- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Macaroni Sciue Sciue
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
124 Columbus Ave(between Kearny St & Jackson St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: Financial District
(415) 217-8400
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
95 reviews for Macaroni Sciue Sciue
Review Highlights
"...crispy and lightly salted with a hint of olive oil."
(in 8 reviews)
"I ordered the Squid Ink pasta with seafood."
(in 2 reviews)
"...wonderful, yummy yummy polenta with gorgonzola appetizer."
(in 4 reviews)
Loading...
95 reviews in English
-
Review from Nicole G.
Cupertino, CA
2/2/2012
We (4 of us) ended up having lunch at Macaroni Sciue Sciue by accident 2 weeks ago, and it won't be the last time. The food was absolutely delicious and the deserts were out of this world!
The staff was super friendly and since it was already so late and they were ready to close they even gave us a "non-alcoholic" drink after our meal that was really delicious. Sorry, but I can't remenber the name, it had an Italian name...
Highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner! You won't be sorry! -
Review from Don S.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012
Stopped in here with my bf for dessert last night after a great dinner. Needed something sweet to end the evening so we both ordered the Profiteroles (cream puff). OMG, they were awesome. They served two, one with white chocolate and one with chocolate, presented eloquently and appetizing. It was late so the restaurant had only a few people which allowed us to sit anywhere we wished. The staff was so friendly and upbeat. It was truly the perfect way to end the evening!
We'll be back! I think this will become a regular 'sweet' spot for us on the way home. -
Review from Brad K.
Moraga, CA
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food here is AWESOME. One of my favorite Italian restaurants in the city. Based on what other people have said, I'd stay away from the pizza and the seafood, as that's really not their specialty. But the regular pasta dishes are hard to beat, and their appetizer bread with oil-garlic-spices dipping sauce are incredible.
Also think the atmosphere is pretty good, and this is coming from a guy who normally doesn't even notice if the ambience is that of a garbage can. Small but not cramped or crowded, and generally pleasant.
The prices I also found pretty reasonable for what they are selling. No, you're not going to get a $5 lunch here, but it doesn't cost $20 either. Unless you load up on drinks and side dishes, but that's pretty much understood. -
Review from Julio A.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can't think of many restaurant names that are both silly and inscrutable, but "Macaroni Sciue Sciue" certainly fits the bill.
We ended up here almost by accident and I'm glad we did. The food and service, if not exactly what you'd find in Italy, still felt warm and authentic. I liked the sausage/broccoli rabe panini. The spaghetti and meatballs were also very nice.
Solid choice for an Italian lunch. -
Review from Diana C.
San Diego, CA
10/16/2011 2 photos
True Italian food complete with actual Italian men and women. We stopped by for dinner before our flight home. Hubby lived in SF before so he knows that Little Italy is a good place for a satisfying meal.
It's been a couple of month and I still dream about that seafood special... all the seafood pieces together with a savory tomato based sauce. The tiramisu... OMG... yum!! It's not the best I had but it's very good.
The service was sooooo good, too! Granted that the lady standing in front of the restaurant may not be the best idea to bring tourists in, but she is so friendly and so attentive!!! I totally loved her!
I live in San Diego and from the SD scale it would be a 6 out of 5. Honestly, I regret not asking them to come live in SD... -
Review from pawl e.
Orange County, CA
9/1/2011
I came here with a few friends to try out some new Italian food in SF, and I have to say, it is pretty darned good.
The location is pretty nice, but we only came across this place haphazardly. It's lightweight in the cutties, so not that easy to find, but we had no intention of Italian food, we just simply walked by this place and had to enter.
My friends had a few basic Italian dishes such as pasta and pizza, but I had to try out the tortellini. I ended up with the Tortellini Carbonara and it was definitely a great choice. The food came out delicious and the waiters were very nice to us. It was a simple, yet good dining experience.
My only cons about this place are that it can be kind of expensive and the sodas are not refillableeeeeeeee... (but I'm a drama queen like that).
- pawl e.Listed in: San Francisco
-
Review from Anthony L.
Brooklyn, NY
12/15/2011
Small Cozy Italian restaurant owned by Italians from Italy. Mario is the owner and he is very friendly and many of the waiters have animated personalities and are from Italy as well. The restaurant is small but they have an upstairs which is more spacious. The food is delicious. My favorite was the Marinara Italian style pizza. I love the penne with sausage and pepper. the food is delicious and the desserts are delicious as well. Usually the waiters will come to the table with a small chalkboard where the specials are mentioned. The restaurants have two parking lots, one on the left and the other on the right so parking is absolutely no problem. the food is delicious and you can usually get seated quickly.
-
Review from Thuy-My O.
Daly City, CA
9/3/2011
Service was EXCELLENT! I had a lot of fun laughing with the waiter.
Wine was also great.
Beef carpaccio with capers was okay, not bad. I enjoyed it since I was starving. The bread they served was so fresh!
Here's the reason why I couldn't give them a good review:
I ordered the Squid Ink pasta with seafood. The pasta was good (again, I was starrrving! so anything would taste good right?). Anyways, the clams tasted like they were just recently defrosted. I know restaurants freeze food but seriously, it should not come out tasting semi-freezer burnt after it's cooked! It was very chewy and tasted like it was beginning to spoil.
I took a bite of the one prawn in the dish, that too was not so great. The texture of was mushy, when I chewed on it, it stuck to my teeth like only bad seafood would do...because it's decomposing!
My friends and I all ordered different things but all our seafood was the same...NOT FRESH! It was disappointing. I was so hungry I finished all the pasta but I wasn't happy with the rest of the food.
I imagine that if the seafood had been fresher (even if freezer fresh but not freezer burnt), the food would have been 10 times more enjoyable because I liked their sauce a lot.
Oh well.. -
Review from Liz K.
Atlanta, GA
10/28/2011
Awesome atmosphere, friendly staff, and live music! Not to mention the baked pasta I had was delicious! I am not from San Fran but loves my experience here and would highly recommend
-
Review from Purple Lotus x.
San Mateo, CA
5/2/2011
We were there last night on a whim. The 3 of us were starving! 2 'pizzas' , salad and cookies with tip was nearly $60. We left...starving. The cookies was cause we were still hungry.
I think the menu was reworked since what was listed online was more extensive than what i saw on the actual menu. There weren't that many items listed of substance (again was starving). I kept flipping the menu over to see if there was anything else to order, that there might be a page missing, but what i saw was that was there. All 3 of us eat pretty much anything but didn't really see stuff that was enticing.
The pizzas are more like crackers with a topping. Seriously the seafood one was $16 (with tax and tip would be $20) and it wasn't enough for even one of us. I can't even describe it as New York thin crust pizza, it literally was a thin dry oval cracker. The flavor was ok but there wasn't enough of it considering the price.The calamari salad was ok but the lettuce was a little wilted.
We sat outdoors since it was a nice day, but every single table was dirty. As if it had not been cleaned off since lunch (we were there for dinner). Crumbs on every table. Considering it was next to a main road on the sidewalk, they didn't bother wiping the tables down before they started laying out the cutlery and plates.
I usually will give places a 2nd or 3rd try. But then I'd be broke and hungry! -
Review from Robert D.
Cary, NC
8/7/2011
As stated on another review....BEST ITALIAN IN SAN FRANCISCO!!!
I travel to San Francisco probably 2 dozen times a year for business and I always make a point to eat here at least once a trip. It's that good. Mario is about as friendly as they come and it's nice to have a regular restaurant to come to where they remember you and treat you like family. The food is excellent, I'd definitely recommend the tortellini, but also suggest trying out any one of the daily specials. I honestly have never had a bad meal here. This is probably the most authentic Italian restaurant in San Francisco. -
Review from NotBlondeNEmore A.
Millbrae, CA
6/27/2011
BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN SF!!!
Really this place is a hidden gem. Friendly, authentic Italian hospitality and delicious food.
The restaurant itself is comfy and cozy, and within walking distance to Broadway.
Whenever my husband and I eat at other Italian restaurants, we immediately have buyer's remorse and wish we would have just made the drive over to Macaroni!!
Many restaurants in North Beach claim to be authentic, but Macaroni Sciue Sciue is the real deal. The owner, Mario is as Italian as they come and it shows!!! -
Review from Jackie H.
Stockton, CA
1/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Macaroni Sciue Sciue is a cute little Italian restaurant in North Beach. The restaurant is cozy and fits at most 10 little tables. As for the food, the pasta dishes here are very delicious. All priced around $15. Apparently the cappuccino here is very good as well!
However, I do have some mixed feelings about this place. The waiters here are very friendly, maybe TOO friendly. Our waiter in particular was very enthusiastic and there were a few moments where I felt a bit uncomfortable. I did not appreciate being grabbed by the arm multiple times. He also gave my cousin a hug and a kiss on the head. It was all in good fun but a little too much for me. If you don't enjoy being touched by a stranger then you might want to stray away from this place. Otherwise, this is a great place to get some amazing pasta! -
Review from Nora S.
8/31/2011
I came here one afternoon with Jenni and Jenny since they had been next door at Glamour Closet shopping for Jenny's wedding dress (which they found!). This place was not only conveniently located, but it was super cute and reasonably priced. I'm glad that Jenni and Jenny picked this place because I don't know that I would have discovered it otherwise as it is off the "main drag" of North Beach (making it harder to find, but a little easier to go to- not as many people). I had the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina (Potato Dumpling with Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella) and it was AMAZING! Jenny had a salad since she had more dresses to try on, and Jenni had a salad and some of my gnocci. We had a really lovely time, and if I am in the neighborhood I would definitely come back.
-
Review from Anna D.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/7/2011
I LOVE MACARONI!!! This is by far my favorite restaurant in the city! They have the most amazing owners, fantastic food, fun staff, and delicous wine. You can't go wrong with ANYTHING you order!
My favorite meal is the pollo special (which they don't have too frequently) with gorgonzola risotto. I also LOVE the salmon guazzeto.
BEST place in the city! -
Review from Tammy C.
1/29/2011 2 photos
(See pics)
I really wanted to like this place. The ambiance was great, the service was with a great smile. I had a take out of seafood linguine. It's just clams and mussels that I did not think were all that fresh. The linguine was very good and very hot though. You should really skip the bread.
They did have a full wall of cookies but I had not tried any.
I will come back and give it another try given all other Yelpers have higher ratings and maybe other dishes would be better. -
Review from Dara C.
Santa Barbara, CA
8/18/2011
This place is AMAZING! We had the absolute best experience hands down than any restaurant we've ever been to! And we live in Santa Barbara where there are quite amazing restaurants. ;) We came in for dinner with clients, and we were late for our reservations because of life with kids. They not only held our reservation, but brought up our double stroller to the 2nd floor that was closed and gave us our own private room to dine in. The waitress was amazing (Marina), she was attentive, helpful and she even took my 3 year old by the hand, walked her downstairs to pick out Italian cookies from the bakery (no charge!). My daughter named her dolly after her she was so awesome. :) Macaroni's is a must if you are in San Francisco! Please go there and have a wonderful time-truly amazing! Did I mention that the food & wine were off the charts!!!
-
Review from nini t.
San Francisco, CA
11/20/2010
I really wanted to love this place and give it 5 stars. It saved me on a rainy Friday night when I was starving, wet and cold and the wait at Tomasso's was just unbearable. The waiter had a table for us right by the fire place and was sweet in an authentic, Italian way. They gave me basket after basket of complimentary bread, along with a garlicy olive oil dip that was flavorful and delicious.
When it came time for our dishes though, they were just mediocre. My rigatoni with sausage was a little too salty and my boyfriend's lasagna needed to be baked longer. It was a little too mushy for our taste. Service was excellent and deserves four stars. It's definitely better than the majority of tourist traps in North Beach. But for the price I paid, I expect more quality taste. -
Review from Arlene C.
San Francisco, CA
7/9/2011
Can't really explain it, the food is good, but there are better Italian restaurants...guess I just love hearing them speak Italian and where else can you hear cheesy Italian songs that sound like a 'Dolce Vita' soundtrack? He told me that he could make the Risotto without clams, but good thing I saw the neck of one little sucker that got in there...good thing my friend enjoyed it....I had the Putanesca. Torta de la Nonna for dessert. Fourth star is for Italian men.
-
Review from jeremy l.
San Francisco, CA
9/9/2006
This is my favourite local Italian place. I eat here at least once a month. You never need a reservation, you can almost always walk in, and the food here is great. Tasty, fresh, and always with something interesting on the specials whiteboard that they cart from table to table. My favourite is the Orchietta (sp?) with brocolli rabe and other stuff. The soups are always hearty and tasty also.
Prices here are also pretty reasonable - $10 or so for a main course.
The decor does leave something to be desired - this isn't a romantic restaurant to impress someone with on a third date. Rather its the surprisingly great hole in the wall that you want to keep a secret to show what a city insider you are.
The service is the biggest variable. The waitstaff are mostly Italian guys playing to reputation. If you are a hot girl, your service is great and you get plenty of attention and flirting. Even if you're just with hot girls, the service is good as the waiters are around a lot, checking out the hot girls, so its easy to get their attention. But if you're bulky tourists from the midwest or older people, then you could end up with a long wait before you get to order, before your food shows up, even trying to get your water refilled or trying to get your check when you're done can take a while. -
Review from laura s.
Brooklyn, NY
10/10/2010
Dead silence at a food-plated dinner table is usually an indication that a dining experience is either orgasmically indulgent or unbearably miserable. Fortunately and unfortunately for me, my experience at Macaroni Sciue Sciue contained elements of both.
Fortunately for you, the pasta I ordered (black linguine with calamari in a delectably rich oil based tomato sauce) was fantastic. Unfortunately for me, my dining companion's presence was not. However, the staff handled my overwhelmingly difficult partner with exceptional grace.
If I were local, I would come to this place at least once a week. With different company. -
Review from Stacy S.
Fremont, CA
1/15/2010
I feel totally ripped off. I have always seen this place driving by it and my boyfriend and I decided last minute to go here for lunch. Mind you, we only have an hour for the lunch. By the time we find parking, we have about 45 minutes.
Service was horrible. The server showed us the dry erase board with their specials. She then took forever to take our order. We assumed they were lunch specials...so we ordered the Pollo with Polenta and Mushrooms. My boyfriend orders a Sangria and I have a Diet Coke.
The food takes over 25 minutes and by this time we need to leave!! We had a few bites before we box it up. The chicken was subpar...nothing special about it. We then ask for the bill...its $42.00. WTF!!!! For lunch??
I will not be coming back. ugh. -
Review from Tom W.
Arvada, CO
11/29/2008
I found this place totally by accident. I was in town on business, staying at the Hilton in the Financial District. When dinner time rolled around, I told my coworker he was welcome to do whatever he wanted, but I was blowing the per diem and heading for North Beach to get some Italian food. He decided to tag along. We didn't have to go very far before coming across Sciue Sciue. A little hole in the wall like this immediately signals that they're all about the food, not flashy decor, so we decided to take a chance. We were not disappointed. After enjoying a glass of pinot grigio with a little bread & olive oil, I was served a fantastic plate of squid ink pasta with seafood sauce. It was heavenly.
That was a year or so ago. I was back in town this summer and trekked over from Union Square. I got squid ink pasta again, but this time it was served in a large bowl with a generous pile of seafood on top, including a large prawn, head on. It was the perfect summer dish. I smiled all the way back to the hotel.
It's probably best that I only come to North Beach a couple times a year. I'd be 100 pounds heavier if I could eat this stuff every day. -
Review from David Webb ..
Milpitas, CA
4/21/2006
Mario... Mario... Mario... The food is awesome!!!!
A charming little spot. Don't be despaired by it's physical appearance. Not your out of the box Italian restaurant. It's true colors are in the food, atmosphere and the people in it. This is a place where you go to eat and savor dishes specific to Naples. After having a meal at this spot you either want to watch an Italian B/W film or walk under the moonlight.
If you happen to seat upstairs, look up on the ceiling ..... surprise!!! And yes, all the staff flirts with the women as part of their warm welcome. :-) -
Review from Amy K.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2007
My sweetheart took me here on a belated V-day excursion since we both had to work late on the actual holiday. We were slightly late for our reservation, so I didn't hold it against the host that it took a few minutes to seat us. I did, however, hold it against them that it took freaking forever for someone to take our order. It was a Saturday night and quite busy, but the wait was a little ridiculous.
Luckily, the food made me very happy. For an appetizer, I got the polenta with gorgonzola and walnut - it was too rich for my taste, but it was a well-executed dish if you can handle it. Luckily, my husband wanted to share his pizza with me, so I gladly gobbled up some of that. I got the spaghetti puttanesca for my main course, and it was very good. The portions were fairly generous, and I could not finish my entree, but I enjoyed every bit.
This could have easily been a four star had the service been more attentive. It's a shame, too, because the food is some of the best Italian that I've had in San Francisco, definitely setting this place apart from the other restaurants in the neighborhood. Perhaps it was just one of those nights, and I will most definitely give this place a chance to win me over completely. -
Review from Kim E.
Moraga, CA
4/23/2010 4 Check-ins Here
I love this place! The staff is always warm and welcoming. The food is the best I've had outside of Italy. I can't say that I have a favorite dish because it's ALL good. I typically order the pasta special of the day, just to mix things up. Yesterday happened to be baked fusili. Yum! The regular menu items are great. From pasta all'Amatriciana to the bolognese sauce to the orechiette with broccoli rabe...I haven't had a bad experience yet!
When I want to impress my out of town guests, particularly those with ties to Italy, I bring them here. They all leave happy.
Grazie mille ai miei amici di Cafe Macaroni Scuie Sciue. Ci vediamo presto! -
Review from Mika G.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2009
cockroach in the food... enough said
I just want to let you know that actually, they comped my salad. But I had to pay for my drink and pasta. -
Review from Alvina W.
San Francisco, CA
5/5/2010
I have NOTHING but LOVE for this place!! It's a small place that's easy to miss, and my only regret is not having known about it sooner.
The menu is large and there's a good variety - something for everyone. I've been here for a party where appetizers were passed around as well as a couple pizzas. Delish! I've also been here for lunch and had the mushroom ravioli which was also really good - not too heavy.
When I don't have time to come here for lunch, I'll stop by for a mocha/coffee just so that I can say hi to the owners of this place - the NICEST couple, EVER!! :) -
Review from jim b.
San Francisco, CA
4/10/2006
Bring your "A" game if you plan to banter with the staff , if the stars are in alignment eating here is more like dinner theater than anything else. The first time, I walked in with my wife and asked the waiter (who turned out to be the owner) "Excuse me, we're looking for a *really good* Italian restaurant -- can you recommend one?" And he immediately started pointing us out the door "Yes, you go down this street and turn the corner . . ." Another time a limo full of high school kids plowed through to use the restrooms and one of the waiters tried to leave with them. Once I asked the owner if I could get a coffee-maker like the one he had; he said it was a Gaggia and cost thousands. I replied that I was talking about the beautiful brunette, and a waiter staged-whispered, "THAT'S HIS DAUGHTER" -- who knew?
Oh -- and the food is wonderful, too. Unusual combinations -- you can get boar an an entree and strawberry - papaya salad to start with. Great fun. -
Review from Barron E.
San Francisco, CA
3/26/2007
Caffe Macaroni is an experience. An Italian experience. And before you go, you should be prepared for it.
Do not expect American style service. Expect the waiters to be distracted, a bit unorganized, and talkative. Also, expect them to be extremely gracious hosts who want to please all visitors to their restaurant. If you embrace the sheer Italianness of the restaurant and allow yourself to kick back and relax and roll with the waiters, you're going to have a great time.
Your reward for doing this? Absolutely unbelievable Italian food at great prices. I've had 8 of their pasta dishes, and I'm yet to be disappointed. They serve up some of the best food in North Beach (far superior to Steps of Rome or the more commercial places up the street). Try the Gnocchi, Spaghetti with Meatballs, Rigatoni with Sausage, or Frutti di Mare, you won't be disappointed. Also, the Insalata Caprese and Polenta are amazing appetizers. -
Review from Mariko B.
San Francisco, CA
5/20/2009
Quaint north beach lunch/casual dinner trattoria.
THINGS TO LOVE:
- Everything on the menu is really great and authentic.
- Staff is charming, complimentary, and utterly italian in both their flirtiness and culinary expertise. Love it.
- It is not in the middle of the "touristy" North Beach - so you won't get stuffed in between that family from Ohio and the retired couple from somewhere in the south who want "Eye-Talian" for dinner.
Things to know before you go:
- It's really small. Not good for parties over 4. If you had a party of 8, you'd pretty much take over the whole restaurant.
- It's super casual.
- The food is NOT as good when you get it to go... I don't know what it is but it's just NOT. Trust me, I keep trying... -
Review from Stitch H.
San Francisco, CA
9/28/2009
After reading the other reviews I feel like maybe I ate somewhere else.
A beautiful evening and we sat outside. A young woman was to be our server but it appears that she must be new at the job. I like to give novices the benefit of the doubt, but really there should be some initial training.
After leaving us sit for a while she came out with the board of specials, which frankly were pretty average. She set the board behind us, making it difficult to see. When she finally returned (after another waiter unceremoniously removed the specials board) we ordered.
We had a light dinner that was prepared well. It was an interesting preparation but not particularly inspired.
We then proceeded to sit for 45 minutes. Our server never did reappear. The other waiters seemed to to be occupied with flirting with young women, talking to buddies in the street, and in general having little to do with the running of the restaurant. For the first time in my life I gave serious thought to skipping out.
Another waiter handed me the check rather than placing it on the table. We were never offered any additional food or drink.
There are a number of far better, competitively priced restaurants nearby. I suggest you seek them out and not spend your time or money here. -
Review from Victoria G.
San Jose, CA
11/16/2008
This place is so cute. Reminded me so much of the cafe's in Europe!
The food is def homecooked family style. I ordered the calamari appetizer which was really tasty. My pasta was handmade and tasted really freshly of egg noodles. They're really generous with the bread and the garlic olive dip.
I think we might have had 4 waiters? We were constantly taken care of and the bus boy was always on top of things. We had a really good experience here and to top things off they gave us free desert which was fruit with a dallop of sweet cream- really refreshing! -
Review from Bert K.
Updated - 12/15/2008
Went here last week. Tutto Buono!
They start you out with decent sliced bread with a side of nice olive oil with olive paste.
Ordered the Positano dish, a huge amount black pasta (colored with squid ink) , 6 mussels, several succulent shrimp and other stuff : the sight was arresting , picture your plate with a large full sized 7 inch prawn , with 4 inch tentacles, jutting out. It was atop a full plate of black pasta overflowing with seafood. The pasta was delicate, soft and freshly made. The broth was delicious too.
The gratis after-lunch orange alcoholic digestive was nice!
And the gratis after-lunch shot glass of meringue covered chocolate pudding was deelish.
Customer service: slow, gruff in-your-face and good.
Decor: basic and homey with pictures of Christoper Columbus,very kitchy with pasta glued on the ceiling!!
Please note: there two Caffe Macaroni restaurants within 100 yards of each other; this review is for the Caffee Macaroni on the West side of Columbus ave.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/20/2006
Just went today at noon for the bowl of mussels and clams in a nice wine sauce; and I ordered the… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jason K.
Oakland, CA
5/25/2010
This was positively fantastic. I had lunch here a couple of Sundays ago with a friend before we went to a play. He was supposed to be planning the trip, but forgot that everything was closed on Sunday in the City, and we wandered until we came to this place.
We almost passed it up because of the seeming lack of wheelchair accessibility, but as we were lingering outside, the staff brought out a little ramp to drive up onto, a pulled a table to the upper level of the restaurant for us. I was impressed.
And the food was terrific. The calamari salad was perfectly cooked to non-rubbery goodness, the flavor balance in his salmon and my lamb shank, not to mention the melt-in-your-mouth texture, was exceptional. And for dessert, their home made cheesecake had a lovely balanced texture with the proper sweet and slightly sour finish.
My only mild disappointment was the tiramisu, which had a great cream texture, but they've decided to omit most of the marsala and espresso, since parents were giving it to their kids and getting them drunk and high. Oh, it would be just perfect if it weren't for that.
I've thrown the word "perfect" around quite a bit, and, except for a few minor, corrected things, it was. Oh, and how can I forget the really good espresso with zabaglione? -
Review from HRH S.
San Francisco, CA
8/31/2006
For starters we had the grilled polenta w/gorgonzola and calamari salad followed by 2 tiny little portions of pasta plates for our main dishes. The lasagna was drenched in a sea of tomato sauce and the garlic, chili spaghetti was so garlicky I thought we had gone to Stinking Rose. With 2 glasses of wine, our billed was $50 plus. AND WE WERE SICK FOR 2 DAYS !
I want to give this place ZERO stars! It was dirty and disgusting. -
Review from katie k.
Los Angeles, CA
8/4/2008
Macaroni Sciue Sciue is a charming little Italian cafe that reminds me of a bit of Italy. The outdoor seating is just too cute and perfect if you're a people person armed with a bottle of wine on a sunny day. Me and the boy went in search of pizza for a monday lunch and while their sign clearly says "PIZZA," they really don't have anything aside from a Margherita or the pizza special of the day.
So no fancy pizza pies, but the dough is to die for! Flavorful, crispy and lightly salted with a hint of olive oil. We also had the Trenette al Pesto and it came to the table pipping hot and eager to be consumed! It felt home cooked, made with care and had absolutely fresh ingredients.
The creative seating (some were cozy over sized benches with fluffy pillows) was squeezed throughout the tiny and quirky restaurant. On our way out we noticed a large group of guests exiting from the back, so there must be more seating hiding around there somewhere. Service was great, prompt and always with a smile. The prices are not my favorite. Sure it was only $34 for the both of us, but the four slicer pizza, while generous was $14.50.
I'd say it was a great lunch destination but unless I'm on a casual date, I might venture to another Italian restaurant for the dinner hours. -
Review from Zach S.
New York, NY
8/20/2006
Absolutely delicious. The exterior certainly doesn't do the place justice. We had a reservation, but had second thoughts upon setting eyes on the outside. All of our reservations, however, disappeared once we went inside. The waitstaff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful.
The meal was also amazing. I had the Gnocchi Sorrentina while other members of my party had the Lasagna, and both were absolutely delicious. It's a real gem! -
Review from Kimberly v.
Berkeley, CA
9/11/2008
Why they have TWO Italian restaurants within one block of each other and both with yellow signs and macaroni in the name is beyond me, but this Macaroni Sciue Sciue was the perfect place to spend a warm September evening for dinner.
I think I may have just enjoyed the whole experience of sitting out on the sidewalk with a glass of pinot grigio at 10pm, dipping bread into the most garlicky (deliciously so, though) olive oil and talking with my friend about his trip to Japan that I may have overlooked some of the other factors in our meal. While Mike didn't think his spaghetti and meatballs were worth $15, even though he said they were very good, I enjoyed my ravioli ai funghi without worrying about whether it was worth the price or not. The sauce was refreshingly a little runny, not thick and heavy like at most more commercial joints. The Insalata Mista was maybe a little too heavily dressed, but still good and fresh.
They were a little busy it looked like, but you'd never know it out on the sidewalk except for the slightly long wait in getting our drinks. Otherwise, the wait staff was very congenial and had fun confusing us with two waiters toward the end of our meal! -
Review from Diana C.
Oakland, CA
8/14/2008
"Had their Amalfitano seafood with black pasta...YUM! Loads of shellfish and the portion of pasta was just right!
Their garlic oil dip for foccaccia were deep in flavor but light at the same time...
My friend had the classic spaghetti w/ meat ball, finally a place w/ more meatball then the pasta...
Their caesar salad was on the salty side given all the cheese on it and a little too much dressing..."
