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A and I ate here last night and the menu was extended by a page. Apparently they change their menu seasonally because there are more fresh vegetables in the summer. Score! It makes me happy that they change menus based on what's abundant yet are consistent by having only 2.
Food was delicious as always. We tried the calamari appetizer ($8): light on breading, perfect texture. Plus, there was a big tentacle-y piece--yummy. A got what I got last time. I tried their pasta primavera ($10) which has a nice light white wine sauce. I liked that it wasn't creamy and overall, it was ok. They also gave us complimentary bowls of mushroom soup that were delicious. Service, which can vary, was more attentive than usual. Very nice man.
I came here even though I wasn't hungry because Cheetos, a nectarine, and an Asian pear does not a… Read more »
I really like this place because they are so friendly. My parents don't like Italian but my dad is okay with this place because the owner is pretty funny. Their dipping sauce is really good and I really like their seafood linguine dish!
I always pass Bella Venezia on my way home and always wondered about this place. (It doesn't really scream "Italian" from the outside.) So one night, we were craving Italian and I remembered this place, so we decided to check it out. The service was really friendly and they check on you to make sure everything's okay. They started us off with bread and the dipping sauce everyone on here raves about. We had calamari (yum!) and shared a dish of seafood linguine (perfectly al dente!). They even gave us complimentary soup. Everything was really good, servings and prices were reasonable, and we left feeling satisfied. I'll have to try their other dishes!
Ok, so I have walked by this place and not eaten here SO many times since it opened 2 years ago that it has become a little family joke. We called it "the scary Italian place". Until tonight.
I don't know why I finally snapped, maybe it was a craving for spaghetti carbonara, but I finally walked right in and asked for a to go menu (baby at home doesn't allow us to eat out much past 6pm). Poor things don't even have their name and phone number on the take-out menu. And I say "poor things" because Nobody Eats Here! It's a little scary-looking on the outside, in a strip of questionable restaurants, no real reason to go in, but MAN has my opinion changed of the place after tonight's experience.
The food is really good! The service (at least in my take-out experience) is extra friendly and fast! it's not a "hip" vibe and the food is just straightforward, old-fashioned, North Beach style Italian American grub, but it is GOOD, like comfort food should be. And way better than any Italian place I've been to recently in North Beach, except maybe Osteria del Forno. Mmmmm, spaghetti carbonara. Husband had the seafood pasta and loved it, and he is PICKY. Great bread, and the chef through in some complimentary potato soup, which was YUMMY. The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because a restaurant has to be pretty darn spectacular and do something special to get 5 stars out of me.
So people, don't be afraid. Give it a try. I will definitely be back.
This is my go to place when I have a crowd who all want to go out at the last minute.
The friendly staff handle an invasion of a party of 8 to 12 with smiles. The service is always pleasant. The menu has something for everyone, including kids. The bill is always reasonable, in fact more than reasonable.
Linen napkins and pleasant if unexciting decor and tasty traditional Italian food will not make a foodie swoon, but everyone will be happy with their order and leave satisfied.
And that marinara sauce they serve with the bread is pretty yummy stuff. My spouse always embarrasses me by asking for a second bowl as soon as we sit down because he knows he will suck one up like a sponge and we will all be annoyed with him for wiping the bowl clean.
Pretty novel in SF; tasty, pleasant, consistent food and service for a song...
I met nearly everybodys favorite Yelper, Adrienne G for dinner here the other night. It seems, really unbeknownst to me until lately, that we seem to be the most similar. I can see it ... we both like to eat and drink well. But it gets tired reviewing the same thing that everybody and their mother have reviewed. I've been wanting to try here, and thought this place would be perfect, since less than 40 people already have. The place was nearly empty, and I think many Excelsiorians are missing out, maybe by going to the super packed Emmy's up the street. You should have no problem finding a table.
This place is rather unique, as there is a man on the organ playing with what Adrienne accurately describes as funeral music. We both had several songs on the tip of our tongue, and if it were "Name That Tune", we surely could not name that tune in one note. The rest of the music was aria's of some opera's I've never been to, or heard, but I was familiar with a few of them. Too bad they were recycled over and over ... or maybe we were there just a tad too long!
The food seems to be prepared by Latins, which is fine, cuz I've seen pizza made by Indians (Zante), and other pizza's made by Asians (some place on San Bruno), and they were some of the best pizza I've ever had.
Reasonably priced, with a bottle of wine, we were out of there for about $60, not including tip. We began with some kind of dip for the bread. Maybe it was pureed tomato and cream with some herbs, and it was OK, but I would have rather had either butter or olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Unusual, but good.
I was quite hungry, and we ordered up. The Cesar Salad was good, but a bit too creamy for me. A good dose of pepper made it better. The bruscetta was good as well, but a bit heavy on the olive oil. An I nit picking ... maybe, but I know how I make bruscetta at home, and that's just how I like it.
Then came our main courses. I tried the Spaghetti Carbonara, (with PANCHETTA), as apposed to PANCETTA. Either way it was good. (yeah, I notice spelling errors. What of it!! :-) Adrienne had the Veal Picatta (or was it Marsala?) Can't remember, but the taste I got was tender as veal should be.
I know absolutely nothing about wine, and have been lucky most times when I order a bottle. This time was no exception, but I can't remember what the name was, only that the bottle had a plastic "cork", which was a little odd. The wine dude kept filling up our glasses when they were getting low, and seemed to come out of nowhere. Plus a free glass of mystery wine at the end was a nice treat.
I'll go back again, but sans roommate since she avoids places without parking. She doesn't know what she's missing!
a coupe of weeks after they opened i went for the first time and ordered ravioli with pomodoro sauce. it was fantastic and they gave me loads of bread and butter (this was take out). months later i order the same thing and they had clearly changed their sauce - it tasted like it was out of a jar and the bread they gave me was inedible - loads of it but completely stale. i live so close and i really want to like them so i've tried them a couple of times since - but always the same - incredible poor and the sauce tastes like it's out of a jar. and what's with their endless supply of stale bread?
I held my middle school reunion here awhile back with about 40+ people. Great success! Thanks for coming guys....
Anyways, this restaurant is very clean and organized. They were also friendly, being that me - the host - was late in arriving to the restaurant by about 10-15 minutes. Also, they were open to accomodating that we had much more guests than anticipated. Honestly, if there was a reward for the restaurant with the nicest employees, this would win the nobel prize. No lie!
The owner was REALLY friendly. He brought out a microphone and was the one who suggested that I make a couple speeches to my class.
"Hey everyone... Thanks for coming out! I hope we can all still keep in touch years from now and have another reunion with our wives/husbands and kids!"
Everyone: WTF!?
Hahah jk. Well some of them were probably like WTF. But hey, that would be cool right?
Overall, everyone enjoyed the reunion and Bella Venezia is definetely a great place to host one of these so check it out.
Moving onto the food though, there really is not much variety. I favor restaurants who can cater to my whole-wheat pasta preference. They didn't have that. And there weren't much choices on the menu either. But then again, a lot of "nice" Italian restaurants are very limited on their menus too. I didn't think the food was totally mouth-dropping "OMG I HAVE TO COME BACK!" delicious, I didn't feel a need to finish my plate so I gave the rest of it to a friend who arrived late to the reunion and hadn't eaten yet.
Btw, I ordered the seafood linguini.
Oh yeah, parking is pretty difficult too.
We went early Sunday evening and were the first ones in for Dinner.
The dipping sauce they serve with the bread is REALLY good. It's probably a few simple ingredients of tomato and garlic but it's quite tasty. Thinned down it could be a tomato soup.
Prices are really great, and the people there are very friendly.
The menu is quite basic but the dishes are prepared very well.
The calamari is excellent! Not too much batter and nicely fried up served with tasty dipping aioli. The mussels are good.
For dinner we had the veal parm. It's not that great. If it was I'd give this restaurant 5stars. But the shrimp w/garlic sauce is very yummy!! Feels like you're eating a stick of butter w/your shrimp. . .but it taste great.
I had pasta with a bunch of different kinds of seafood for $14. With such a portion, it would cost about $25 at least at other restaurants. I decided to have a bday dinner here in place of Bucca di Bepo cuz it's close to El Rio. I'm glad we we did cuz this place is great. I liked their food so much that I asked my girl to go back and have lunch with me there the next day.
It's a good place to take a date or have a dinner party with 20 or so people. It looks fancy cuz of their table cloths and their wine glasses, but the price isn't fancy at all. They'll definitely accomodate you. It's missing 1 star cuz they don't have a bar, but that's it. Great service a well.
Charming and lovable one-big-room, classic Southern Italian pasta-happytime restaurant.
Bread was plain but spicy, yellow dipping sauce was thick and tasty. Calamari was mid-priced, fresh, and huge portions but bland. Eggplant pasta with tomato-cream cheese sauce was smooth and tender, rich beyond belief. You are forewarned to expect richness if you order cream cheese sauce. Carafe wine? Ahould have stuck to the short list of $20-30 bottles. Service was a little absent late at night but they generously plated two half dishes, each as big as a full dish, when they saw we were sharing. Normally you only see that thoughtful touch in a very expensive restaurant.
I'll go back if I'm in that part of town and feeling like that kind of Italian. A good choice but not outstanding for the money. Prices are $10-15 for most pastas. Two or three dollars less would warm the soul and make me want to come once a week.
My girlfriend and I have passed this place many times on our late-night Mexican food run to Taqueria Cancun (which is right next door), but it always seemed to be empty. Willing to be risky, we decided to finally check it out. I'm really glad we did.
When we sat down, it was us and another group of 2 in the restaurant. The menu had a good amount of options, and it was tough to choose as all the options looked delicious. I ordered the Pallard di Pollo and my girlfriend had the spinach ravioli with a mix of creme and tomato sauces. My god, both dishes were delicious. I ate my meal so fast that the owner and I had a good laugh about it. I couldn't stop eating my girlfriend's ravioli, either. She didn't seem to mind.
Afterwards, we talked with the owner, who is such a nice guy. He told us about his family (he is from El Salvador, as is my family), about the restaurant, and about Soccer. He says Mondays are usually pretty slow, but he seems to be doing alright. He was really grateful for our compliments on the food, and even after we declined dessert or coffee, he brought us a complimentary tiramisu which was probably one of the best I've ever had (I'm not usually such a fan).
Getting our check at the end of the night took a little while, but they were closing down the kitchen, so I didn't hold it against them. My girlfriend and I ended up talking about the happenings at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (what nerds, I know) and really didn't mind hanging out at our table finishing our drinks.
I'll have to check this place out on the weekends, as I hope it gets more traffic. I really hope the owner succeeds. I'll definitely be bringing my friends to this place as it could easily be a regular stop in my 'hood from now on.
Could this be the best Italian restaurant you've never heard of? I think you know it is and why aren't you calling to make a reservation already?
Four solid stars, working towards five.
Open for five months now, but still struggling for business. This is a total sleeper of a restaurant. The owner, who has worked in the restaurant business for 24 years in the North Beach district, decided to strike out on his own. The trouble is the location and the decor. The vast majority of restaurants on this swath of Mission are ultra-inexpensive eateries proffering burritos, thai curry and hamburgers to their patrons. To look at this place, you would think (as did I) that it is a low-cost, mediocre-at-best restaurant.
In fact, they have some of the best Italian food in San Francisco right here. And for the price, it is the best Italian restaurant around.
You heard me. I, food snob and second-generation Italian-American, am telling you that this place is outstanding. Go eat here now! What? At worst, you're out $20 give or take; what's it gonna do, kill youse?
We started with warm bread and a wonderful red pepper dipping sauce with a subtle hint of garlic and anchovy, deliciously mellow and not at all overpowering.
The insalata di spinaci con gorgonzola e noci was really quite good and although we only ordered one and asked to split it, the owner brought us each a full-sized portion. The warm, melting gorgonzola and walnuts worked well although the spinach leaves could have been a hair more wilted and the balsamic vinegar was a touch too forward. But, I am nitpicking here. It's better than you'll find in most places.
The ravioli di ricotta e spinaci was absolutely fantastic! Delicate light pillows of perfectly al dente pasta stuffed full of spinach in a rich, flavorful white sauce. It reminded me of the ravioli my mother used to make when I was a boy.
The prosciutto-stuffed chicken was a good example of the Cordon Bleu style and again perfectly cooked, savory and flavorful in a wonderful sauce, with baby carrots and zucchini, tender but not overdone.
The piece de resistance was the salmon special, perfectly cooked grilled salmon in a delectable piccata sauce (yes, the flavors worked!) literally moist and tender falling apart slightly on the fork.
Sadly, the espresso machine was on the fritz, but the coffee was good and the desserts were great. A limited selection: ice cream, cannoli, and tira misu. The cannoli was standard (it's always delicious but it always seems pretty much the same); however, DO NOT MISS THE TIRA MISU! It's home made, and it was fantastic! Not since the Tira Misu at the tiny Westwood restaurant La Bruschetta have I had such a wonderful treat. And I ALWAYS try the tira misu at every Italian restaurant I visit. After 18 years of searching, here is the best tira misu! Creamy but light, delicate, ephemeral, sweet, flavorful. Perfection!
The portions are huge. Huge! We had to take home three big containers.
The service is beyond reproach. The wait staff was always there to refill water glasses, bring fresh flatware, etc. The owner came by to chat with us often, with his genuine kindness and infectious laughter, this was a real treat.
So why isn't this place packed? (We were one of FOUR tables during the dinner rush). Ok, I will tell you. It's not fancy. You don't get the feeling you are walking into Aqua. The white collar crowd doesn't get down to this part of Mission much. It's only a block from Blue Plate, but it doesn't have the buzz. There is a big neon beer sign and a cheap plate glass window. This might work in North Beach for Steps of Rome, but it doesn't cut it in the Mission. Surrounded by all the little suspect tacquerias, you walk in here and there is Spanish music playing on the Muzak and the owner is clearly Hispanic, not Italian. The place is empty and they don't have a wine list, per se, just a choice of red or white by the carafe. You've been to enough places like this to know it's going to pretty much suck.
But somehow it doesn't. Somehow, the food is magically delicious and the service is right up there with French Laundry. Even if I wasn't chatting with the owner in Italiano, but instead in broken Inglese, it was still great Italian food. If ever there was a restaurant that was not what it appeared to be, in a good way, this place is it.
Look, it's not Locanda Veneto, Capannina, or Acquerello. It's not the final word in fancy food, there is no wine list of which to speak, and it's not romantic. BUT the key aspects of having good food and good service are there in spades, if you can wrap your head around the fact that it is in a totally non-fancy package.
Look, just go there, okay?
What makes a five-star meal? No wait for a table on a Friday night (for now, at least...), a warm welcome, a complementary appetizer (calamari, as with the other reviewer), delicious food, warm bread, attentive service, and a complementary glass of champagne to end it all.
I'm a vegetarian so I didn't eat the calamari, but was assured by my companion that it was fantastic. It looked and smelled fresh and non-greasy. The bread was crusty and warm. My green salad was basic, but fresh and tasty. I like a little more diversity in my salad than "big bowl of baby greens" but that seems to be the norm for Italian restaurants.
My ricotta ravioli with tomato sauce were heavenly -- the ricotta had a fresh and creamy taste and smelled faintly of nutmeg or cinnamon. The raviolis were small and therefore easy to eat in one bite, preserving all the flavors together in a delicious little package. The tomato sauce was also thick, fresh, and tasty. I scarfed down the whole generous portion. My companion had linguini with white clam sauce -- he said it was delicious, and from my observation there were a lot of clams and no "clammy" smell.
My minor complaints included the temperature -- it was a bit chilly, but the waiter apologized repeatedly, saying they were having issues with their heating system -- the lack (as yet) of decor, and the fact it took awhile to get our check. I also heard "Time to Say Goodbye" by Bocelli about five times, so I think they need to expand their music catalog.
However, overall the service was warm, attentive, and personal, and they truly made us feel welcome and appreciated as customers. We will be back!
Love the Calamari, that alone with a glass of Pino grigio. AAAA+++
We walked in and were greeted by a Spanish speaking host followed by our Spanish speaking waiter and kitchen staff. I was a little thrown off considering that this is an Italian Restaurant. When we asked for a side of marinara sauce for our calamari - they didn't know what we were talking about. The food was a little on the oily side, menu choices were OK, décor was average, location - hole in the wall type. Would I come back here? Probably not. It'll also be the last time I let that particular friend choose a restaurant.
Service: 5/5
Food: 4.5/5
Wait: 4/5
Price: $
Presentation of food: 4/5
Presentation of restaurant: 3/5
Overall: 4/5
This is my OVERALL favoritest italian place to eat at, i've been going here ever since they pretty much opened. Thats when they were still open for lunch, kind of sad they are now only open for dinner though; sensing i use to come once in a while for lunch. Even though you see its all latin cooks in here, but comon' SO IS EVERYWHERE ELSE IN SF. i LOVE LOVE their appetizer sauce for the bread, sometimes i just CRAVE for it out of no where. its a memorable sauce with a little bit of spice to it, it'll make ANY BREAD taste good. i go here whenever i want some italian, they PRACTICALLY remember me by now (: couple times they were so generous, to show their appreciation of how loyal of a customer i am they had gave me a courtesy COFFEE (their coffee is really good as well/its also in a wide giant cup) and strawberry ice cream (which i have to say was even better than MITCHELLS!!!). i HIGHLY RECOMMEND going just to try out, i'm actually thinking about holding my birthday dinner here (:
Really?? This place has an average of FOUR STARS??? That is craziness.
The host (owner?) was really nice, and that's the only reason it get two stars instead of one.
The calamari was too greasy and too salty. The pasta was expensive considering how mediocre it was. The portions were huge, and even though none of us even came close to finishing our meal, none of us took home leftovers. I hate to waste food, but I just couldn't bear the thought of eating that meal again.
This restaurant has become my family's new favorite Italian place to frequent.
The price range is moderate, but this is our little secret that makes it cheap for us: Whenever there's sale on a coupon for Bella Venezia on http://restaurant.com, we buy one. Many times we've bought $25-off-coupons for $10, saving us $15 on our entire meal. Although, with the coupon you have to buy at least $50 worth of food, but that's not a problem for us. Some restaurants are shady and say they don't accept these coupons, but Bella Venezia has always accepted them from us.
My mother LOVES the dipping sauce that comes with the free bread. It's kind of a creamy, garlicky, tomato sauce. It tastes a little fishy, so I think it must be made with anchovies or some sort of fish base. I've never seen this dipping sauce anywhere. If the fishiness turns you off, there is butter you can ask for.
Their coffee cups are HUGE. They're the size of soup-mugs, and you get free refills.
Actually, the portions are huge for everything there.
The appetizers are amazing. Get the fried calamari. Everybody I see gets it, because it's THAT good. My family ALWAYS orders it. Salads are piled high.
I've tried several of the entrees, and I've seen many enticing ones that are possibilities for my next meal. The white sauces for their pastas are the creamiest I've ever had. Also, the New York steak dinner with fettuccine doesn't come on one plate, it comes on TWO. One plate for the steak, one for the fettuccine. Both plates are FILLED. One of their signature dishes, the Champagne Chicken, is really light, yet flavorful. The grilled sole is lovely. Their seafood in general seems to be pretty fresh because I've never tasted or smelled a hint of bad fishiness (a tell-tale sign that you're eating old fish). Lastly, the rack of lamb special (when they have it) is my favorite. So good!
Surprisingly, this restaurant doesn't seem to do much business whenever I'm there. Like someone below said, it's a sleeper. I'd be really disappointed if it closed down. They do accommodate large groups, so if you're with friends and family and don't want to wait at a super busy and expensive restaurant for dinner, bring them to Bella Venezia.
I love Italian food, but most the Italian places in the city are expensive. This place has large servings, good food, and low prices. Good salads, pizzas, pastas, meats, they have it all. Only complaint is the service is pretty spotty (not bad enough to keep us from coming back, but it's usually a little slow).
It can accommodate a lot of my friends, (leslie y.) but the food was only a-ok The atmosphere was nice and I really like the interior. The food was alright tho. I had the Caesar Salad and Chicken Alfredo. The Alfredo tasted really really fatty that I didn't wanna finish my food. The owner was really nice about the tab tho. I had a $25 off coupon from RESTAURANT.COM and the piece of shit didn't work. But he said, its ok, since we brought him business, he'll let me use it. But I'll be back.
Delicious but small menu. Reasonably priced but a little cheaper would promote more frequent return visits. Very friendly staff. I say give it a try!
Like other reviewers:
- were only two other patrons in the restaurant when we arrived
- received a free appetizer
- took the check awhile to find it's way to our table (but they were closing the kitchen)
Ok the guy who ran Caffe Sport on Green St. for 23-24 years finally decided to open his own place...
Ok off the bat the place is decorated cute for the area which is the up and coming area of the Mission.
The food is consistent, I have had the Chicken Parmigian... very tender. The calamari comes with a white garlic dipping sauce, mmm. The Chicken Champagne, was ok, not to my liking.
Their signature pasta dish is YUMMY... it is a la rustica.. scallops and shrimp tender and fresh.
Not very busy restaurant but the food and service was great! We started out with a Caesar salad which was very good. My prawns in butter and garlic sauce was delicious. They did not skimp on the portions, I couldn't even finish my prawns and I love prawns! We also had a seafood pasta dish which was also very good. The service was friendly and accomodating. I love a good, down-to-earth Italian restaurant. Can't wait to go back.
Came back here a week later, more amazing food. This time we had Bruschetta as an appetizer and it was delicious. I had the seafod linguine for the main course and it was so good. The sauce was good enough to eat as a soup. The tiramisu was the best I've ever had.
That's it. I'm going to stop reading Yelp reviews because if everyone gives them 4-5 stars then you really don't know food. You don't know what good decor is. This place is tacky from top to bottom. Tacky food, tacky decor, tacky organ player. Okay, the owner is super friendly and a genuinely happy guy. But they've reached a level they think, and obviously everyone else thinks, is good and have maintained this for the past 25 years (taking into account the previous place?) ... happy & oblivious of what good food cooked well really is.
I'm sorry. I cooked better than this within the first six months after I left home. How many dishes can include marsala sauce thickened instead of reduced.
I guess huge portions are more important that knowledge of ingredients and the minimum of skill. I wouldn't serve this to friends at home. There's nothing authentic here, only Americanized watered down versions.
And again, Thursday at 8pm and only 3 tables full.
I love this place! Whenever I have friends in town I bring them here because the food is affordable, delicious, fresh and just downright Italian. The accommodating staff is always friendly and the bread seems to never run out - great for dipping in their savory sauces! They have an organ player on some nights - super cheesy but it certainly adds to the atmosphere! Ahhhh... comfort food...
This place is great! My friend introduced me here and we went for dinner tonight, and it was some of the best Italian food I've had in the city. I ate some chicken dish with gnocci in cream sauce and spinach. The three of us also split a caprese salad and the amazin free bread with tomato cream sauce. We were all so full! I'm definately going to come back here with my boyfriend.
The owner and workers here are as friendly as it gets. This is a *great* place to go with big groups and for parties!
Food is somewhat inconsistent but when it's good, it really is good. The people who run it are friendly and that's about all they are because they have no idea about running a restaurant. We've been here 3 times (close to our house). On one visit, we could not feel our way through the place, it was so dark and we finally had to ask them to turn up the lights, and everyone around us, thanked me. Very strange. Reasonable pricing and really just a place to go to when we want Italian cause it's near our house. We went once with 6 people, 3 got cold dishes and 3 got piping hot dishes. They served us all at the same time so clearly 3 dishes sat and got cold while they waited for the last 3 dishes. We asked for the pasta (with cheese) to be heated up and they decided to make a whole new one .. bonus points there.
Ummmmmmmmm, how the hell is this place so highly rated? The food was cold, a bit greasy, and the "Filet Mignon" I had was thinner than a slice of roast beef from Safeway (almost). The Gnocchi was decent, but the sauce seemed a bit less than fresh. As other reviewers indicated, it was empty when we were there on a Thursday at 8pm (usually a busy time for a good restaurant). That says something as well. I won't be back.
There are a few Italian places within walking distance of where I live, and with one exception, they all suck profusely - mainly because of absolutely crappy service (read: Vogalonga), the less-than-human nature of their owners (read: f**k D*****a), or sickening food. (To be fair, I have yet to check out Incanto or the new La Ciccia.)
The exception is Bella Venezia on Mission where it meets Valencia. The food is good, the service is exceptional, and the crowd is neighborhoody.
The food is basic. The salad is simple (as the other reviewers have noted), but with one bite I knew that they knew what they were doing - properly balanced balsamic viniagrette over properly fresh mixed greens with a couple of sliced sweet cherry tomatoes (not the lame kind, the good kind hehe). Linguine Pomodoro made right with garlic, tomato, olive oil, and fresh basil. Portions are sizeable. Veggies grilled to perfection, crusty bread with a complementary blended tomato sauce to dip it in.
(Vegans/vegetarians beware - sauce served with the bread contains anchovies, and they have a tendancy to use butter on their noodles and pasta sauces unless you specifically ask for "no butter/no cheese" - the owners and staff are very nice but a little clueless on the veg thing...)
As with other reviewers, the owner/head waiter has brought us complementary appetizers tuned to our dietary restrictions. The service is attentive without being obtrusive. And importantly (to me anyway), this place has CLASS, which I define thusly: when I walk into the place, I am welcomed. This is in contrast to the xenophobes who have apparently taken over most of the good eateries in the 'hood. No amount of good food will overcome bad service/attitude.
Luckily for me (and my neighborhood) Bella Venezia has decent, straightforward food and the right 'tude. Please don't ruin it :)
The service was horrible! My salmon was undercooked, and after dinner we received no attention. I tried to pay the check for 20 min. and was ignored. Finally, I just left cash on the table.
While the prices were alright, I would not return, as there are many better Italian restaurants in SF that have better food, prices, and service.
Excellent place for authentic Italian food with authentic Italian hospitality. The bread sauce was fantastic, the mussels were delicious, and the portions are ginormous. By the time I got to my entree, I was stuffed. They even dim the lights for you to help set the mood!
Great place for Italian food. I went for lunch with my mom and apparently it was opened by one of the guys that used to work in Cafe Sport's kitchen. The place is big and nicely decorated. It's not super fancy but it's not pasta pomodoro either BUT the prices are on a par with pasta pomodoro's. Very great deal for the quality of food you're getting. This time around I did the pasta carbonara which was thicky and creamy and delicious. Next time I am definitely doing the puttanesca!
finally you can get north beach-style italian fare without leaving the mission. (and the changing global climate will thank you.) the owner is salvadoran and worked in north beach for many years before opening his own restaurant.
the bread comes with a delicious red dipping sauce (which is not vegetarian, just fyi.) the caprese is tasty, generous, and reasonably priced.
for dinner i only ever order the ravioli. i don't think they make the ravioli in house but, honestly, i don't care because it tastes really good. the tiramisu also rocks.
this place is easy to miss but totally worth visiting. i'm surprised at how empty it is when we visit, which is usually later in the evening. i'm told it's much busier during normal dining hours.
A hidden gem in the Mission below Bernal Heights, acroos the street from Blue Plate. It never seems to be full, but there is always someone there. Very kid friendly and a good place for family dinners as it is spacious and not too loud. The food is traditional Italian, and very good. Don't come here expecting culinary innovation, just well executed Italian classics. The caprese salad is HUGE, the tomatoes are ripe and the mozarella thick and fresh. If you like pasta bolognese, look no further. This is the real thing, with a meaty sauce probably cooked all day that could put the stuff served at more famous and expensive restaurants to shame. The pesto pasta is creamy goodness and the fish entres are excellent. The house red wine is entirely drinkable and cheap, and it goes down easy with the comforting food. If you find yourself hungry and in this neighborhood, or if the wait at Emmy's or Blue Plate is too long, give this place a chance. You won't regret it.
The staff was wonderful, but the food was not.
Good portions, reasonably priced. Walked in at 9:30 PM on a Weds., I was the sole diner. No, that doesn't mean I chose the filet of sole, it means I was the only patron at that point. I had the salmon, and it was fine. Also, I had a very generous mozzarella-tomato-type appetizer,
(insalata caprese). I know it's usually a bad sign when you peruse a restaurant from the street, and, seeing no one in there, you ask yourself, "What's wrong with this place?" In the case of this restaurant, if you perceive this anomaly, overcome your fear, and march right on in. Normally, when the prices are this reasonable, you tend to find that the food is greasy and over salted. I did not have that impression. The wine list is modest, and priced very modestly. In light of the other reviews, I would remind readers that on this occasion I had the entire place to myself. It could be, when they're
slammed, plates are not delivered in a timely fashion. But I wouldn't know; because my experience was satisfying.
A very friendly atmosphere and a reasonably priced menu are the first things that I noticed upon entering. After being seated for a little while and snacking on the bread with the delicious spicy orange sauce I was struck by how nicely done the decor was. Then the food arrived and I polished off my pasta carbonara in no time. It was very creamy and a nice sized portion. My group also ordered the sole, the pesto, and the chicken parmigiana. The piece of fish was huge and was really nicely prepared. All the meals we had were enjoyed immensely. Definitely a great place to go for nice, friendly, and affordable Italian.
If I could, I'd give this place 10 stars... The food is absolutely amazing - orgasmic even. I have eaten all of the seafood dishes, as well as several different appetizers and pastas. Everything has been over the top amazing. The atmosphere is also fabulous. A great place to drink a bottle of wine (or 2) and relax, eat, and enjoy. To top it off, the service is GREAT. The owner speaks almost entirely in Italian and makes you feel like your in a living room. I never feel rushed. Authentic Italian. Oh yea, great wine selection and everything is reasonably priced. I am so happy this place exists. My bf and I will be going often and telling our friends. P.S. Great for couples and parties - lots of space/very roomy.
Vicoletto refines Italian fare…
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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
Category: Italian
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Category: Italian
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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
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