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Mon. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Wed-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
"This place was delicious! I kept eying everyone's meals through the window as I walked up and down the hill and I'm glad that we stopped…" read more »
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Our waiter was very polite, attentive, and helpful. We started off with their house sparking water, which they carbonate themselves. It had kind of a sweet flavor.
The appetizer with the selection of meats was delicious (mmm pork). My entree was spaghetti with shaved tuna heart - it tasted of the sea, really mouthwatering. However, I did feel the flavors were pretty intense, so I would have preferred a little more pasta or a little less toppings. The chocolate panna cotta with pomegrante seeds was the perfect level of sweetness. Yum.
I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't meet Chris Cosentino (too busy according to the waiter) but it was great to see him in the kitchen and about the restaurant.
They change their menu daily, which I think is great, I love variety! In addition I read on their website they utilize herbs grown fresh on their rooftop!
It's good. But not great.
The appetizer was okay,
my dish was too salty,
and the dessert was amazing.
A solid three stars.
The place is trying too hard. And I'm not sure what Incanto is trying hard to be. One thing they could do is learn a bit about hospitality. Friendly unpretentious service goes a long way.
We even had the honor to meet Chris (head chef) since we were dining at the bar. I realise Chefs these days feel that being an a-hole is the norm (i.e. Ramsey) but Incanto is not a michelin rated restaurant and even if it was your customers are the reason you are in business.
The food was good but with service was horrible. I won't be returning.
I don't get some of the reviews for this place. Granted, my experience is limited. I can understand if you have a palate weened on MickeyD's and think that Cheetos could use a touch more salt, you might find the food here a little bland. For the rest of us who like to taste the food rather than just the seasoning, I really enjoyed our first meal here. Hopefully not the last.
Started with the trotter cake which was cooked really crispy on the outside. It had a nice sauce and was served with red wine poached snails. Entrees were grilled sardines and pork shoulder with creamy polenta. The sardines were good but a lot of work to debone. I'm glad I tried it but I probably won't get it again because of the labor involved. The pork and the polenta were both excellent. Portion sizes were fair value I thought. The breads were really good, accompanied by some tasty olive tapenade. No room for dessert unfortunately.
The service was fine but very casual. The waiters were dressed in casual street clothes, no uniforms or aprons to identify them. Food came when it needed to, checked back to make sure it was OK, plates were cleared when needed and questions were answered when asked. I'm not looking for much more than that so it suited me just fine.
Looking forward to a return trip sooner than later.
I live in the neighborhood. Was first at the restaurant several years ago. Left the first time feeling indifferent. I returned a few months ago. This time I was more impressed with the food. It was tasty and imaginative. However, for a restaurant that was only 2/3 full on a weekend night, with what appeared to be a full staff, the service was subpar and dysfunctional. We did get the food when it was hot, though, and the food was very good! Hope will be better next time.
We had the antipasto which must really be an acquired taste because we felt it was unpleasant to say the least. Very fatty and did not come with bread or anything to eat it with. I think people who enjoy this place self-select as real meat eaters, as that is the main course. Deserts are top notch, though. Very nice decor.
I lived in Noe Valley for 6 years and it took Anthony Bourdain and a friend's birthday for me to set a reservation at Incanto.
The menu changes regularly, so reviewing each dish serves little point when they are no longer on the menu. Still, a quick recount of the dinner can't hurt.
Appetizer
- Ox tongue
Entrees
- Pork Belly
- Veal
Dessert
- Cheese Plate
Amazing. It was all amazing. The food, the service, the ambiance; it was all perfectly aligned with a price that was appropriate, if not inexpensive considering the overall experience.
Let me elaborate on the service. It was first class, perhaps some of the best I have ever experienced. Our waiter knew the menu backwards, took care of each of our needs, suggested our wine and yet he was not over-attentive.
This made for a very special occasion.
I will go back here again and again.
We hit Incanto every now and then for a treat. The Spouse is a big offal fan and loves the challenge of the menu. I find that no matter how doubtful I am about what we order I always end up liking everything and loving most things. And the panna cotta for dessert always makes me happy.
Here's why I think Incanto is exceptional. Last month we took our 16 year old daughter for dinner. She loved the lamb fries and managed to keep it together when the waiter confirmed that the lamb fries were indeed testicles. Even better, she kept eating it although we both agreed that as silly as it sounds we liked it better when we didn't know what we were eating and were happy we found out at the end of the plate not the first bite. How many restaurants could make a 16 year old enjoy lamb bits?
Unusual exceptionally well prepared Italian that reminds me a great deal of the food my Sicilian Grandmother cooked.. and THAT is saying something.
Wine flights are usually a great way to go, suggestions for wine choices are usually right on.
We never have reservations but usually go early or late and get seated, sometimes in the bar at tables that allow us to watch the room from our seats.
The good: very lively, well designed restaurant. The menu items seemed authentically Italian (if you're looking for pesto pasta, stick to North Beach). The starter bread was excellent. Good wine selection.
The bad: First, the staff was rude. I made a reservation earlier that day for 4 people, but apparently the host couldn't find it, so he was very rude to us upon arrival. "Are you SURE you didn't make the reservation under a different name?" But then they eventually found it. We also called to tell them we were running 10 min late and the hostess (different person) told us that it was street parking only, so to save time, we could drop some of our party off at the door to get seated. So we did. But we were told by the same rude male host that we would have to wait for our entire party in order to be seated. Make up your minds!
Our waiter (male, tall, caucasian, late 20s/early 30s, beard) was also not friendly. He was an effective, attentive waiter, but he never once smiled. We felt like a burden. We were polite, good tipping guests, so they should have been more gracious.
Second, I only eat fish (no meat), and the options were for me were EXTREMELY limited. I was disappointed. Usually there a couple of good seafood dishes at most nice SF restaurants, but 95% of Incanto's menu items contained meat.
Finally, the food was only so-so. There were several "out there" options. I love trying new, interesting food, but I expected it to be better. They had a chocolate persimmon appetizer that was very acidic and oniony--tasted more like ceviche than fruit. The tuna and egg yolk noodles were nothing to write home about. My chanterelle risotto had a good flavor, but got boring after a while. My $9 ginger cake tasted like something I could have gotten at Starbucks. Not bad, but not worth $9.
We might have steered ourselves too well. We might have entertained visions of brains, cow lips, kidneys, "fries" or *those* "oysters"... we were prepared for the unthinkable of unthinkables...but all in all, the Quinto Quarto tasting menu at Incanto that evening was - well - as tame as could be expected.
Don't get me wrong - the entire experience was completely satisfactory, the dishes generously-portioned and tasty, the wine pairings well-matched. But - on the bill of fare that evening were offerings that perhaps were on the "safer" side. For our reference were some nicely printed-up menus on the table but we were informed that additional surprises were on the way as well...:
1) First off-menu item: bacon-wrapped duck-liver-stuffed dates. Sweet and savoury - perhaps a little too sweet. The bacon had an additional coating of something cloying that made the pairing with the date just a tad too saccharine for me... sprinkled atop were sunflower sprouts, "...because ducks like to eat sunflowers..." dutifully repeated our server several times...
2) Chile and Bones - very large central (spinal) fish bones - served generously with a fantastic, spicy mix of chiles, mint, parsley and garlic, and some bits of fish flesh and occasionally, chewy spinal cord... this was probably the most unexpected dish, and it was surprising and tasty (if not a little messy). We were encouraged to eat them with our hands, like ribs.
3) Pastramied ox tongue, cornichons, red onion & rye croutons - basically, Chef's play on a pastrami on rye sammich... the tongue was thinly-sliced and uner-tender, the salad had a nice acidity and brightness which was welcome after the rich tuna bones.
4) 2nd off-menu item: spaghettini with garlic, parsley, egg, and finely shaved cured pork liver - salty, garlicky and I'm not sure I could really discern the liver all that much...
5) Spicy Trippa a la Napolitana - unlike A16's tripe, which is so tender and thinly sliced and so completely blanched of *any* untoward flavours, and unlike French-style preparation of tripe which leaves much of the heavy barnyard odours unabashedly undisguised, Incanto's tripe dish is somewhere in-between, but closer to A16's than a la Paris... this was my 2nd favourite dish of the evening, as I'm a tripe fan.
6) Last savoury course -- Trotter cake, foie gras, grape jelly, pine nuts: the richest and most flavourful dish of the evening - all the tastes and textures came together in the most orgasmic way (though I have to admit I'm a sucker for that fatty liver, especially if it's seared...). However, I and the boy found ourselves too full to finish, and we had to cry uncle, and beg for tips to reheat the dish once we got home. And from the chef himself: Crank up your oven to the highest setting (500?), warm a pan (pan should not be hot; just warm), cover the pan with the foie inside and put it in your hot oven for 2-5 minutes. This method worked perfectly.
7) Dessert - Chocolate Bloodacotta with fruit compote - a nice, not-to-heavy(!), not-too-sweet coupe de grace to our offal journey...
I'd definitely go back - perhaps for the annual Head-to-Tail dinner...
I want to give this 3.5 stars but YELP doesnt allow 1/2. This is definitely a B+ joint.
1. The host isnt very friendly. The guy is curt.
2. We ordered the appetizer sampler menu which had various sliced meats and spreads. Loved it! Wish they gave bread w/it. I had to ask for it.
3. I ordered their pork shoulder w/polenta; my other 2 mates ordered the sausage w/lentils and tuna heart w/spaghetti. The pork and sausage were OK. Good but nothing about it said WOW. We all loved the spaghetti.
4. We had the ginger cake. delicious.
5. waiter was OK. not attentive but not curt/rude either. helpful when asked but didnt volunteer any new info. For a place known for serving "exotic" meats i thought he's bit a bit more engaging.
Nonetheless I'd go back. I love how the menu changes every week and 'tis always a surprise.
I went here for dinner a few nights ago - last time was a couple of years ago. It's just like I remembered - great atmosphere, great service, and great food.
Only negative, is that they took a bit long to deliver the food due to a large party in their private room, and my veal was a bit underdone and tough. However, they remedied the situation swiftly with another perfectly cooked veal.
Everyone in our party enjoyed the food, wine and service. It's a great neighborhood restaurant - without a real neighborhood feel, not in a negative way. Elegant, modern italian decor - but casual and laid back atmosphere.
Highly recommend.
Wow, what a disappointment. We shared several appetizers, entrees and desserts. None of us considered any of them terrific. Most mediocre, at best. Two of them had this very weird smelling burnt smokey flavor that ruined the dish. The desserts were awful. The waiter was Mr. Stone Face. None of us would ever consider returning especially with all the other great SF restaurant options. Yelp states that this place has a full bar.........FALSE.......just beer and wine.
Oh My God... When I saw the low star rating I first assumed that this would be a dreadful restaurant, but after dining here and seeing all the interesting cuts of offal from the old days, I realized that the people rating it low were young and grocery store whores..
This is one of those restaurants that respects every piece of the animal and gives it dignity at the dining table.
Whether it's a delicate lamb kidney or crispy pig ears, this place is only for the TRUE GOURMET Chowhound..
This is not about supermarket food that you can take home and reheat from the grocers, this is a unique concept from World War 2 days of eating everything from the animal.
I do recommend it to the true chowhound looking for exceptional food cooked from days gone by..
I don't recommend it to the young kids (20-30 yrs) who has only eaten at Taco Bell and Micky D's... this food wouldn't put a smile on your face.. you kids stick with the fast food industry and leave Incanto to the true Gourmet Hound...
The food is excellent, as is the wine list.
I'm not too into all the the limestone and the gross faux brick wall in the back of the dining room. The drapes are pretty horrid too.
Combine that with service that is blatantly rude and it creates a terrible atmosphere. The younger blond waiter is honestly the worst server I have EVER had. Aside from using insanely snooty elocution and diction, when I asked how much a bottle of wine was (the menu only listed prices for glass or 1/2 liter) he replied: "it's a third more than a half liter"...they charged us about 40% more than the half liter.
I will never return to a restaurant that assumes I'm an idiot and I will make sure that if I ever see that waiter in my restaurant, he will get similarly brusque and surly service
The term "shock cuisine" really does apply. I wish I had made that one up.
Here's the thing. All celebrity aside, this place turns out subpar food masked by the novelty organ meat dishes. It's probably not fair to rate a place that specializes in gamey lamb neck when you know there's no way in hell you're ordering it, but if the kitchen doesn't have the ability to turn out a good dish unless there's offal in it, well......
I hadn't dined at Incanto in a while, but had an OUTSTANDING meal there last night. We had guests in town and dined at the bar. The menu was very impressive and I found it difficult to choose between all the tempting offerings. We shared several apps, which included fresh sardines, a pigs trotter terrine and a wild mushroom crostini with white bean puree. All of these starters were exceptional! We then moved into house-made pasta dishes. The parsnip and bone marrow ravioli was off the charts delicious. We also enjoyed the chitarra with egg yolk and scallion as well as the comforting pasta with pork ragu. Finally, the braised beef cheeks and whole roasted squab capped off a truly enjoyable dining experience. I felt as if we were literally in Italy as the food was very authentic. The service was super-friendly and the staff very knowledgeable about the food and the all Italian wine list. I left feeling like I was leaving the best neighborhood restaurant in the city. I can not recommend highly enough and will surely pass a long the experience to colleagues and friends alike.
We loved the apps, we had the anti pasto platter and the terrine. We could have eaten those all night.
Wine selection was excellent, and there was something there for every one and every bank balance.
Main courses were good, nothing jumped out as being spectacular. Nothing offence at all, and each of us (one a very picky eater) enjoyed each meal.
We split a dessert, and it was a good chocolate pudding with lavender ice-cream. Refreshing, but a bit boring. I guess we ordered it so then we cant complain.
Service was pleasant, no issue here.
Would go back for sure
Let me start by this- you have to know about the ingredients before you go there. No one off the street is going to say- feel like eating organs for dinner without doing their research. We did ours. And, yup, it's that good if livers, tripe, and meats like goat are up your alley.
Our bottle of Barbera wine paired great with our meal. We did the tripe with clams, pork liver with onions and fig (our favorite), goat ravioli in ginger broth, and for entree veal. It was just what you except from this place. Well made, plated, delivered. The server was perfect. No rush, had all the answers for our needy questions and was right there when you need fresh silverware and more wine in your glass. But don't stop because dessert was oh soo good. The panna cotta with spiced pumpkin and the chocolate panna cotta with pomegranate was just a perfect finish. You need reservations. I was happy to see a baby in there and we even made friends with the couple next to us.
First of all, I am not a "grocery store whore", in case you were curious.
Unlike others, I found the service to be the highlight of the dinner.
I was delighted by the menu, but not by the actual food itself.
My first starter was a simple ox tongue dish, which I liked the best of everything I tried. In fact, it was satisfying and gave me high hopes for the rest of the dinner.
My second starter was a dish involving grapes and tarragon, and the combination of flavors really was underwhelming.
For my entree, I had their heirloom tomato risotto, which I found difficult to eat. The tomatoes, of course, were delicious, but they *are* tomatoes. The risotto itself was texturally sloppy and the flavor was overwhelmingly garlic-y. Eek!
For dessert, I had their flourless chocolate cake. The texture was off, and it was too sugary-sweet for my taste.
I wouldn't be so picky if it weren't for the fact that it presents itself as a pretentious place (my impression) and that the prices suggest a quality that I just didn't find on my visit.
Sorry, Incanto. At least you seem to have enough of a following to keep you going!
I love the concept and am one of those people who will try pretty much anything. Honestly, though, the food just wasn't that great.
Boccalone is pretty much my favorite place on earth, so I had high hopes. And the charcuterie plate was very good (at least the parts from Boccalone were), but it was downhill from there. I ordered a sweetbread and potato dish; it was underseasoned and the sweetbreads were tough and overcooked. My date had the shortribs, and they were out-of-control fatty (even for shortribs!!) and not tender at all. We also tried a duck pasta dish that was only average.
I'm all about offal, but it needs to be cooked well to taste good. Maybe we went on an off night? It was a Saturday and I saw Chris Cosentino though...I wouldn't go back.
p.s.: i like the little rings around the glasses in wine flights to identify each kind. not necessary, but a nice touch.
Portions small.
Chairs uncomfortable.
Waiter confrontational.
Maitre D' unfriendly.
Wine list excellent.
Menu needs a decoder ring.
WAY WAY overpriced.
WE drove in from Marin County CA. to Noe Valley to eat at Incanto for our 24th anniversary. It was our second time there. I enjoy eating there immensely since much of the menu was quite a bit different than the other Italian restaurants we have in Marin. we started with the Veal-sweetbread terrina, which was basically a sweetbread pate. This was followed by their surprise trio of 3 Italian wines. Very tasty. Next was an Antipasto platter for two, which was comprised of several types of Salumi, roasted garlic and marinated vegetables.
For our entree, we had a Rye spaghetti, ham hock, savoy cabbage and potato dish, which was flavorful but slightly salty, and whole roasted local sardines cooked in chilli, capers, parsley, and olives. Excellent dish. For desert we shared a creme brulee type custard. It hit the spot.
We will definitely eat here again in the future, possibly for the whole grilled goat or cow, including the head, hooves, etc. THAT will be an gastronomic delight !
First of all, parking is easy peasy in the area. I know what you're thinking. Are we stil in the city? Yes, and it is glorious.
The waiter sat us even though we were early, and was missing our fourth. We started with a bunch of questions, which he cleverly answered. Then he brought out our Prosecco in the bucket of ice. Yup, I'm in love.
Next time, we're getting the wine flights that apparently everyone else in the restaurant got.
The three of us had our eyes on the grilled beef heart. The flavor and the texture is excellent. We just wish there was more. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Knowing I'm getting ice cream afterwards, I opted for the small portion of the spaghettini. They meant small. But it was still quite filling. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
The others had the sausage and escoloar, and the braised pork shoulders. The pork was out of this world good! http://www.yelp.com/bi.... http://www.yelp.com/bi....
FYI:
Five percent service charge added to all bills.
Menu changes frequently.
First the good news. I was there again a few days ago with a gal-pal. Shared two salads, an entree, dessert, and we each did some wine tasting.
I return to Incanto because of the fresh ingredients, the 100 score on their inspection card, salads, desserts, and wine selection.
This last time - everything was spot on - grape/turnip/almond salad and a beet salad. Both could have used a titch more zing (salt or pepper), but still very nice.
Had the roasted sardines with olivers, capers, peppers, olive oil, and they were masterful. Good portion too.
The spiced panna cotta with pumpkin jam was decadent. Light, creamy, and set the stage for Fall.
Wine - all Italian and delicious. They do a good job of describing the vino and offer a nice grouping of flights.
Now for the bad news. Service is inconsistent. I have dined there 12 - 15 in the last two years because I live nearby. Never once have they acted like they remember me or recommend a white wine - which I always order. I don't need foody coddling, but c'mon show some neighborly respect for your locals.
And the menu. They've got their stand-bys, which I don't order. I always go for the seasonal. The chef likes to show-off his adventurous side, but it would be nice to have more dishes to showcase his culinary skills with say a hearty piece of fish on a more regular basis.
Lastly, they discontinued their killed fennel house made breadsticks. What a shame. Totally different and they cut them because of cost-constraints.
I've got an idea- throw a couple of traditional dishes on your menu so more people will come in...and then you can bring the breadsticks back.
If your not willing to eat pig brains or worse (calf brains!) don't go. If you go, and you decline to eat pig brains you'll be made to feel like a wonk, when indeed you are not.
Pretentious from making the reservation (who is that snarky man?) to arriving, to ordering, and to . . .gulp, eating.
Wanting to avoid the pig brains, we went with pastas. So who is the bean counter at this place? I got the feeling that every speck of flour, every grain of salt, every drop of olive oil is counted, and that no one will get more than an exact amount of whatever bits and pieces make up your meal.
What's with their over hyped salumi. It gave me the unmistakable MSG buzz and hangover - eeek!
Their wine list is good, but for the Rude Mc Tude vibe, I'll go somewhere else for good wine and a meal.
If you want to get a feel for the attitude go to their website and read the section called "WHY" Pretentious snark at a new level . . . . why does the owner need to say BECAUSE (in bold italics) a total of 13 times in 8 paragraphs? Goodness, I'll never go back . . .
A nice neighborhood Italian place serving not so traditional food. It's the perfect place for those interested in something new and adventurous, so if you're looking for fettuccine chicken alfredo, then look elsewhere because you won't find it at Incanto.
They have a good selection of wine and flights that you can try. I opted for the "mystery trio" and was pleasantly surprised by 3 great Italian wines. Having waited a month before I reviewed this place, I unfortunately can't remember specifically which ones I had.
For starters we had the sweetbreads & fois gras. This was my first time trying sweet breads so I did not know what to expect. It turned out to be good although a little on the tough side. The foie gras was amazing.
I got the lamb neck for my entree. Usually neck meat is very tender so I expected it to a little more tender, but it was still delicious! Nice gamy taste and the sauce was really good. I also got to try the rabbit liver foie gras ravioli. Really good, but too dense/heavy.
Service was friendly and attentive. Great place to just grab a glass of wine at the bar or have a nice dinner trying exotic items from their unique menu.
I come regularly with my family for celebrations and the waitstaff knows us. The menu is always interesting and there's always something I want to try. But -- don't bring your friends who are expecting lasagna.
The restaurant has a clean, homey feel and we are always seated promptly. The servers are always willing to explain the unusual ingredients and are attentive, but not overbearing.
Whenever we come we usually get the antipasti and either a salad or foie gras appetizer (always sooo yummy). The menu changes all the time so you never quite get the same dish -- something I really like about the place. I've tried their pasta, risotto, sausage, fish, lamb, chicken, and duck dishes and I have yet to receive something I didn't like. (For those who are less adventurous I recommend either a pasta or a risotto, the offal is less obvious)
Dessert is a must. Again, I've had their fruit crostadas, panna cottas, cakes, chocolates, and gelatos. We always finish dessert.
Both the savory and sweet dishes always have balanced, harmonious flavor combinations. However, I have yet to bring any of my friends here. I'm afraid only a few would be willing to try some of the better items on the menu.
Went here a few weeks ago with some friends hoping to try their unique cuisine. I've tried some really "experimental" delicacies and foods when I was travelling SE Asia and remote regions of Italy, so I approached Incanto with excitement more than anything.
I'm not a big wine-O, but my love for wine emerged recently just a few years ago after trekking Italy for quite a while. I started with the "mystery mixer," I believe they call it, where you get 3-4 different kinds of wine samplings for you to guess the type. The Chianti Classicos were pretty good and the others were great too. Next I have the fois gras....AMAZING!!! Very tasty and went great with my wines.
For my main course, I had to try the lamb's neck. For all you vegans out there...beware...it's DELICIOUS AS HELL!!! It surprisingly had a fair amount of meat on it, much of it very tender, and cooked with so much flavor and enough punch. I wish we left room for dessert.
Awesome service with a great staff who seated us shortly after our reserved time. I'm a fan!
Incanto is not your ordinary Italian place. It uses unique ingredients and flavor combinations. I was lucky to be dining with 4 other people who didn't mind rotating their plates which resulted in me trying 6 different small plates, 5 main courses and 3 desserts!
Incanto's menu pushes the diner to be a bit adventurous since some of it's offerings included tuna hearts, duck hearts, goose breast, sweet breads, trotters, snails and whole sardines! Chef Cosentino's flavor combinations were well thought out. Standouts of the meal include the sausage, escolar with the horseradish creme fraiche. The escolar was so delicious. Spaghettini with tuna heart, egg yolk and
While my palate enjoyed the meal, my culinary vocabulary has also expanded- learning what bottarga, escolar and cotechino are.
4 stars for being different, unexpected, yet delicious!
The low stars on this page are simply because people are closed into their culinary voids, so when they are drawn out even a little bit, and you challenge someone's palette..... they shut down. I will attempt not to make "offal vs awful" jokes.
Also a note... I am saving the best for last.
If you know what offal is, you will probably be thrilled with this place. If you grew up near an abattoir as a poor family in Oregon or East St. Louis, and all you got were the leftovers from the animals, you will love this place. If you have ever eaten a pig's ear sandwich.....
This is offal on a new culinary level, cleverly masking as an Italian restaurant. I am sure much of the menu isn't touched by most fair-paletted guests, but this was a forage into familiar territory for me and my two partners. However.... during the evening I had one of the biggest shocks in my F&B history..... I saw & ate something I had never come across. That is rare.
For 3 seasoned foodies, we found the wine list disconcertingly inaccessible. It was meant to be this way, to keep a theme - but we are incredibly adventurous, as well as knowledgeable, with wine.... and the list was basically useless to us. Which is fine... but it is good to know their format. Corkage is $25. That's high.... so I think you need to go with the mentality they know what they are doing. Because we weren't completely taken with the list, we went with a 2007 Aglianico Terredora. It was big... totally flattened out, and the fruit tones were muted... so it was a delicious old world wine.
I will also say that portion size was perfect for all plates... it was wonderful to see someone that knows how to prepare a proper meal, without thinking you need to triple the portion becuase it's the US. The apps were larger, but the large pasta we got for secundo was just a solid size, I was really impressed.
We started with 3 plates:
The Calf's Brains, Piopini mushrooms, Douglas fir, and mugolio. It was breaded, the sauce was rich, but not too heavy. It didn't soak through the breading at all, so the flaky, perfectly golden breading held the tender calve's brain perfectly... it seemed to melt in your mouth.
The Grilled Sweetbreads & salsa verde were fantastic. I haven't always been a fan of sweebreads, but the prep & cooking of these made them, easily, the best I have ever had.
The AntiPasto platter was solid, but possibly suffered due to my Charcuterie Plate from Spruce a week earlier. Almost as if they battled in my mind..... I compared the two. I am sad to say I can't remember all that was on there... headcheese, country pate, a salami, a mortadella, and something else. It's all about advanced meat recovery anyway (http://en.wikipedia.or...) so just enjoy it!
Already teetering on the edge of comatose, we shared the large portion of the spaghettini, with Sardinian cured Tuna Heart shaved over the pasta, an egg yolk, & parsley. It was fantastic.... simply amazing. A small portion of pasta (we each got half a fist) ended up being one of the most fulfilling, rich, and delicious things I have eaten in awhile.... the heart tasted like tuna with a much bigger aroma and flavour. Almost like the depth of red meat, without being totally filled up.
Then it came:
Our friend @MicahN knew the chef, so @offalchris brought us out a plate of:
Tuna Spine crusted with peppers and garlic. If you know a bluefin or proper "tuna fish", the thing is like a ton... and the spine is about the size of an eaten corn on the cob....
They came out and we were lost.... as we started gathering how to eat them, it was a treat to gnaw into this "rib" and really strip it of the tuna.... what's exceptional is how much meat was on the bottom of the spine. It was tender, basically fell off... and was simply a delicious way to eat a culinary favourite. Frankly, it is refreshing not to have to see another derivative, boring Ahi Tartare plate. This is where it's at..... After you finish with the bone, you crack open the vertebrae and find spinal fluid. It's a jelly (firming while you cook it) not unlike an oyster (you shoot it out of the vertebrae pocket) that tastes exactly like Tuna.... nothing odd or awkward about it. Something else about the spine that really struck me is how ancient their bone structure is.... it looked like a bone from Alien vs. Predator. =)
Satiated, pleased, and totally jaw dropped - we passed up dessert. We were 3 guys, and we aren't too hip on sweets. Now that I realize we passed up proscuitto wrapped melon, I feel like a dolt. We did have a glass of the Passito di Pantellera, Ben Rye 2006, Donnafugata. Dry honey tones, stewed apricot, cinnamon and spice notes. Not too sweet, but robust (I even got some tar - no kidding - off of it on the back end, with some granny smith apple)... and a perfect way to end one of the most interesting, and best, meals I have had in my life (or at least a long time, to skirt hyperbole)
I'm not sure what to say about Incanto except that it was an out of the norm culinary experience. While visiting friends, they recommended eating here because the chef is from their home state of Rhode Island and was an up and comer in the SF food scene. I had the spaghetti with tuna heart - not as bad as it sounds as the "heart" was shaved over the pasta. The menu is eclectic and, for some, probably a stretch. I don't see what all they hype is about, although the food and wine list is A-OK and the service above average. I can't see being a regular because of the oddities on the menu, but if your up for a gastronomic adventure, you might consider it.
Approaching my 2nd year anniversary of living in SF, I find that I am still very much finding my footing on yelp. The constant battle of whether to sit down and pen a scathingly funny if ultimately irrelevant review or a far more staid review that is undoubtedly true to the site's original purposes wages on...internally. I read alot of both and nevertheless am aware of not having really settled in on my voice...virtually speaking, natch.
Anyhoo, mercifully that debate can be saved for another day because my recent visit to Incanto inspired nothing but a straightforward, garden variety, dare I say vanilla (?) restaurant review.
It was, in a word, good. I liked the warm, Tuscan-like ambiance. Our server was ALL business but that was okay I suppose.
After hearing much chatter about the infamous offal-laded charcuterie plate I found our antipasto platter (the only thing on the appetizer list that suggested offal en masse) to be good, not great. A housemade pseudo-prosciutto was a standout. The rest (including mortadella and headcheese) were unremarkable.
I ordered lamb's neck for my entree and my partner got pork belly. Again, both good. Period. I engaged in some self-congratulating for moving aside the tendon (which appeared to be an innocuous bone until I touched it...shake it off Auburn, shake it off) with aplomb. The lamb was perhaps a bit lamb-ier than your basic shank or chop but the flavor was hearty and rich.
I guess I was expecting more. More pushing of the culinary envelope, at a minimum. And perhaps a meal that delivered more of a punch than this one did.
Nothing bad to say here, except that this cute Noe restaurant doesn't make it on my "MUST return to" list. Not in this city.
As we waited for a cab home I started chatting with another patron who was there with the FoodNetwork having filmed an episode of The Best Meal I Ever Had at Incanto that afternoon. So maybe I just ordered wrong?
Good friends took me here for my birthday dinner. I've been a big fan of Chef Chris Cosentino, and have always wanted to try his food after seeing him on Iron Chef. I knew his specialty was in offal (other parts), and that being my quirky obsession, I was totally psyched for our dinner.
We started with the Antipasto platter of Boccalone artisan salumi, roasted garlic & marinated vegetables. Everything was pretty tasty, but my favorite was the thick cut of Paté di Campagna - a traditional paté made of coarsely ground pork meat plus tongue, liver, kidney, blood and herb spicing. This went well with the house made mustard and subtle flavor from the roast garlic. The lardo (cured back fat), which just melted in your mouth, was a close second.
Next we had a pork trotter dish with foie gras, apples, and savoy cabbage. The foie gras was perfectly seared and I loved the richness of the dish with the other components. I ended up sopping up all the leftover foie gras sauce with the crostini and focaccia.
Our last appetizer was the asparagus with sweetbread salsa and poached egg, which I chose simply because of the sweetbread component. This dish was also excellent, all the components perfectly cooked and sweetbreads as good as I've had. I also remember remarking how good the asparagus was, it was a thicker asparagus but perfectly cooked till tender, bringing out all the natural flavor.
For my entree I went light with the Pasta chitarra, Sardinian cured tuna heart, egg yolk & parsley. I enjoyed the wonderful aroma of the shaved tuna heart and the perfectly al dente pasta. With some of the egg yolk oozing all over the pasta, this was pasta perfection.
I had a taste of my friend's pork and beans, which was a huge portion of pork belly with nicely cooked white beans. The only fault he found was the ratio of fat to meat in the pork belly, but when it's time to indulge, this dish is the perfect vehicle. The perfectly cooked pork belly was indeed a guilty pleasure. (No worries though, we ended up walking a mile to Bi-Rite Creamery to work it off!)
I also tried my other friend's Slow-roasted lamb neck with gremolata, garlicky rapini & creamy polenta, which was also very tasty but a better balance than the pork belly dish. The lamb screamed slow roasted, with a deep meaty flavor and perfect tenderness only resulting from the time and care evidently taken.
With a bottle of Prosecco and Chianti, not to mention seeing Chef Cosentino in house, this dinner was truly memorable. Thanks guys!
Ever been at a guy's house, asked to use his computer, typed in Y-O and had http://Youporn.com pop-up as one of his most frequently visited sites?
UNCOMFORTABLE.
I felt the same way last night staring at my date's kama sutra quail at Incanto. Out of the corner of my eye, I concentrated on those intertwined quail legs for at least five minutes - unable to move and wondering how they bent themselves into those positions. I didn't know quail could do that Finally, I blushed and focused on the cod piece... I mean piece of cod.
The Valentine's prix fixe menu, obviously not designed for the faint of heart, was a welcome surprise. I'm not the brightest, but even I could tell "seduction" was the theme. From the oysters with apples and green onions to start (my date had an ample serving of terrine) to the delicious entrees, our senses were teased and baited and pleased and elated.
Dessert was also designed to rev our engines. Three points if you know the real reason bee pollen was added to the honey pannacotta.
Sexy lighting, attentive waitstaff, clean restroom, and my date's mancrush on a Chef known for cooking with EVERY part of the animal, all combine for one very scintillating 5-star review.
Even after all the food foreplay, I still played it safe and didn't put out. But, after looking at these prices, I probably should have.
Yes-lured by the many wonderful reviews-a must since i was there. This was my first dinner of choice. All in all...good..as you'd expect in a good Italian restaurant as there are plenty back in NYC. I'm more fond of the antipasto platter. Got the pork shoulder, risotto, Mint malfatti with beef brasato(italian mint on big sized rigatoni noodle),Spaghettini, Sardinian cured tuna heart, egg yolk & parsley (fun to mix noodles before eating)
All were size enough for one to finish...unfortunately i was too stuffed for dessert.
P.S. surprisingly...i didn't spot any other restaurant in sight around there
Finally, a restaurant in the city with ample street parking! Creative and very tasty menu. Staff is knowledgeable and professional. I found the appetizers much more fun to try than the entrees, which were very good too.
Seating with table for two was a little cramped, but otherwise, a great meal and dining experience!
You have got to try their toast ice cream - it sounds weird and not that amazing but trust me on this one - it is HEAVEN. Came here with some friends who aren't quite as adventurous as I am with eating "alternative" cuts but if you can take it - I had pig trotter ravioli that was actually light and refreshing. Try the lamb "fries" and try to guess what part of the animal it is.... you'll never guess by the name but when you see those huevos on a plate there will be no doubt in your mind where those twins came from. And surprisingly delicious....?
The spicy trippa was fine. The pork belly was good. The chicken and waffle was good.
The HYPE...is not delivered at Incanto.
Kind of like buying a Ferrari (homage to Italy) and then looking under the hood to find a 4 cylinder Ford Escort engine (with one bad cylinder). Take a clue from Incanto's proud proclamation of serving Offal. (perhaps pronounced awful, which does reflect the food at Incanto), so they are "true to form".
Based on one dinner experience:
In the Dante room (16 people), had the roast beast (yup the whole beast - a pig) replete with the famed Baccalone (much hyped) antipasto platter, baby fennel soup w/ goat cheese crostino, braised lacinato kale & pangrattato, roasted chantenay carrots w/ coriander & chervil, Lemon thyme panna cotta w/ candied kumquats & Flourless chocolate cake w/ hazelnut teeccino cream.
1. PIG: a whole roasted pig, FUN to see the entire beast show up and carved in the room however, NOT tasty. Quite ordinary, and disappointing. The stuffing, which was carefully explained by the "CHEF", was bread & duck fat....tasteless blobs.
2. Baccalone antipasto - GREAT (hard to mess up this kind of antipasto), you can try it at the Ferry Building - a related company makes it.
3. "Baby" fennel soup - hmmm the "baby" was ugly. I wondered if the broth was made by boiling dirty socks? The fennel was not "baby" - tough like wood. The WORST soup I have ever tasted (yup, I could only handle just a taste).
4. Braised lacinato kale & panagrattato: The WORST I have ever had.
Just bad.(think sautéed kale, no spice, with bread crumbs on top)
5. Roasted Chantenay Carrots: over cooked (soggy) & under seasoned.
6. Dessert: (in keeping with the rustic theme...ha ha ha) Lemon thyme panna cotta w/ candied kumquats & flourless chocolate cake w/ hazelnut teeccino cream: The best part of the meal. and yes, yes, yes very rustic.
NOTHING but the dessert and the people we were with provided a
"memorable" dining experience". OK, I get it, cleaver & thoughtful
An "Italian" restaurant from their website: "The food we serve at Incanto represents a part of Italy that is called 'California'."
Restaurants should exceed the sum of its parts, and a really
contrived "sum of the parts" pleases many (and thus many 5* reviews). The "sum of the parts" resulted in a big deficit here.
Incanto restaurant formula:
1. grow herbs on the roof (because fresh herbs taste great...can't disagree) great SF sensibility
2. support & celebrate sustainable food practices because it is the
right thing to do (yup right thing to do...especially in revered Noe Valley), and it creates a foodie & PC (politically correct) "buzz", and use reusable water decanters with Hetch Hetchy water (what a unique concept)
3. a private dining "Dante" room -connection with the past
(Dante Alighieri permeates.... Devine Comedy & Dante's Inferno) diners get to decide which is relevant to their experience at Incanto. (Oh, watch out for the cement looking out-cropping thing on the wall when exiting this room). The naming also provides an air (mainly hot air) of respectability.
4. named Incanto "incantation" inspires the magical & charm & allurement of an experience (I incanted something quite different than magical & charm), we were not looking for an incantation, just good food.
5. invoke the philosophy (mainly on their website) of Italian cooking (hmmm ....ok, an "A" for EFFORT a "D" for RESULT).
6. maximize revenue & profit (buy wine and get better service kinda like a mantra)
7. provide a well thought out "formula" restaurant (with a "waste not
want not", use all parts of the source animal sensibility throughout, sustainable, rustic, put 16th century lithos on the wall, ....)
8. create mystery: "Incanto's wine list is comprised almost entirely of Italian wines, many of which are probably unfamiliar to you" (website quote) ... maybe because they are not undiscovered, but because they are not the best, but provide Incanto with best profit.
Incanto does not: train their waiters/ress/bus people to be courteous & thoughtful (perhaps transplanting the approach waiters proudly display in Rome (....that would be in Italy....sans the Italian accent) they seem to be on the prescribed routine. After dropping a good amount of $ (more than 2k), our group was saying our "good byes" just outside the (rented) Dante room (at 10:30PM....) and were asked to "move out of the way", "go outside" to say good bye. A 2nd visit is not in our plans.....EVER.
I will go back to Bacco instead:
Ristorante Bacco
737 Diamond St
(between 24th St & Elizabeth St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-4969
http://www.baccosf.com
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