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Mon-Thu. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"2 Thumbs up, very new yorkey style pizza and for the price you can't go wrong. X large pie like $16 or so? Zero ambiance, take it to go or…" read more »
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Buonisimo!
This is authentic italian food, like its meant to be. They make their own bread and will give you as much as you want with a really good pesto spread. Their pasta is also homemade and delicious. I won't list everything I tried but everything I tried was excellent. What I'd say is that you make sure to try their Tiramisu. It definitely takes real italians to cook to get the flavor right.
I had a nice dinner and got served by a nice guy who was happy about us being there at 10PM. The food came out fast too. Very good, grazie!
OMG this is a fat girls' dreams come true. Not for the skinny minnies. Lots of sauce and butter, packed with a lot of meat.
In San Francisco if Italian food is great it's not cheap, and in my opinion there are not a lot of places that are GREAT. I have become frustrated with many of restaurants in the mission. The same tasteless small portions that are way too expensive even on a pay day.
When I tried Il Cantuccio for the first time I relieved to finally feel like I'm having some real home cooked Italian food, and the decor kinda makes you feel like you are eating at someones house.
My favorite pasta dish is the Norcina. The very first time I came here I hate plate envy, because my date had ordered it and I just drooled from across the table. So the second time I was here I was able to savor it and LOVE it. All of the dishes I tried here are very tasty with lots of flavor.
Big tip. Wear your buffet pants. You are gonna need them.
Besides the fact that this restaurant has delicious Italian food at very reasonable prices, I just want to give them a shout out for going above and beyond the call of duty and letting me have my birthday here!!
They let my SO make a reservation for 32 people without asking for a credit card on a Saturday night, which, considering they only have seating for 39 people in their diningroom, is very risky business!! But they had faith in us, gave us a very reasonable $25/person prix fixe menu which included healthy family-style caesar and spring salads, fried calamari, polenta with gorgonzola, and a pasta of our choosing, and were very attentive! The servers were polite, the food came out of the kitchen at regular intervals, and we actually all wound up eating our entree at the same time, which is hard to do for a small restaurant and a party of 32 people!!!
My pasta was a tube pasta with a saffron cream sauce and mild sausage....it was SO GOOD!!! And while it didn't look like a lot, I could barely get through it!!! I think it grew on me :)
I've been here before, three years ago, again for my birthday. Last time, they let us have a reservation for about 25 people WITHOUT a prix fixe menu. WOW. Food was also divine then, which led me to want to go back last week!
I would definitely recommend Il Cantuccio for small and large parties alike! It's an intimate, warmly lit diningroom, mouth-watering menu, and good service. I think my SO and I will be back very soon for date night...next time I'm going to make sure to try their desserts!!!
I LOVE this place! It's our local Italian joint and it never disappoints. We've had quiet, romantic dinners and loud birthday feasts, and each time we leave totally satisfied. Before a recent trip to Italy, Michele hooked us up with his buddies in Florence where we ate the best food on the planet. Upon returning home, we delighted in experiencing Italy right in our own back yard. It's a genuine Italian dining experience with great food, delicious wine, and good friends.
cute welcoming italian restaurant in the mission, less famous than Farina or Delfina but at least as good. The italian owner makes you feel at home, try their home made gnocchi.
Had dinner here last night, perfect!
I love love, love this place.
And someone commented about getting gummy bears with the check...i want to say it is a cute touch, thanks for the gummies, and a great meal
we will be back!
I decided to give this place another chance since it seems like the trend for me lately on my yelp reviews. I was also drawn in because I had seen "prix fixe menu" specials promised on their chalkboard outside and their website for Mondays and Tuesdays. After, we were seated the waitress told us they no longer had prix fixe available since no one ever asked about it. So I guess we were the first ones to ask and they had already decided to chuck the idea. Great.
Now, the last time I was here I enjoyed the bread a lot. I filled up on it since my gnocchi portion was so small. The free bread last night was still delicious, warm and crumbly with pesto.
Appetizers: Octopus Stew had a good amount of baby octopus but the "stew" was thin and salty. Calamari was definitely too small to share with even two people, let alone the five at our table. The buttery Bruschetta came with three pieces. Again, small portions all around.
Entrees: Grilled Flat Iron Steak AND the Sole dish were served with potato wedges. I like fried potatoes as much as the next person but how is this Italian? The menu promised "roasted potatoes" and these were definitely NOT roasted. Risotto with calamari and squid ink was probably the best dish even though it was the most unappetizing looking one of our table. It was just a straight up black mound of rice. I think even a tiny sprig of parsley would have helped its appearance tremendously. This time I did get full but only after paying $18 for an average piece of steak.
Our bill came out with a small cup of gummy bears. Again, like the potato wedges, nice but very out of place. Whats going on here? I don't think there will be a third chance unless it becomes a different restaurant.
It's just bad when you walk out of dinner still hungry and in disbelief. =/
The food was okay but the…
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Been here twice, once for a close friends birthday, and once a few months after with the same friend. Both times I was very impressed. Our server looks like the guy from "Ratatouille" and spoke Italian.
This place has a very "authentic" feel to it. The employees speak Italian and I'm sure they are natives. The wine was delicious as was the bread and pesto spread they brought out.
The check ended up being huge on my friends birthday, but all in all the food was worth it.
If I still ate meat, I'd go more often.
Nonetheless, a great spot for Italian.
My companion and I ate here on the recommendation of a friend. What a great find! I think there are better Italian restaurants that are NOT in North Beach, and Il Cantuccio in the Mission, is definitely one of them. The food was rich, flavorful, but simple at the same time. I think the food here is very close to authentic. For anyone who loves Italian food, you need to try Il Cantuccio!
This is my best Il Cantuccio story. My parents had just gotten back from Italy after my father had spent 50 years wanting to visit his grandmothers' homeland, we headed out to dinner to celebrate me starting grad school. I had been to IC a couple times before, but this was their first time.
My dad had a playful argument with the owner (which didn't exclude heated and funny with these two) about whether he could buy one of the water carafes painted with lemons (IC gets them made and painted by hand by a woman their family knows in Italy), and the food start arriving.
OMG! My parents are so funny. The swooned. I had eaten their before, but this was the most fun. We ordered salads that were excellent, split a pasta dish, and traded off with plates of pork loin and lamb shank (just like my great-grandmothers). They swore up and down that they did not have better food in Rome!
My mom apparently cried in the airport when she had to leave Italy and she was thrilled to recapture some of her trip. They called me two months later to tell me they were going back. I wasn't invited!
It's expensive, but get ready to eat a lot and love all of it.
Some notes because the low reviews are shocking:
You were still hungry?! Next time order an entree, not pasta. Pasta isn't an entree. You are supposed to still be hungry after the pasta.
It was slow?! It's supposed to be.
You're a vegetarian and you had a bad experience?! Fine, but you're not being fair. You should really excuse yourself as a judge of Italian food, since you have already excused yourself from the traditions and customs that craft it!
Not a bad Italian choice if you live in the southern part of the city and you're too lazy to trek up to North Beach for good Italian Food.
Entrees were tasty, reasonable prices, albeit with mediocre size portions. Service was good, ambiance was alright. On the plus side, we got seated right away at 8pm on a Friday night with no reservation.
Food = good. The table started off with a plate of foccacia and pesto, which were delicious and addicting.
For a starter, I tried the beet salad, and very much enjoyed it (pleasant surprise). Delicious beets, good flavors, and yummy but not overly strong goat cheese. I found the calamari frittati to be a bit on the boring and doughy side.
However, I did enjoy my linguine with meatballs, although I think the meatballs was missing a key ingredient..they just didn't dance on my tongue. They had a decent wine list...could use a bit of sprucing up on selection of glasses though.
My dinner companions tried the short ribs on polenta which was nicely seasoned, well-cooked (melted in your mouth), and salmon which was a nice size and not overly cooked. Also, they tried the peas with pancetta, which was delicious but I'm not sure if the peas were 'fresh' or flash frozen. *shrugs* (Yes, there is a slight difference.)
Portions were decent-sized, enough for one person, but not over the top. So I felt the prices were reflective of the size and the fact that quality was there.
Service = good. They were attentive (especially since it was slow, I suppose.) Water pitcher was left at the table for self-service.
Decor = nice and simple, and dimly lit.
Parking = typical Mission neighborhood. So bus it, would ya?
I'm iffy about returning or not with other folks, but I can't really complain about this place either.
I ate at Il Cantuccio for the first time recently. My friend lives near by and is a regular there, and over dinner we had a discussion about the mixed Yelp reviews. We figure that part of the problem is this...
If you don't live in San Francisco, or even in the Mission, there is no need for you to come here. It's not the best Italian food in San Francisco or even in the neighborhood. Make a reservation and go somewhere great.
But if you live in the Mission and want to get Italian food on a Friday or Saturday night, without a reservation or a cab ride, this is a great place to do that. The food is good (though a bit oily), portions are large, and the prices are decent.
I also found the service to be outstanding, despite what people have written here. There was no wait at the door and food came out promptly. I'm actually giving a whole extra point here because the waiter was so adorable and friendly. We wanted to take him home with us.
I thought the dinner was alright.
We had great service, our waiter looked like Linguini from Ratatouille, dead on! He was kind and helpful and was very attentive.
I loved the bread and pesto they give you to start, it was really good.
We were able to purchase a few bottles of wine at a reasonable price, that were all very good. The food was great, but very small portions, especially for the price.
Dear Il Cantuccio:
We've known each other for quite some time. And we have certainly had some great times together. A number of quiet, great meals together. Some decent wine.
But, the simple fact is, that's all in the past. And as much as I might love the past, might wish to return to the past, might have loved the past when the past was the present, the reality is the past is over with, done, gone, and dead. The past is not what's important; what's important is the present. And here's the simple fact about the present: you're not who or what I thought you were. I had you pegged for a small, intimate Italian restaurant, somehow overlooked by the hordes, ready to accommodate a last-minute reservation and stuff me full of very decent pasta.
And I have to face reality: that's not you. Maybe it never was; maybe I was wrong from the beginning. I've been wrong before, and I'll be wrong again. Maybe you've changed. I know your menu has changed. The service also seemed markedly worse (by which I mean, horrible). Certainly, the pasta dishes wifey and I had today were not nearly up to our expectations based on prior visits. But I don't want to be that guy. I don't want to say "man, you've changed, man. You used to be cool." That's just whining.
So, here's where I'm going to leave it: you're not what I thought you were. And that's totally okay. You are who you are. You can't fault a sheep for having a fuzzy coat. And so, whether I was simply wrong from the start, or whether you fooled me, or whether you changed at some point in our restaurant/diner relationship, all of those paths lead to the same point in the here-and-now. And, having arrived at this point, I think the best thing for both of us to do is just move on. I mean, I know you can't actually move, being a restaurant in a fixed location with a long-term lease and all. But I mean more metaphysically. More in the philosophical sense.
And, just as an aside, you work in my neighborhood. So it's likely that I'm going to bump into you from time to time. And, because I was raised right, I'm going to smile and say hi, and if compelled to do so, exchange pleasantries about my day and the weather. Don't let that confuse you as to the status of you-and-me. There is no you-and-me. I gave you a chance. I opened my heart, my stomach, and my wallet. And it just didn't work. Time to move on. Bar Bambino is closer anyway.
Very truly yours,
Ben P.
A really nice, romantic, friendly, smallish Italian restaurant.
The service is always friendly,…
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Before Specchio opened, Il Cantuccio was my go-to for authentic Italian dining, which means many courses and over time. You don't go here to just order pasta. Even in Italy you'll mostly be disappointed if you do that. Go here to split four courses. It's reasonably authentic and their wine list is even reasonably priced. There's now an embarrassment of riches when it comes to Italian food in the Mission. Oh darn.
I was really disappointed with the overall experience at this restaurant. They are significantly understaffed. Some poor waiter was taking care of out party of eight and the rest of the restaurant.
The food came out in a below average speed, but if you are receiving authentic cuisine that isn't a problem.
That being said the food was pretty good. I liked the pumpkin ravioli, but wasn't thrilled with anything that I sampled.
The climactic horrible experience was that half of our party was waiting for us to arrive at the restaurant , while we were still waiting for our tardy taxi. Though Il Cantuccio seated them, they refused to serve them bread until the "entire party" arrived.
Even for a hungry little girl!! If you are going to hold such a retarded policy don't even seat the people! Better yet! Just give the people some bread! LAME!
Wow! I am stunned at some of the low reviews. My friends and I ate our weight at this place and loved it. Italian food for me is like soul food, comfort food. You want to pep up fried chicken you add gravy or hot sauce, not a plum reduction. Food has gone way too froufrou for me.
Let see - we had nice wine, appetizers - some seafood melody, bruchetta, someone had lobster rav, I had lasagna, someone else had chicken parm. I sampled them all and they were great. I would have been happy with any selection. All the food was fabulous - ahh and the tiaramisi - was the best I've ever had.
service is great, staff friendly. I can't wait to go back. I did think it was a tad pricey, but I am cheap skin flint that lives in the east bay.
DI-VINE! I love this place! Some pastas are homemade, others aren't, but you just have to ask to find out which is which.
I've eaten here multiple times and have ALWAYS had a great meal, friendly service, and a fabulous time. I love taking my out of town friends here for a true San Francisco experience. (Forget cracked crab at the Wharf)
Don't let the small space or light customer load fool you, this place is a winner. It's perfect for a date, you can totally hear each other....or a group of friends. (I've planned more than one birthday party here.)
i managed to live in sf for 3 1/2 years, walking by this place weekly but never bothering to go in. when i finally went there, it was completely empty, which was a little alarming. BUT the food was YUMMY...from the focaccia and oil/vinegar at the beginning to the homemade pasta (mmmm...pumpkin ravioli) and the last sip of (pretty cheap) wine, everything far exceeded our expectations. the waitress messed up a couple times, but it was literally her first day and i can't fault her much. plus her personality more than made up for that. i'll come back for sure.
p.s. this is an excellent date spot....
I really liked this place, just didn't "love" it. The food could use more flavor to it. I'll start positively, of course. The Caprese salad was fantastic! They used very sweet heirloom tomatoes that made my evening. Loved the bruschette as well. We also had had the veal with mushrooms and wine sauce, as well as the pumpkin ravioli. I felt that the veal was a little "chewy" for my taste, and could have used more of the wine flavoring. The sides that came with the veal were delicious! Sauteed spinach with garlic and I think some lemon, and very tasty, potatoes. Yum! The raviolis were clearly fresh and homemade, but were lacking in a ton of flavor as well. Maybe more sage would have helped? I will say, the portion sizes were perfect. We all ate every bite and were very full by the end.
The service reminded me of being in Italy. Some may like that's it's very slow and relaxed. The friends we were with did not enjoy that too much, as they were jet-lagged and wanted to get home to bed. It's a very cute, quaint atmosphere, and relaxing.
Good solid dependable Italian place. Fantastic garlicky pesto comes with your table bread. Very garlicky and delicious. Also fantastic panna cotta for dessert... perfectly creamy and sweet. In between, good but not great food. Pasta with italian sausage was about as boring as that dish could get. Ravioli is good but not outstanding. Other dishes have been unmemorable; nothing bad but nothing really great.
Service is friendly and legit Italian (or other european) both literally and in terms of slooowness.
All in all a good dependable neighborhood spot but I would not travel across the city for this one.
Oh! My first Yelp cliche is on its way, are you ready for it? See if you can spot it! (Hint: it's the first 10 words of the following sentence).
I'm surprised to read any negative reviews on this place, but it sounds like the food may be a bit inconsistent. Fortunately, the night we were there, the moon hit the chef's eye like a big pizza pie and my boyfriend and I were in amore.
Well, not quite. It was actually our first date. Not knowing anything about his taste in food (turns out, he has quite the adventurous palette), I suggested Italian, because, let's face it, everyone likes Italian food.
I knew NOTHING about this place except that it was down the street from us and the reviews on Yelp (at the time at least) were pretty good. It ended up being far more romantic than I expected, which actually made it a perfect first date spot. I would recommend it (and have recommended it) to other people looking for a romantic date spot.
We shared a salad and bread and I had the gnocchi while he had the butternut squash ravioli. He was in culinary heaven (or just being a gracious date since I picked the place?) and I was pretty happy as well.
Hint: Save room for dessert and walk your date down to Bi-Rite Creamery for a little ice cream and maybe a stroll around Dolores Park :)
This has been a weekend full of wonderful food, terrific drink, and delicious desert. IL Cantuccio is another fantastic restaurant that we stumbled upon looking for a good place to eat in the Mission, and we were pleasantly surprised.
The place is cozy, intimate and very inviting. I loved that as soon as we walked in we were graciously greeted by a friendly (& good looking!) Italian man who allowed us to pick our table and made us feel at home.
We were served tasty, warm bread with a pesto dip, which they made sure to consistently refill. My friend ordered bruscchetta for an appetizer and it was unbelievable, perfect amount of garlic, basil and oregano seasoning and uber fresh tomatoes. For dinner, I asked our waiter to help me choose between the zuccati and gnocchi profunati and he recommended the zuccati, which is the best combination of sweet and savory, a pumpkin riccotta ravioli, yum! I also had a glass of chianti and bowl of tiramisu for desert and they were both equally heavenly.
I will absolutely go back to Il Cantuccio, it was a feel good, belly happy and full! dining experience. I also want to throw out that this is a very romantic venue and a great space if you're looking to take a date!
I live just a few blocks away, and when in the mood for a decent Italian dish, it's nice to know that Il Cantuccio is around.
Nothing fancy, but solid, staple, hearty food. The service is good (actually run by Italians) and it's also traditional European so a lil' slow it to be expected.
Appetizers are nice and fresh (the caprese i had two days ago was delicious) and my all time favorite dish there is the braised lamb shank.
Their wine selection is nice and contains some nice Italian varietals, but I usually bring my own bottle to enjoy (I work for a winery :)
This is a retaurant I'm happy to bring friends to when in the mood for some good hearty food!
I want to start out saying that I REALLY wanted to REALLY like this place, you know, small non corporate type mom and pop place....with that being said...
The food was average to a bit below average. My pasta dish was soupy in water, and I didn't taste the 'fresh pasta' that I was expecting. The bruscheta was ok as well...nothing special, actually the bread was soggy....just a bit disappointing...I REALLY wanted to like this place, I really did... Service was a bit below par as well......I'm really sorry, I REALLY DID WANT TO LIKE THIS PLACE :( but would have to say I'd head over to Pasta Pomodoro before coming back here
This is going to be my onomatopoeia review.
Bleh.
Meh.
Eh.
You know, I read the last two reviews of this place and my palette felt dumb, because I actually really enjoyed this place. I have visited three times and liked it every time. The only thing I wasn't too crazy about was the Della Casa salad that my friend and I shared. It was kind of small for the price and boring tasting.
But onto the praises! The free bread and pesto are a heck of a deal. The bread is really soft and not your typical free restaurant bread. I am a huge fan of pesto so I am quite fond of this restaurant for providing it free to dip your bread in.
I vividly remember my gnocchi entree and personally, I have no complaints about it. Honestly, it was my first time trying gnocchi. I know, a bit late, huh? So I'm not a gnocchi expert but I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to fellow gnocchi novices. I have no idea what an expert gnocchi consumer would think of it, however.
I have also had some entree off of the "evening specials" menu and I can't remember the name of it. I know it was raviolis and it had candied walnuts in it that were phenomenal! If you happen to run into this on the special menu, GET IT!
The restaurant itself is cute and comfortable. The staff is extremely friendly. I had a waitress the first time that had a beautiful Italian accent and was super sweet. The next two times I had a very cute, kind waiter with a lovely Italian accent as well.
There is one window seat and I recommend sitting there with a friend or by yourself and enjoying a glass of wine and watching the world go by while you relax and stuff your mouth.
I've been there only twice over the course of a year, but both times were really satisfying. Plus the price makes it a pretty good deal.
The grilled vegetable my friend ordered was wonderful. It was cooked just right with minimal seasoning and preparation. I liked my crab ravioli in a dense creamy tomato sauce a lot too.
I truly hope not too many people know this place and it'll still remain this cool cozy spot with decent food in the future. oh well I probably shouldn't write it here then. :)
I never thought I would find yummy Italian food in the Mission! I loved this place! Didn't have to wait for a table (and I made a reservation for Saturday night on Saturday). The service was excellent, the wine was divine and the food was absolutely scrumptious!
I don't think I ate or drank anything that was bad and I would totally go back for more! Even more, I had a couple things to choose from without meat! I am always a sucker for butternut squash ravioli!
Overall, wonderful experience
Before I begin--This has the potential to be a 5 star, or at least a 4 star restaurant. But there are a few problems:
When the food is good, it's amazing. When it's bad, it's atrocious. The menu keeps changing, so I assume perhaps ownership or chefs have changed, so perhaps this is contributing to their food woes, but I feel like every time I go back the menu has changed again. It seems unlikely that ownership has changed so many times.
The atmosphere is awesome. 4-5 Stars, hands down. Service is also up there.
I find Il Cantuccio fairly charming even if the food can be hit or miss. I waited until I'd visited three times before writing my thoughts on the place. Last night's dinner was lovely. It's a tiny place, and it's very necessary to make reservations on the weekend despite what a couple of other reviewers mentioned. Tuesday night only had 3 tables so we walked right in.
Started with the Carpaccio di Manzo (thin slices of raw beef served with shaved parmesan and capers drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and lemon dressing) based on a recommendation from my brother. Neither my hubby or I had ever braved this dish before. Absurd I know, but true. Il Cantuccio's rendition was fabulous - we're sold on it. Flavors were perfect and we weren't at all icked out eating raw beef.
For a main I had Rigatoni Gratinati (rigatoni pasta with bechamel and hearty meat and tomato sauce topped with parmesan cheese) delicious for dinner and breakfast this morning. Hubby had Tagliatelle alla Cacciatora (homemade tagliatelle pasta with braised chicken in garlic rosemary red wine and spicy tomato sauce) which he was a little less thrilled with - it was fairly plain and not at all spicy.
On other visits I've had daily specials (sauteed sole with garlic, capers, lemon juice and white wine) as well as the Braciole diMaiale(roasted pork loin layered with prosciutto and mozzarella cheese, flavored with, sage, rosemary, and white wine) and both of those meals were great as well.
Maybe not the most memorable food you've ever had, but a nice place, tasty, not too expensive, nice atmosphere, cozy, good service etc. Since we live nearby it's also our closest Italian food that we wouldn't hesitate to go back to.
No no no! I don't know what these other Yelpers were smoking before they went here, but I suspect it wasn't tobacco. First off, the atmosphere is not what I'd characterize as romantic. Lighting was not particularly dim, decor was not particularly stylish, and seating was not particularly conducive to sneaking a kiss.
Service was good, but the food was slightly below average. I had the gnocchi, which had a very bland red cream sauce. My partner in crime tried the duck, which was as dry as the mohave desert. If you live in the neighborhood or work nearby, fine. But simply put, this is not a destination spot and I can't recommend it.
For my first review I want to make a great first impression on the yelping community. I want you all to know that I'm serious. Food is my life too, I'm really not just saying that.
I thought about detailing the savory ham, cheese and poached egg appetizer at Town Hall. Or maybe I should impress you with my familiarity of A16's wine list. Or I could really become an expert in your eyes if I revealed the secret to Boulevard's crab salad.
But instead, I'll go ahead and support a local favorite and a hidden gem. This place may not broadcast my status as a foodie, but I know many of you will nod your heads in agreement that this special spot is worth losing my Yelp virginity to.
Il Cantuccio, a small mission hideout, provides a classic Italian meal in an atmosphere that makes you feel like you're dining in your Aunt Georgina's kitchen. Yes, the pasta is home made, and yes, they have a fantastic selection of wines that won't break the bank. But it's the feeling Il C. gives you; it's in that moment when you bite into the fluffy gnocci in gorgonzola cream sauce that you close your eyes and thank god you are alive.
Il Cantuccio is quiet and romantic and a great place for a date where you aren't looking for the hard cocktails and loud scene to save you from making conversation. The carpaccio, classic cesare salad and lobster fettuccine perfectly rounded out our meal, leaving me with no nays to this lovely dining cove. I plan to go back time and time again until I try everything on the menu three times.
So yelpers, how did I do?
An Ode to Il Cantuccio, or How to Not Do the Dishes
Il Cantuccio we visited you,
on Sunday night,
this is true.
For a birthday,
feast and fare,
To Il Cantuccio,
we went right there.
Started out with spinach and prawn,
had some polenta,
then moved on.
The wine we chose was so very nice,
nothing pink,
and no ice.
Raviolis in the shape of half moons,
sweet enough to make the boy swoon.
I had pork layered with cheese and more swine,
and only needed one glass of wine!
After dinner was the cioccolato,
(almost as good as gelato!)
The only thing I didn't like,
(and it's not Il Cantuccio's fault),
Is the cell-phone talking, pompous guy
and his date who seemed a dolt.
The moral of this birthday tale
(and way to not wash dishes)
Is that Il Cantuccio
is perfect for birthday wishes.
Lamb shank with a bottle of Sangiovese and good friends made this restaurant trip great. The lamb came in an excellent red wine sauce that if anything was too rich, and I definitely couldn't clean my plate, but that's not much of a complaint. We also had a dessert of baked cream with a strawberry sauce which, not surprisingly, was lovely and a good finish to an excellent meal.
The restaurant itself is small, good for 2-4 people, I couldn't see parties larger than that being able to enjoy themselves. The staff was timely and helpful. I'd go back again with either good friends or on a date. Oh, if you like gummy bears, there is a surprise for you when you get the check.
This is a really romantic place to go on a date. The table in the very front of the restaurant is particularly awesome, adding extra ambiance to make your evening that much more special. Of course, it is only fair to disclose that my review might be a wee bit biased since it is being written in the afterglow of an awesome date! :)
Nice service, good wines, and sufficiently yummy food. I ordered the gnocchi, but found the sauce to be a little bit on the bland side. My dining companion ordered the pork chop, which he seemed to like just fine. Neither of us seemed particularly wowed by the food, as much as we were by each other's company. :)
In any case, this is definitely a romantic experience to remember. It's also a classic restaurant that's worth a visit.
Yummy!
Place was pretty empty on Monday night. Italian waiter was really nice and put up with my demanding guests.
The Braciole di Maiale, roasted pork loin topped with procciuto and mozzerella in white wine sauce, was stupendous, said one of my guests. The Rotolini di melanzane: Goat cheese rolled in eggplant with spicy tomato sauce was the best dish on the table.
Wine was well priced and well described.
Meal for 5 was $115, not bad, not bad.
Great place to take the folks or for a romantic dinner.
In the world of world class cuisine Il Cantuccio earns two to three stars. However, this is a neighborhood Italian restaurant run as a neighborhood Italian restaurant and it is within this genre that it easily earns four stars from me.
When IC first opened (roughly 2003) I was super stoked. Yes, this area had numerous wonderful restaurants but it lacked a good...down home...straight up...Italian place within walking distance of my apartment. And, after eating there several times I was truly hooked...and, unfortunately thereafter, severely bummed I had to leave IC behind as I moved up to Bernal.
IC is a prime example of a slightly upscale neighborhood Italian restaurant. The prices reflect this designation too...meaning it doesn't make the weekly rotation but rather monthly one. The quality of the food also reflects this designation. IC offerings are much better than...lets say a place called "Gino's" on the corner. Don't get me wrong...I believe every neighborhood needs a "Gino's"...but they just have their time, place, and purpose. IC steps it up a notch from those types of places with higher brow offerings like fantastically prepared carpaccio and well made delicious polenta. The pasta dishes are wonderful as well. The pumpkin ravioli is inspired...and about the opposite of healthy! Also, coming from an Italian family, one can judge the quality of the entire Italian restaurant by the attention paid to their gnocchi. IC's gnocchi is superb....superb. Lastly, the main courses are all the old favorites one would expect mixed with great upscale dishes too...let me just say the veal scallopine with wild mushrooms will stop any dinner conversation!
I've been to IC maybe 15 to 20 times and have always left happy aaaaaand feeling guilty....If one grew up in, or around, an Italian family you'd know that there is no way in the world I'd tell them that I've run into gravy as good as our family's!
If you live nearby...you're lucky. If the Mission is your night's destination you may want to hit up IC every once in awhile...like I said...it is more of a neighborhood place rather than a destination such as Delfina.
I'm real sad. I don't know what's wrong with me and my wife. We can't seem to find a good decent priced Italian place that we can count on. Not even an Obama speech could give us hope and raise me and my wife out of our disappointing Italian food funk.
Maybe it's because we've been to Italy and we can't seem to set proper expectations for really good, affordable Italian food in the bay area.
Maybe because we're cheap and poor. I don't want to spend more than $75 for two including drinks and tip. Is it that hard to find a tasty Italian joint at this price point or cheaper?
Well, based on my first attempt at Il Cantuccio, I have to continue my disatisfaction. My linguini di mare had no mare. The squid chunks were just rubber and some tomato flavor. The linguini was cooked ok, but had a strange black color to it. Very interesting, but I'm not used to it. I guess this pasta was colored with the ink of the squid, but why was it so bland then? If you order a seafood dish, shouldn't it have SOME SEAFOOD flavor???
But then a lot of dishes were unusually salty - even the pre-dinner complimentary bread had added salt all over it. WHY? WHY? WHY???? The strange thing is the next round of bread had no salt and it tasted great - soft and fresh. Then the fried polenta with mushrooms and cheese was good for a second and then the salt dissolved on your tongue and then you're really getting annoyed with the saltiness. My wife explained that the cheese on that dish is supposed to be a little strong. I think it was gorgonzola or something like that.
My wife fared better with a risotto w/ asparagus and that was actually decent. Not too heavy on the cheese or cream and the risotto was cooked fine. You can actually taste asparagus in this dish so that's a relief.
We skipped the dessert and had a cappucino and coffee and surprisingly, this was the best part of the meal. We joked that they should close the kitchen and just open a cafe. This coffee was actually one of the best cups I've had in my life. And that's the only reason they get an extra star. Oh yeah, another star for the service. A real Italian person as a waitress. How cool is that?
Note: We sat by the window to watch the pedestrians go by, but I don't recommend this seat. The gnats flying around tend to congregate here and one actually decided to dive in the wine to sneak a sip and got stuck in it.
Slice + Salad + Drink = $5.30
Neighborhood: Mission
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