Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in the SF Bay Area (including Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, and San Jose)
Start New ThreadI'm too lazy to search, but I'm sure it's been posted before...so just humor me
I wanna take my girl to the Best Italian in the bay area where do I go? I like marsala and it has to be on the menu...good wine is a plus too...
By squishy654
on Mar 15, 2011 11:13 PM
Story
Supertaster Daily: 5 Grilled Hot Dogs in 3 Minutes for Memorial Day
Story
Oreo and Hershey's Dessert Icings
Story
10 Spicy Snacks
Recipe
Peach Frozen Yogurt
Recipe
Easy Philly Cheesesteaks
Recipe
Easy Chicken Stir-Fry
View »
Marsala? That won't be on the menu at any of the best places.
Acquerello and Quince are both excellent "high end" places. Delfina and Perbacco are equally good more moderately priced and casual places.
-----
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Delfina Restaurant
3621 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Acquerello Restaurant
1722 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Permalink | Reply
what's wrong with Marsala? I love sweet stuff and that sauce is so good, I try it all over the place and it differs greatly...is it an American thing? like not truly Italian? My girl thinks TacoBell is mexican so I need to show her some real food...I understand if I am being nieve here...
I guess I should ask what you think the best Italian dish is as well, what should I try?
Permalink | Reply
It's an American version of an Italian dish.
My favorite Italian dishes in SF are Perbacco's agnolotti dal plin, Incanto's handkerchief pasta & rustic pork ragù, and La Ciccia's seafood pasta.
In the East Bay, whatever's on the menu at Dopo.
-----
La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
Permalink | Reply
There is nothing wrong with Marsala at all. I like it. But it is an American-Italian dish and not the type of dish that would be served at any of the best Italian restaurants in the city which generally aim to be both authentic and creative. *Easily* my favorite Italian dish in the city right now is the 'TORTELLI DI CIAPIN-ABE' at Perbacco. I had it a few days ago and it just blew my mind. Easily among the 3 best pasta dishes I have ever had. Ever.
-----
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Permalink | Reply
Hi Robert and whiner--we will be dining at Perbacco this Saturday night. Aside from the two enticing items you recommend, are there other choices that you would suggest?
-----
Perbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Permalink | Reply
The salumi, any stuffed pasta, any braised meat, the cheese course.
Permalink | Reply
Ditto Robert's suggestion and would add anything with wild mushrooms. Also, while not on the menu at the moment, had the most amazing squab there a few months back.
Also, the salads are always nice, especially if most of your meal is pasta. The pear salad right now is a great palate cleanser.
Permalink | Reply
Many thanks.
Permalink | Reply
Umbria might be the best restaurant with a marsala dish on the menu.
-----
Umbria
198 2nd St, San Francisco, CA 94105
Permalink | Reply
it's funny how none of these places mentioned are in North Beach...lol
You guys know of anything in the east bay? I know Pleasanton has some good eats...
Permalink | Reply
I think the issue is: is your object to feed your girlfriend a really good version of an Italian-American dish, or is your object to "show her some real food" that is more traditionally Italian? There's nothing wrong with either objective, but they will generate quite different suggestions.
Permalink | Reply
I can't have an objective, I can only ask nicely if she would like to go to dinner...and she knows more about this stuff than I, she is most likely reading this and laughing at me like all of you guys are...but who cares, she's so damn hot...I think I will feed her whatever she wants...pick something sweetie, these suggestions all look very very good...I am ashamed now of taking her to the 1st place that had an Italian speaking doorman in north beach...I'm such a food touron...
Permalink | Reply
Acquerello has foie gras pasta with black truffles and marsala :-P
-----
Acquerello Restaurant
1722 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CA 94109
Permalink | Reply
Oh yes... and it is amazing! One of the best pasta dishes I've had.
Permalink | Reply
*swoon*
Permalink | Reply
I'm not getting any kind of consensus...just more and more places to try...this is going to be expensive...
Permalink | Reply
Take her to Pizzaiolo (in Oakland). Or if you want really good food without spending too much money, Barbacco (Perbacco's more casual sister). Have fun! (And I, at least, am not laughing at you!).
-----
Pizzaiolo
5008 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Barbacco
230 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Permalink | Reply
Oh Squishy! You're so sweet. You're everything I could have ever wanted in a Beau!
Before I met you I thought a Michelline star restaurant were those kind of restaurants that like you can do in with your car and they will bring the food right out as you drive through! How you have opened my eyes up.
You're so cute. You think Taco Bell is not Mexican. So then what exactly is it love? Its not Canadian that is for sure.
Where I come from babe we like to assert our position in the food chain. If you want to impress me we should find a place to eat as many different species as we can. Preferrably raw.
Permalink | Reply
Taco Bell is not Mexican food...sigh....we're going out for some proper Mexican food while you're here as well...
Looks like La Ciccia is closed on Mondays, but hey, Dopo is on the way...looks great, and I wanna try the salumi at Adesso...
We need to eat well for our ascent of Mt Shasta...
-----
La Ciccia
291 30th Street, San Francisco, CA 94131
Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
Adesso
4395 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA
Permalink | Reply
You two should get married on Chowhound!
Permalink | Reply
Dopo has the same salumi as Adesso, just a smaller selection.
-----
Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
Adesso
4395 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA
Permalink | Reply
I wondered about that, same owners, two blocks away, but a review on Yelp said one was better, which doesn't make sense, it is yelp after all...
Permalink | Reply
Adesso and Dopo are both great, but totally different in style. Dopo's a restaurant with a full menu. Adesso's more of a bar with mostly cold food including a huge variety of housemade salumi plus oysters, a few sandwiches and salads, and cheese.
-----
Dopo
4293 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611
Adesso
4395 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA
Permalink | Reply
Great thread on Italian Oakland. Makes me glad I'm an SF native transplant to Oakland. Adesso/Dopo both great, and a owner's a good guy loyal to the community. Trattorria la Ciciliana on College is fabulous; memories of Caffe Sport, SF.
-----
Caffe Sport
574 Green St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Permalink | Reply
Siciliana is good. No reservations and waits can be long at peak times.
Riva Cucina, Corso, and Nizza (mix of Italian and French) are good.
-----
Trattoria La Siciliana
2993 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
Nizza La Bella
827 San Pablo Ave, Albany, CA 94706
Riva Cucina
800 Heinz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710
Corso
1788 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709
Permalink | Reply