go, the more likely you'll snag a spot. There's also a counter overlooking the dining room. It's uncomfortable, but fun to watch the action.

[El Chevere]

I was visiting from out of town and went there on the recommendation of this board and LOVED the place. Much more of a neighborhood restaurant than you will find in N.Beach, Union Sq. etc.....everything from the bread (baked fresh next door at Tartine--a must visit as well) to their salads to their basic spaghetti with plum tomato sauce was outstanding. Very good selection of wines by the glass and the desserts were to die for (also from Tartine). Can't wait to go back when I visit again. Prices are very reasonable.

[Frosty Melon]

Well at the last minute I was invited to join a group of 5 last night at Delfina. Happy to report the chicken and steak are back on the menu. I had the gem lettuce salad with gorgonzola and champagne vinaigrette and the slow roasted pork shoulder (the always consistently terrific fourth-listed entree). It was great as always; but for the first time the service seemed a little off. I've never dined there with a group larger than 3 but our meal started at 7:30 and lasted until 10:15. Big lag time between starters and mains. Not a big deal, but a first for me at Delfina.

[long island cheese]

is Delfina expensive? Has anyone tried the pizza next door?

[Robert Lauriston]

The prices are in the menu, see the link in the opening post.

There have been lots of posts about Pizzeria Delfina:

http://www.chowhound.com/search/std?x...

[Malik]

I ate at Delfina a couple of nights ago, and indeed some of regular dishes were not on the menu for once. But they were having a special Emilia-Romagna menu with new dishes meant to pair with wines from that region. Looks like the chicken and the steak are back on tonight's menu, and the veal chop is gone. Most of the other regular menu items were available that night (Salt cod mantecato, Insalata del campo, Spaghetti with plum tomatoes, Tripe alla Fiorentina).

The white bean salad with grilled calamari or shrimp was not on our menu, and it's not back tonight either. That was only the second time I've eaten at Delfina when it wasn't on the menu at all, I wonder what that is about. If it's gone for good, it will be sorely missed.

[Frosty Melon]

I do hope it is not gone for good, it is one of my Delfina must-haves. Here's hoping.

[SteveT]

I was there 2-3 weeks ago when both the steak and chicken were on the menu. One interesting menu 'occurance' was a dish I was interested in was on the menu T-4, T-3, T-2, then pulled the day before. It was back on meal day (though they mis-identified the bitter green/red they used).

As to price, can't comment...my restaurant dollars go elsewhere.

[Tyler McClellan]

Delfina was excellent as usual last Friday. They had a special Tajarin, which is Piedmontese pasta, with White Truffles. Perfectly done and lovely, but the Pappardelle with Duck Sugo is still best dish there imho.

[Melanie Wong]

Oh, poor Steve, forced to eat at Delfina again. (vbg)
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[oysterspearls]

I have yet to visit Delfina but am hoping to after the new year.
What really impresses me is they update the menu daily on their website and I can't recall any other restaurant site doing that.

[Morton the Mousse]

Chez Panisse updates their menu daily (that is, the Cafe is updated daily and the full week's downstairs menus are updated weekly). But you're right, it's very rare. I'm happy when a restaurant updates their menu once a week.

[Robert Lauriston]

chezpanisse.com updates the cafe menu erratically. For example, today it has last Friday's dinner menu.

oliveto.com updates its upstairs dinner menu daily.

eccolo.com updates all its menus daily.

[rosie7477]

I know Oliveto's website says that they update their menu daily but the time I went the online menu was not correct.

[Robert Lauriston]

Only the upstairs dinner and dessert menus are updated daily, usually around 5pm. The date is at the top of the dinner menu so you could tell if it's not current. It always has been when I've printed it out as an appetizer.

The breakfast, lunch, downstairs dinner, and dessert menus are all samples updated only once in a long while.

[Robert Lauriston]

The $34 entree is a veal chop (likely some fancy grass-fed sustainable), that's a pricy item and rather similar to the usual steak. And they've got rabbit, which is similar to chicken.

I think their prices are generally unchanged.

[Frosty Melon]

Point taken on the veal, and yes, I thought the other entree prices were quite reasonable. It was the missing mainstays that really got my attention.