640128 Tue Jul 28 13:06:48 -0700 2009 29 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 4897752 I was reading a report on the arancini at Adesso in Oakland and wondered if anyone had a preferred spot for these Sicilian treats in SF proper. Much obliged. Tue Jul 28 13:06:49 -0700 2009 169233 grayelf 1 4897837 Mixed reports for U.S. Restaurant over last few years. Shack on or some gout. Tue Jul 28 13:31:55 -0700 2009 4897752 105235 wolfe 2 5175859 LOL! Thu Nov 12 09:50:06 -0800 2009 4897837 18466 a_and_w 1 4897975 Bar Bambino, Cinecitta, District. SPQR, when they have them. Tue Jul 28 14:08:09 -0700 2009 4897752 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 4897991 I had a fabulous (don't know if it was traditional or not) one at 54 mint a couple of weeks ago. Squid ink. it was a big square instead of a small circle but quite tasty. Tue Jul 28 14:15:34 -0700 2009 4897752 82489 margieco 1 4898007 There used to be a deli in North Beach called Palermo Deli that had great ones - traditional Sicilian just like at the Palermo train station. The deli is now called La Spiaggia, I think. I don't know if it's the same ownership or if they have the arancini any more, but if you want one to take away and eat in Washington Square Park, it might be worth a visit (that's what I used to do). Tue Jul 28 14:20:46 -0700 2009 4897752 10157 farmersdaughter 1 4898051 Pizzeria Delfina on California/Fillmore has them sometimes. I believe Melanie Wong wrote about it not too long ago. They are really delicious. Tue Jul 28 14:36:37 -0700 2009 4897752 73886 meggie t 2 4898229 I had them at Pizzeria Delfina on 18th Street and they were delicious. I just looked at the menu and I don't see them so they might go on and off the menu. I have also had them at Ducca - the restaurant at the Westin on 3rd Street - but Delfina's version was better. Tue Jul 28 15:34:54 -0700 2009 4898051 14374 Mari 3 4898726 They rotate as part of the daily fritti special. I agree; they're fabulous. Tue Jul 28 18:44:14 -0700 2009 4898229 46254 mrs bacon 2 4898773 I have had them at Pizzeria Delfina also. They are tasty, but tiny, one or two bites each and an appetizer portion is 5 or 6. Earlier this year at an Italian restaurant in suburban Boston I had baseball size arancini appetizer that was just excellent. I would love to find something like that here. Very crisp exterior with a thick layer of rice surrounding a meat and cheese filling, served on a puddle of marinara. Tue Jul 28 19:01:45 -0700 2009 4898051 206109 pamf 3 4899199 Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I am going to have an image in my mind of arancini rotating for quite some time thanks to mrs bacon :-). I must admit I would love to find ones similar to those described by pamf as that is how they were served in Sicily (minus the marinara) when we scarfed many on the move (we always got them as street food). Sometimes they were conically shaped which I think had to do with differing fillings. I have not seen them in that size and configuration here and thought perhaps yes in SF... Tue Jul 28 22:53:10 -0700 2009 4898773 169233 grayelf 4 4900340 That's how the Palermo Deli ones were. You might check with the new deli that's taken its place to see. Wed Jul 29 10:07:05 -0700 2009 4899199 10157 farmersdaughter 3 5151005 Sorry if it is bad form to reply to my own post, but I had a new version of Arancini at Delfina (California and Fillmore location) It's now on the menu as a special as "Arancini with Oxtail" They are somewhat larger than before. They come 4 to the order for $7 They were just delicious. The risotto was creamy and cheesy , each bite had some shredded oxtail meat embedded in it. I might still like a bit of marinara sauce for dipping, but these were great as they were. Mon Nov 02 20:02:08 -0800 2009 4898773 206109 pamf 1 4898710 Americano has them. 2 balls a little larger than golf balls for $7. Tue Jul 28 18:38:19 -0700 2009 4897752 20213 chezchristine 1 4900676 Canyon Market in Glen Park sells them in their cold case if you feel like picking up food to heat and serve at home. Wed Jul 29 11:16:49 -0700 2009 4897752 101843 OneMoreCindy 2 4900990 How are they? What fillings? What size? Wed Jul 29 12:41:43 -0700 2009 4900676 17221 SteveG 3 4901377 My memory of my first delicious bite of a perfect traditional Sicilian arancini,hot crispy fried breaded rice ball,stuffed with piselli(peas},oozing mozzarella,and meat tomato sauce,washed down with orangina(orange drink) while floating face up to the Mediterranean sun,on a local friends boat with my sister on the sea off of Mondello(beach area outside of Palermo}.I thought I could die happy at that moment.Since losing my taste for red meat I am more drawn to the Mondo Arancini in Rome versions with various fillings.My fav:arancina ala Norma w/eggplant,mozzarella and tomato sauce.Suppli are the conical or round shaped Roman treats with various fillings. http://www.annamariavolpi.com/suppli.html In Oakland I have only had one disappointing version at Bela Nico although in their defense and version they called it crochetti di riso(rice croquette).I would love to find a great arancini or suppli anywhere in the bay area.As in so many things like pizza and pasta,the sun,soil and water is why we can't recreate these things in the same way here.This is not a picture of me,but the same magical feeling I had in the same spot although we were on a boat for three.Surely she most have just eaten an arancini! http://www.flickr.com/photos/macorig/231697457/in/set-771304/ Wed Jul 29 14:37:12 -0700 2009 4900990 151032 casalbore spirit 3 5159374 The canyon market ones are decent. they are pretty plain, saffron flavored and come with some good marinar on the side. I usually pick them up cold on hot days and let them come to room temp for eating on picnics. I can't vouch for how they taste if you were to put them in the microwave, but for a cold rice treat, they are pretty good. Thu Nov 05 15:50:46 -0800 2009 4900990 14459 jupiter 1 4901446 I've had a good version at Ducca before. Wed Jul 29 15:05:54 -0700 2009 4897752 17452 tvham 1 4901566 Farallon has sometimes had them on the appetizer menu - the type has varied, but I remember in particular a butternut squash version with a nugget of melted mozzarella in the center. I just checked their menu online and it looks like they are not currently making them. :( But maybe if you put in a special request before you go, who knows? Wed Jul 29 15:55:25 -0700 2009 4897752 68677 originalfig 1 4904408 Let me know if anyone has any arancini recs in Silicon Valley. I love Villa Deli's ravioli but their arancini were not so good. Thu Jul 30 14:26:53 -0700 2009 4897752 10992 katya 2 4908521 Thank you.I was in Villa Deli yesterday to try their ricotta ravioli that has gotten good reviews.I saw their house made baseball size meat and also eggplant filled arancini but did not try them.Based on your review I'm glad i didn't and the ravioli was only so so. Sat Aug 01 06:37:46 -0700 2009 4904408 151032 casalbore spirit 3 4913774 I have to say I love La Villa's beef ravioli (first time I've really liked meat ravioli over cheese), but wasn't that impressed by the bite I had of my friend's ricotta ravioli. Mon Aug 03 12:29:29 -0700 2009 4908521 10992 katya 1 4909611 Poesia's are good. Not baseball-sized but larger than many and served with tomato sauce. Sat Aug 01 17:01:14 -0700 2009 4897752 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 4914284 i would say the best version i had so far has been at 54 mint. it's a baseball size version served on top of this amazing tomato sauce. Mon Aug 03 14:48:32 -0700 2009 4897752 11315 lucymom 2 4922602 Once again, thanks for all your reply. Here's my arancini cheat sheet for easy reference: Arancini: Bar Bambino, Cinecitta, District. SPQR when they have them, 54 Mint, La Spiaggia (check first), Pizzeria Delfina, Ducca, Americano, Farallon, Poesia Thu Aug 06 09:08:22 -0700 2009 4914284 169233 grayelf 1 5045116 New at Trader Joe's (new to me at least, first time I've seen them), Arancini Bites. 12 in a freezer package for $3.69. They are filled with Fontina cheese, and to me, the cheese to rice ratio is off, too much cheese for the bite size balls. I baked mine (as per package instructions) and they were less crispy than I would have liked. Overall a bit bland. There was no marinara dipping sauce included. They are not as good as restaurant made arancini, but I will probably buy these again at TJ's for a quick snack. Sun Sep 20 22:06:53 -0700 2009 4897752 206109 pamf 1 5158628 Just tried the arancini at Ducca. They weren't very good, in fact they were very similar to pamf's description of the ones from Trader Joe's. The rest of the food was similarly uninspired, and is definitely not on our repeat list. For example, a fresh paparadelle pasta dish had a huge knot of stuck together gummy noodle that was 2"x2"x1/2". No sauce penetrated the unappetizing mass, and it just shouldn't have made it out of the pasta water or past the sauce station to the table. We would have sent it back if we actually wanted to eat a full dish of the boring sauce and gummy noodles, but that wasn't the case. So far, the ones I had at Poesia are the best I've had locally, but that's my only other datum outside of Sicily. Thu Nov 05 11:43:35 -0800 2009 4897752 17221 SteveG 2 5174902 La Spiaggia does have them, they are baseball sized and go for $3.50. They appear to have cornmeal on the outside, the rice is tender and tasty and the filling is like a really good spag bol sauce plus peas. Take one over to Washington Square and munch on it while watching the pigeons divebomb other people eating more bird-identified food :-). Thu Nov 12 01:27:28 -0800 2009 5158628 169233 grayelf 3 5175337 yum - rice is nice... La Spiaggia 1556 Stockton at Union St. San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 362-3354 Thu Nov 12 07:29:32 -0800 2009 5174902 13519 Cynsa