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Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"Quite simply, my favorite neighborhood restaurant and squarely within my "top 5 in SF". I've been here probably a half dozen times in the…" read more »
I'm glad to see this place getting some love here although I enjoyed thinking it was my secret place. I enjoy the atmosphere, the service and the food each time I go.
It's been in operation in that location since way back when that area was an Irish neighborhood, and my extended family (three generations) have been going there for family gatherings since the 50's.
This place is so cute. You can definitely tell that it's been around for awhile with all the pictures hung all over the walls. The old man, who hosts and buses, is adorable. We made reservations for a party of seven and coincidentally a party of seven came in before us claiming they had reservations. They assumed it was us and seated them. They pulled a fast one on the old man and cheated us out of a table! Granted, they should've asked that party for their name but it's a small place and I doubt many parties of seven make reservations. The old man said if he could, he'd throw them into the ocean (!!!). He was very apologetic and gave us free wine while we gave the other party the stink-eye and waited for another table.
The food was awesome. I had the salad with gorgonzola and walnuts with balsamic vinaigrette and the tinta pasta with calamari, tomato puree and ink sauce. Mmmm The pasta was cooked just right and the sauce was more tomato-y than inky if that makes ANY sense. My friend had ravioli and fried bass with capers which she thoroughly enjoyed. I'm not a big fish person but I'm pretty sure I could knock back three of those basses. Another friend had alfredo with chicken breast and it was so tender.
Aside from the reservation snafu, I had a great time and ate great food so I will definitely be coming back!
3.5 stars
Cute place, opera playing in the background, opera pictures in eclectic frames covering the walls - an atmosphere that takes into another world for the time it takes to eat your meal. The food is not new fangled or fad-affected; it is traditional and old world feeling. That is not to imply that you will recognize everything on the menu; there's still some room for exploration here - pasta with squid ink sauce for example. The place feels a bit like a mafia family could run it or else a mafia family could walk in and demand a meal (maybe this is my imagination running now). Anyway, the food is good and unpretentious, but still nice in a date night kind of way. Bring a friend, a date, or a group of hungry people, and I think you'll find yourselves happy and full at the end of your meal!
La Traviata is a great Italian restaurant. it seems off the beaten path. we got there late around 9ish. this stretch on Mission & 24th at this hour is dead. for a moment i thought maybe we were in the wrong block, as the restaurant has like a 10 foot wide front, with a small neon sign, which you can quite easily miss.
anyway, the interior looks like you are sitting in New York. the walls have pictures from back when this restaurant was a regular for opera giants as Pavarotti, Domingo, and Maria Callas (we are talking over 30 years now) the photographs are signed copies to the proprietors of this establishment. a couple of others which caught my eye was of a young Santana with his wife, and one of Keanu Reeves and with his posse.
for starter they serve tortellini with white or mainara sauce and bread which is baked daily at the restaurant. it was fresh and so hot the butter literally melted into it.
we ordered three entree's. the first was ravioli on a bed of spinach which was a special -it was good. the second was sweet bread, cooked with tomatos, zucchini, onions and fresh herbs -pure delight. the last dish was salmon and recommended by the server, which i believe was baked in a filo dough. the puffy pastry was cut open at our table, and in there was the fish smothered in olives, diced tomato's, onions, and herbs -the flavors got marinated right into the fish. i loved it!
anyway, i will be back. the owner Jack is a cool dude. he let us stay later then usual. now i need to end, as im watching the Euro Cup, Germany vs. Portugal.
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La Traviata is so close to my place that I relied on the Yelp reviews and picked it for a special dinner. The inside is charming - everything Yelp reviewers have said is true. The bread was divine and the wine service impeccable. I ordered the sauteed Basa and my friend had the prawns. His was terrific, mine was so boring and dry that even the lemon caper sauce couldn't bring it to life. The veggies were perfect. We had both the red and white sauce on the tortellini, and they were tasty. We did not order starters or salads, but it took almost 2 hours to get through dinner. There were perhaps 10 other tables being served, and I could not see a reason for the delays. That's a minus one star. There were also fruit flies landing on my food and wine - another minus.
The prices are fair, the people are well trained and hospitable, and I promise to come back again and give them another shot. This experience was a bit disappointing however.
I don't give 5 star reviews. If this place were a person, it would be that quirky little guy who is so happy with just who he is that everyone likes him. The atmosphere was adorable, the food scrumptious. I loved everything about it. The waiter (yes, I think he is French) was very helpful, we got our water without ice like we asked, the fresh baked bread was soft and perfect, the minestrone was like heaven, and the pasta dishes were amazing. We told him we were going to share one of the pasta dishes, and he offered to plate it separately for us. Now that's service! Please go and check this little gem of a place out.
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My Honey took me here for Valentine's Day In 06' the food presentation was very nice and delicate. That's a +.
I remember the Portabello stuffed with cheese and mini lobster meat WOWSERS! The Shrimp Conollini was pretty scrumptous too.
I was so pleased with with the service as well they were all on point.
I LOVES IT!!!!!
Love this place!!!! This is what The City is all about right here!!!
Good food, EXCELENT service and drumroll please...PARKING on Mission St... no really you can park close even on fri/sat nite.
Same cool ass staff for years. Got questions or cant decide let them help you out.
I thought like me and ten other people knew about this spot, but i see you cant keep a good thing secret from you yelpers.
Oh yeah. had dinner there one night and an opera singer whose picture was on the wall was at the table next to us. Kinda cool
This is
If I get to choose a last meal on earth, it'll be here.
Mozarella en Carrozo! Squid pasta thing ("the tinta!") So Good!
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La Traviata is a gem that offers affodable, flavorful, robust pasta and dinners in a relaxing Italian-ish atmosphere. It feels like a location warp and a time warp, but not awkwardly so. They take a lot of pride in their restaurant.
Food: The ceasar is tangy and good. The bread is freshly baked and actually quite light. This is a butter not olive oil place, and the butter comes in scooped out balls, just like at the dinner houses my parents used to take me to. There's a selection of meatless pasta which are very tasty (and meat ones, too, of course). The chicken dishes that you have to wait for are rather good, too, and we've tried both. They are very concerned that you order these on time. The one weakness we discovered is the gnocci; skip it here and go to Il Borgo or Capri for gnocci.
Have not tried the desserts yet but the comp birthday Tiramisu is only so-so.
I like the opera music as it's different, relaxing and not intrusive. I like all the kitshy photos. I like that we always have a waiter, who I think is French, at this Italian joint in the Mish. I've sat down when the place is mostly empty only to find it completely full later with people from 20 to 70 somethings, including couples, groups, families.
And, miracle of mirales, we always find parking on Saturday nights within a block away.
Rule No. 1: Don't go into any establishment with YIE (Yelp Inflated Expectations).
Rule No. 2: Don't forget Rule No. 1.
So this place is decent, but not that good. The average yelp rating of 4 stars, where n = more than 50, is definitely wrong. Yelp users are generally so picky that anything with overall 4 stars could easily be comprised of lots of individual 5-star ratings. One of which is often me. But this is not the case at La Traviata.
The decor is reminiscent of a Sopranos Sunday family dinner, and the photos cool, but the over-the-top opera music is tacky.
And the food was mostly mediocre (not Olive Garden crap mediocre, but not much I'd recommend). I liked the chicken al forno, which you preorder 30 minutes ahead and comes with a side of tortellini. The rest of my party (which got the garlic-basil pasta, the mushroom pasta, and the eggplant parmesan) had very average meals.
Delfina is better. Even places in Palo Alto (Osteria, Cafe Pro Bono) are much better. Not terrible, but don't make a special trip.
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This place is ADORABLE! We walked in and it definitely felt like you stepped into another place. All the photos on the wall made the place a little Buca de Beppo-esque, without the crazy screaming atmosphere.
There was only one waiter (poor guy) to serve all the tables, so it was a little slow. The bread was fresh out of the oven, our entrees come with a side of tortellini (with your choice of cream or tomato sauce). The mozzerella appetizer is to die for; I just wish I could say the same about the entree (or maybe I was so stuffed from everything else I couldn't appreciate it to its fullest).
They even dim the lights and blast the "Happy Birthday" song over their speakers! Way to feel special.
Reminiscent of Boun Gusto's in South City, yet with a more city feel to it. The service is perfect, they bake their own bread, the wine is supurb and the food even better! I love the ambiance and the fact that it's quite affordable. This tried and true restaurant can't be recommended highly enough!
Next time I fully expect to see a Tony Soprano-type be ushered behind some black curtain somewhere. This place beats anything in North Beach by far.
This place is like sweet, little, Italian titties!!!! Not easy to come by in San Francisco, but once you find 'em MAN it's hard to stop thinkin' about them. Seriously, not to be confused with nicely tanned California tits. This place is THE tits.
A friend took me here last night, and I tossed and turned all night just thinking about the tortellini in cream sauce that accompanied my pollo piccata. The restaurant is not in North Beach, no - it's in outer mission - not too far from the Foxy Lady Boutique (where your local hos likes to shop), across the street from La Taqueria (where your local hos like to dine), and a half block away from BART.
Wow, this place took me back to little Italy in the Bronx, NY. It is a hole in the wall, with pictures of old Opera singers covering every inch of wall space. It is not like other Italian restaurants in San Francisco. This place feels special. They've been there for 35 years, so they've seen the neighborhood change, but you can tell they haven't changed much. The food is soooo freekin good. Melt in your mouth goodness, I tell you. UH! They serve until about 10pm on the weekdays. Ruy was our server, and did a fabulous job, even gave us free flan at the end of our meal!! So good. So good. Sooooo good.
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Fantastic! The service, food, and atmosphere was perfect. When I got there, it was early, no one was there. I went to La Traviata because I was craving some Italian while at the MIssion.
I was completely surprised by this random pick. The staff was very accommodating. I was in a rush, and the food came very quickly, it felt like 5 minutes. At the end, the waiter was so brilliant to just get the check. He was a happy dude, too! He cracks jokes and was very personable. Another staff member would also periodically come by to see if we needed anything.
The food: OMG, the bread so simple, but so comforting. It was like the perfect french fry, thin and crunchy on the crust, but so soo warm/hot and soft in the middle. It felt like it was made fresh. The main entree was a pasta dish (white sauce) with chicken. The chicken was curiously soft and juicy. How is it not dry at all? The white sauce was not salty at all, but it was far from bland. It had a medium thick consistency with a mouthfeel of liquid creaminess--all without the taste or feel of fat/grease. The noodle was cooked just right, a nice bounciness to it.
The atmosphere: No window view, just a dining room, but with a stain glass window by the doorway, you can't help but feel transport to Italy--especially with Italian music playing at the right volume in the background. The right and left wall was lined with frames of celebrities, but this place was clean--no dust whatsoever. The spot lighting created a more private atmosphere. The booth seating furthered the feeling of seclusion. The white tablecloth and napkin gave this Italian joint a classy, upscale, treat-yourself kind of feel.
The price was moderate. $13-14 for my pasta. I gave almost a 25% tip, because being in a somewhat neutral/crappy mood, I left feeling like the first part of my day was yesterday. I really was transported from where I was before I set foot in there.
Come here for a wonderful meal, great service, and a vacation.
What would give this place 5-stars? Tea-light candles and a bigger dining room...and maybe less dramatic cinematic music. Maybe something with the mandolin or accordion.
La Traviata is a favorite of ours. It's just around the corner and I've never been disappointed with a meal, including take out meals. They have a unique ability to meet my carbohydrate needs with a wee loaf of piping hot, buttery bread...it is so good...and after a long week almost nothing makes me happier. The decor is dated but who cares when the food is that good! The owners have been in the same spot for like 40 years and they are the nicest, warm hearted people and they make you feel so welcome. It's fun to look at all the pictures of Beverly Sills and other Operatic greats...it's a wonderful hangout!
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Hubby and I have been looking for a low-key, authentic, italian restaurant in the City for a while. This place is a hidden treasure. While the place looks non-descript from the outside, the food inside is absolutely delicious! Our appetizer of grilled octopus is the best I have ever had. Our entrees (hubby had the salmon grilled in parchment and I had the mushroom pasta) was extremely flavorful. Aside from being an expertly prepared meal, the portions are generous, and the prices are very reasonable.
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" In Mexico, we call the last drops of the wine 'the drops of happiness'. We always give them to the women because we don't want unhappy women"
These are the pearls of wisdom given to me at this fantastic italian restaurant in the middle of the mission. The fried Mozzarella is to die for as is the El Bocce Sangiovese wine. The only thing keeping this place from 5 stars is it's sub-par gnocchi. The waiters are great, the food is great, the atmosphere is a bit too "romantic" for me, but it's great kitsch if you like that sort of thing. I agree with the guy below me, don't bring your friends and over populate it, but definitely come by and eat their delicious food.
I always hesitate to review places that are well-covered, but since I went here based on Yelp reviews, thought I might as well.
Very cozy atmosphere--it looks more expensive than it actually is, which is a nice surprise! I love the opera music playing, too. It's comfort food--good, solid Italian, of a style you don't find very often anymore. A very old-fashioned place with wonderful service. I didn't love it quite enough to want to go back soon, but it's nice to have in my back pocket.
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Ready S and I enjoyed an amazing meal at La traviata a couple weeks back. Brought up italian and having lived in NYC for years before heading West I truly felt that SF could not deliver the old school, home cooked, delicious italian food I knew and loved. I WAS WRONG.
La Traviata is excellent. Amazing, pleasureable, enjoyable - i could go on and on. If you like straight up no joke italian food get over there immediately.
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The food was pretty good, and the waiters were nice. But we had a bit of a misunderstanding about the main courses. My friend ordered one of the veal dishes which came with a side of tortellini. He chose the cream sauce. I ordered the tortellini as a main (also with cream sauce). So the server comes out with a small portion of tortellini, which I mistakenly assume is mine. And out of courtesy, I don't start in on it until my two friends have food. So we ended up sitting there with the tortellini untouched in front of me for maybe 5 min. It got to the point where we had to ask for the rest of our food.
Turns out that they do the side as a dish between the appetizer and the main. So the (now cold) tortellini sitting in front of me was my friend's side dish. I guess they were too busy to tell us what was going on. But when we asked for our food, it came right out.
Hidden gem! Been in business for about 34 years, still in the family. John has been running the place for 13 years and it's still serving delicous home cooking! Italian and heart felt! You can really feel the passion and their love for food.
Their special app baked Portabella Mushroom with melted provalone and prawns was amazing! Flavor in every bite.
They have a delicous white sauce that is absolutely to die for!
Service is friendly, walk-ins accepted, but if you have a huge party it's always nice to call ahead. John would appreciate that~
Espresso machine is down due to the power outage they experienced on Friday 1/04/08.
Worth every cent, they are so reasonably priced!
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Wow, the gnocchi is to die for. The Portabelo Mushroom with provolone and shrimp...outstanding. The waiters are fabulous. Its quiet, romantic and kitchy at the same time. Great Italian food in the mission.
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The service is fantastic (and all of the servers seem to be rather humorous at that). Prices are really reasonable fore the city and the food is above average. The wood-paneled interior gives it that "old school" look and I didn't feel like I was in the Mission at all--that same architecture somehow also makes it relatively quiet inside, which is becoming more of an exception in the SF restaurant scene. If you're looking for a relaxed Italian meal, this is the place to go!
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I have lived in the neighborhood for 13 years and finally made it to La Traviata! This little place is so nondescript from the outside it's easy to let it fall off the radar, which come to think of it...is probably one of the reasons it's still such a gem. The decor is old school family-style Italian with wall-to-wall signed photos of people we didn't recognize. Staff are a real pleasure - friendly, very funny and attentive even when busy. The menu is classic and fairly small with daily specials. The Stracciatella Romana (egg drop soup) and Caprese salad are good starters, and the cheese tortellini with special cream sauce was decadently rich but not overdone. Though it is hard, save room for their delicious desserts - think pannacotta, profiteroles and spumoni ice cream in a large sundae dish with a cherry on top!
Thanks Yelp! La Traviata is just what we were looking for in our neighborhood. The food is fantastic. The ambiance is unpretentious and the service is great. This was a first visit to the restaurant and it won't be the last.
The Cesare is good but know it is prepared with anchovies. The Mozzarella In Carrozza is the best, there can't be enough said about the marinara sauce. Not one bit of red was remaining after taking to it with the hot, hot, hot bread that accompanied our order.
The Melanzane Alla Parmigiana (layered eggplant, mozzarella, parmesan, tomato sauce) was awesome. The house dish La Travita (veal, proscuitto, mozzarella, sherry wine) was well received too. We were so stoked about this meal and satisfied enough to walk home.
It was about 10pm when we were offered dessert. We ordered the Cannoli. This can be one of my favorite desserts if the Cannoli is fresh and crispy. Even though we had a fantastic meal, pessimism was present. How could a Cannoli be fresh and crisp this late in the day? Eagerness replaced reluctance as we devoured the Cannoli. It might not be the best in the city but it was a damn good effort.
It would be an understatement to say we are looking forward to our next visit with friends.
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I've been here several times, and have never been dissatisfied. Last Saturday, however, I ordered the special "Italian Pastitsio" and it was quite possibly one of the best meals of my life.
If I could give La Traviata six stars for having amazing food and also delicious hot bread every time I walk in there, I would, but Yelp has to have rules, you know.
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3.5 stars, really. 3 stars for my food, but 4 stars for service. As he sat me and my girlfriends at a cozy booth, our waiter asked "Did you hear about the earthquake?" We were like "WHAT?!?" He said, "Well, 3 angels just felt out of the sky." Rather amusing, and a pleasant beginning to our evening. That's the strange thing about cheesy pickup lines. If they're directed at a group, they are funny and charming. But at one person, they are obnoxious.
La Traviata, as many other reviewers have pointed out, is smack dab in the heart of the Mission. It's a rather unexpected locale, especially when you walk into the richly decorated foyer. The dining room is adorned with photos of opera divas, past and present.
First, they serve hot bread. I mean HOT BREAD. The butter melts right into it. It's hard not to just scarf it all down. I maintained my discipline so I could eat the actual meal. I started with the Caesar salad, which I'm afraid to say was somewhat disappointing. The lettuce was crisp and fresh, but the dressing was anchovy overkill. I love me some anchovy-y Caesar dressing, but this was ridiculous. It was like anchovies pureed and poured over romaine. Not really my cup of tea. I couldn't even finish half of it. For my main course, I had the tortellini soup. It contained about 20 or so pieces of tortellini in a light chicken brodo. It was decent. Not bad, but not super memorable.
Although I felt lukewarm about my food, my fellow diners seemed to enjoy their dishes very much, and due to the friendly service and cute vibe of the place, I round my rating up to 4 stars.
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When my friend told me we were going to an Italian place in the Mission, I thought she was kidding. Or misinformed. Nope, wrong again. La Travista is a really cute restaurant with a kitschy feel and a neat looking hatched ceiling nestled in between various taquerias and markets. Random, but what hell.
The bread was prolly the best part of the meal. It was warm and yummy and me, along with my party, couldn't get enough. My entree wasn't as good as the bread, unfortunately. I had the Carbonara pasta, and I think it was the sauce that threw it all off for me. It lacked flavor and punch, I was disappointed. I heard the tortillini was amazing though.
The service was pretty good, everyone else seemed to really enjoy their food, except me, so I give this place a 3.5 starts. Next time I go back I'll most likely get the tortillini and bump this place up to a solid 4 star.
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OMG! so good when intoxicated. Just perfect. Especially the bread they give you for free before the meal! And the pasta. GREAT! and yes. I did just type "OMG". Yummmm..... Great hole in the wall to take your friends. Your friends being me. Take me there.
My group of 4 decided to get dinner rather late, around 9. After some phone calls to various restaurants in the Mission, we called La Traviata to see how long the wait would be. No wait. Beautiful. We trotted over a few blocks and discovered this really cute, quirky place. Portraits of various people cover the wall, interspersed with pictures from the namesake opera. We had a fifth friend join the group a bit late, but her food came out at the same time as ours. I had the salmon, which was a bit salty, but good, and the tortellini was delicious. Between the five of us - four entrees, one appetizer, and a bottle of wine, our bill was under $100.
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Walking down Mission, you'd never expect to push open a door to find a cozy, dark-wood paneled Italian restaurant very nearly wallpapered in photos and art. In a way, it feels a bit like you've walked into someone's dining room.
The service is friendly almost to the point of absurdity. The winelist is reasonable, and the food is good. Amazing? No... but certainly good.
Further, you get free tortellini with any of the meat dishes. If that isn't enough to convince you, there's almost never a wait - somehow La Traviata has continued to remain a secret.
Now that you know, take advantage of it!
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The best gnocchi in the misson. The special are always so good. The best thing about this place is the bread...it seriously comes out ready to burn your fingers.Why go to NB if I have this in the Mission.
A charming Italian restaurant in the most unlikely of locations (24th and Mission). The ambiance was the highlight for me, wacky portraits cover the walls some signed, most featuring old haircuts and nice mustaches.
Service was excellent and I couldn't help but notice the legit older Italian couple dining near our boisterous group (my apologies madam).
The bread was served warm and was excellent, but the gnocchi wasn't the best I've had, the red sauce didn't have enough punch. For now I'll say 3 stars, but don't be surprised if I bump it to 4 stars after my next experience.
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Pleasantly suprised! Great kept secret in the mission. Exceeded my expectations! I read the yelp reviews because I was looking to try something new, I was surprised to find this place in the mission and we decided to give it a try.
This place is homey and not the chic trendy trattoria type places. We were immediately welcomed and the food tasted like right from italy. Authentic italian food, warm welcoming services, and all around really good italian food. This place will blow away all of those lame tourist places in North Beach. My solid endorsement - keep up the good work.
La Traviata is a charming little Italian-American restaurant that's perfect for a date. The vibe is relaxed, friendly and fun, whilst the food is damn tasty. The lasagne is to die for, although it's not always on the menu. The only knock against them is the limited wine list.
I was mesmerized by the hatched wood ceiling when I first came in here. The booths and the sentimental family and restaurant goer photos also add a lot of character here. The food is good here, but probably not as good as Delfina or Oliveto or the other Bay Area Italian greats. The service could use some attention. Our waiter stopped coming to our table after he dropped off the appetizer and screwed up part of an entree, and the other servers / owner started waiting on us instead later. All in all, this is a pretty homey place that will be hard not to come back to.
the best italian restaurant in the mission! fine service, excellent ambiance, and very good food too. bring a date, bring your parents. fair prices too.
One of the few restaurants open on Christmas eve. We had the Melanzane A;;a Parmigiana - an eggplant dish. The sauce was excellent and we were delightfully surprised.
Oh, yes we also want to mention the lettuce in the salad was actually fresh (rather than your typical SF salad with slimy dead leafs of lettuce mixed in your "mixed bouquet").
The house made bread was delicious as well.
Plus biodegradable to-go ware was used.
Being in the food business ourselves we were impressed.
I'm giving La Traviata a big five stars because it's just bloody irreplaceable. For starters: A family-owned and -run, old-school-liek-whoa Italian restaurant located in the guts of Mission Street? What are the chances? For secundi: It's a dark, plush time warp of a place, all mellifluous opera soundtrack and big red booths and dark wooden walls covered with autographed portraits of divas past and present (mostly past).
Naw, the food isn't trendy, but it's sincere and fulsome. Mmmm... squid and pasta. The bread is baked fresh, and the staff recognizes you by your second visit. Plus, if you celebrate your birthday there, they dim the lights, put on Pavarotti and bring out a slice of candelit tiramisu. Dude. If that's not some new circle of heaven, I don't know what is.
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