460917 Thu Nov 15 10:57:19 -0800 2007 11 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3127858 I have a reservation at both places next Friday and can't decide which one to go to! I am visiting from LA, so won't be back for a while. Saturday dinner is at Bar Crudo, which I am very excited to try. But need to figure out Friday night - which one would you go to and what should I order? Thanks!! Thu Nov 15 10:57:19 -0800 2007 26993 allisonteal 1 3129376 Nice dilemma! I don't think you can really lose either way, so it will come down to what you're in the mood for. Quince is more formal, and the food is more refined, even French-ified. Incanto is laid back, and the food is more rustic . At Quince, I'd get an app and 2 pastas, no entree. There's another thread going on about what to order at Incanto: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/460604 I always get the porchetta di testa and spaghettini with cured tuna heart and egg yolk. There are always interesting offal dishes - worth it to explore. Thu Nov 15 17:51:43 -0800 2007 3127858 44059 daveena 1 3129509 I haven't been to Quince but have a reservation in a few weeks. I have been to Incanto and was disappointed in my meal, and the atmosphere. The chairs are hugely uncomfortable, the carpet is a weird blue/green color that kinda looked like indoor/outdoor astroturf.. Maybe my expectations were too high. I had a goat ravioli that was rather overpowered by the herbs in the dish. Overall the dish was light and the flavors of the herbs overwhelmed everything else. I had the handkerchief pasta with pork sugo. The pasta noodle was good, and properly cooked but the pork sugo was reminiscent of sloppy joe meat. It was a let down for me. I had the lamb neck as my entree, and it was very good. The dessert was an apple tart and it was excellent. In addition, the restaurant adds a 5% charge to your bill in order to pay the kitchen staff. This is not a tip or gratuity for the waitstaff its some add on charge to your bill to compensate for the fact that they under pay their kitchen staff. Despite all the praise on this website, I found Incanto to be a let down. Maybe if you are into organ meat then this place makes up for all the other problems. However, for me this place is not one I would return. Thu Nov 15 18:45:24 -0800 2007 3127858 14573 Scott M 2 3129599 Incanto is more casual than Quince and not as pretty as Quince in decor I agree. But Quince is smaller and in an older building that gives that quaint appeal. However, Incanto is very different less refine (smaller portions) but I think it offers some very exciting dishes and a wonderful educational Italian wine list where you can try different wines without committing to a one bottle. We were there last night and each dish was fantastic. It is more casual, more of a neighborhood place and I don’t think they are trying to be anything but that. The handkerchief pasta was outstanding My SO had the Lamb neck and I had the pork dish. Our salads were interesting with great flavor and the service was good. I like Quince but I did not love it and don’t feel any need to go back soon. I think if they lowered their prices a bit and became less uptight I might like it better. This kind of food is so common in Italy and so pretentious here which bugs me some.. Thu Nov 15 19:26:10 -0800 2007 3129509 52212 Lori SF 1 3129657 hi allisonteal- my SO writes better than I do- here was our meal at Incanto last night- see Grubjunkie.. by the way he is not a fan of Quince, I do like Quince just not that crazy..my SO makes the same food and just as good. But we do not cook like Incanto http://www.chowhound.com/topics/460604 Thu Nov 15 19:48:42 -0800 2007 3127858 52212 Lori SF 2 3129906 I haven't been to Incanto for quite a while, but I loved the food and wine. We were seated in the "Library" area (They've since redone the place a bit, I hear) and it was quiet and cozy. We had an Amarone that I still dream about at night. Thu Nov 15 21:53:50 -0800 2007 3129657 10245 oakjoan 2 3130911 (Blushing) I really like Quince but it was not up to my expectations for the hype and price. Incanto met or exceeded my expectations, which honestly were fairly high. While I was not very impressed by Incanto's atmosphere it is certainly much nicer than most neighborhood places, which (despite delivering an experience far beyond the norm) is basically what it is. I do generally prefer a more casual atmosphere. As for me cooking as well as Quince...well, I don't know about that, but the food at Incanto definitely uses ingredients that I don't use at home, so the experience is more of a challenge and surprise than Quince (not to mention simple preparation and flawless technique). Fri Nov 16 09:06:51 -0800 2007 3129657 41818 Grubbjunkie 3 3131192 Thanks everyone...it seems that I might be leaning towards Incanto. I feel like my expectations of Quince are too high and recently I have had a couple of experiences where the food does not match the price and high hopes. As of right now my expectation of Incanto are medium, so hopefully they will be exceeded:) Fri Nov 16 10:17:29 -0800 2007 3130911 26993 allisonteal 4 3131992 I went to Quince last night and I found that my very high expectations were not quite met. Again, maybe I had placed Quince on a pedastal and it was bound to not meet my expectations, but I spent $125 and left a little disappointed. Nevertheless, I am glad I went. The place is very nice and the service is incredibly refined and classy (although I found it a bit much - like guiding me to the batrhoom and opening the door for me), but for some reason the food did not wow me. I ordered an acorn squash soup that was $10, but it needed a little something. The salt & pepper I added didn't do too much either. The agnolotti were filled with pork, duck and something else. They were delicious. My main course was the sole, which was presented with a balsamic sauce. I should have ordered 2 pasta dishes instead. I did try my friend's pork dish and I regretted not ordering that. I am surprised to read how many people haven't been wowed by Quince on this thread, so I guess I am not alone. Fri Nov 16 13:35:51 -0800 2007 3131192 14374 Mari 4 3132209 Whichever you choose, I hope you enjoy yourself. I think expectations are key. Seriously when I went to Incanto, I was picturing something similar to Oliveto in atmosphere, menu, style, etc (not sure if you are familar with that restaurant). The food wasn't bad, but the experience was nothing like I thought it was going to be, and overall I was disappointed given all the hype it receives on this website. Fri Nov 16 14:36:26 -0800 2007 3131192 14573 Scott M 1 3140322 Wow, the responses here seem surprisingly negative towards Quince. Quince is currently the best restaurant in the city, in my opinion (i.e. balancing price, quality, service, etc). Incanto is good, no doubt. I especially like the wine selection and some of the interesting preparations they serve. But for quality food--and eat as many of the pasta dishes as you can manage cause they're phenomenal--and great service as well, go to Quince. [aside: you can always get into Incanto but it's much harder to get a rez at Quince] Mon Nov 19 17:29:42 -0800 2007 3127858 95278 gouda 2 3140350 I agree with this assessment. Incanto is a great place, but it is a special neighborhood place with well done simple food. Quince is much more sophisticated, has better service, and if the pastas here don't make your toes curl, you are probably comatose. Mon Nov 19 17:39:21 -0800 2007 3140322 11277 Paul H