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Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"My boyfriend and I ate here twice during our recent one-week stay in North Beach. The veggie pizza with zucchini, mushrooms, black olives,…" read more »
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In the sea of Italian restaurants in beautiful North Beach, Michelangelo fares pretty average yet it's solid. The menu is smaller and simpler than its competitors --- but their free bruschetta when you sit down is a major perk. As are the small bowls of gummy bears and amaretto cookies they send out with your check, if sweet's your thing.
I have eaten here many times over the years. Never a disappointment but never a wow either. I am still happy to come back and wait for it one day...
We used to go out to this place when we were in college (at the turn of the century) and visiting friends in the area made this a very pleasant surprise ending to a nice visit. We truly missed this place.
Sunday night is ladies night, so girls get a rose (it lived for about 2 weeks) and we all got a free glass of wine (very average taste, small glass). We were going there anyway, so this was just a bonus.
It was Sunday evening (6ish) and the place was pretty empty, but there were expecting a 12er later on. I remember, this place always being packed. Recession!!!
Service: A+++
We were with a baby and when the kid dropped my wife's napkin on the floor, a waiter/bus boy out of nowhere swooped in with a fresh napkin before my wife could even pick up the old one. WOW! The host, waitress, and all were very nice. It took a bit while to get our meal, but I ordered something that would take me a long time to make at home, so it's ok.
Food: B+
Olives (free) were nice. Bread was ok (yes like others, a nicer and warmer bread would be better)... and some vinegar with spices for dipping.
Main course was excellent!!! I had Osso Busco that was a larger portion, flavorfull, tender and just yummy. My wife had a pasta dish with shrimp, chicken and veggies that was very nice.
Dessert: A?
The cookies (amazing) and gummy bears (standard) are free and a tradition. They used to have huge bowls of gummy bears that went from table to table, but I'm sure the health inspector had something to do with getting rid of communal bowls. We were too full for anything else.
Price: B+
Most dishes were 15-19. Not too bad.
Atmosphere: A
If you like crazy, Italian grandma clutter collection. I like it cause it's different and fun. Think Bucca di Beppo... it's different.
Would we go there again... OF COURSE, we have and we will.
My teacher-dar should have rung when I saw the owner approached me on Columbus Ave and offered me a free glass of wine and a good meal here. Alright, if you're willing to put the effort to get customers, I'll give it a try especially when I'm hungry at around 8pm on a Thursday.
First, the bread. It was plenty but it was cold! What is with restaurants and their cold bread...throw it in the oven for a few minutes at least!
The wine was just disappointing...I should have just stuck with the water.
Almost everything on the menu was overpriced. My veal parmigiana was something that I make at home. The dish was $15.95, while the rest of the menu was at least around $17-19. The presentation wasn't even that good!
After taking my order, my waitress was never to be seen again. I asked for the bill and it came by itself, without the cookies and gummy bears that I saw another couple had. Only because the lady in that couples had said it was the best cookie ever did I stay to see if they offered me some. After about $5 minutes of waiting, it did came. Errr....it was okay cookies.
$20 including tax and tip out the door...and let that door close completely for me!
I visited with friends a few months ago but I was not impressed with their food.
Not too bad, not too good.
It is just average.
But I was really impressed with a bowl of gummy bears.
It's a little bit sad but gummy bears were the highlight of the dinner.
I am a sales person at heart and when a restaurant like Michelangelo Ristorante & Caffe took the time to sell me on a free glass of wine with my lunch... I liked that effort. And who doesn't like a free drink?
I was on my way down to Washington Square (Lovely park) when I was snagged for lunch. New to the area, I was scoping out the park and decided that I would take a seat near the window so I could watch the people and dogs mingling. Food was good. I devoured a delicious Cesar salad with homemade dressing, and had some bread. The wine was ok, but nothing too fantastic.
To get 4 stars --- I would have needed more regular water refills. Instead of me asking for my water to be refilled, this should be something done a bit more pro-actively. Also, I would have liked to log onto their wireless Internet so I could chat with my wife. You see I was in the area looking for apartments and it would have been nice to give her the latest update, but they didn't have a wireless connection. Most restaurants who call themselves a "caffe" should have a wireless Internet connection by now.
--Z
I got sucked into this place on a slow Wednesday night walking around, looking for food with the bf. The owner Michelangelo seemed like a great business man, very nice, offered us a free glass of wine if we dine here.
When I heard this, the alcoholic in me took over and agreed to come in and eat here.
Service: good service, it seems more mom and pop than professional, but definitely made you feel welcome.
Price: So you think location, you think italian and you see menu and you think the prices are acceptable. But when your food and your "glass" of wine comes out, you think RIP OFF. Glass of wine was free, but I saw that it was $6.50 on the menu. If you've ever had desert wine or port, you usually get it in a smaller than normal wine glass. well this is what a "glass" is here.
on to the FOOD: I got Fettuccine with some scallops, shrimp in an orange cream sauce. It was $17 and it looked and tasted like it should have been $10. My bf got one of their specials, spaghetti with bacon carbonara, and that looked and tasted really plain, and crappy. It was basically spaghetti with some salt, and a spoon full of bacon bits and that was it.
Sorry Michelangelo, you're a nice guy and all, but your food does not match the price and the presentation was rather disturbing, Looks like someone threw up onto a plate.
I'm giving this place 2.5 stars but rounding up because of the free wine and the nice owner, but other than that, the prices are ridiculous (for what you're getting) and the food tastes mediocre.
I'd give them 2.5 stARRRs, but I'll round up for the free glass of wine. Our friends took us here for a long overdue catch-up dinner, mainly because they love getting free wine and gummi bears and not having to fight for a table. Check. Service was OK. Check.
The decor is a bit over the top and the food was underwhelming. Not just for North Beach, or San Francisco as a whole, but even in comparison to somewhere like the Olive Garden. (And I will very rarely say to myself, "We should've gone to the Olive Garden.") It didn't kill me, and it was only a dinner, but you could still do better.
The waiter made the huge mistake of saying their lasagna was "guaranteed, best in the city"
Ugh. Anytime someone says they're the best, it's like you've set yourself up for a royal fail.
Plus he really didn't need to spend the entire time reading the specials off a menu that we were facing head on from our window seat. After reciting 15 menu specials, which he needed to keep glancing over my shoulder to read off to us, it got awkward.
Also another culprit of bad wine selection. My lasagna was truly terrible.
The gummi bears at the end is the only thing that saves them, aside from being open late and easy-going. But not sure I'd come back after that not so promising dish embellishment.
Solid experience here at Michelangelo. The 'owner' named 'Michelangelo' stopped my group as we were walking up Columbus looking for an Italian spot for dinner. He won us over by offering us each a free glass of wine (which is sometimes all it takes). And, at the end, hey! they give you gummy bears.
I had the cheese lasagna, which was amazing and very cheesy. The other pasta dishes looked fine too, and the bread was aplenty. So food wise, this place nailed it.
But...
Stainedglass lamps swarm the ceiling-- the insane decor of this spot is absolutely nuts. Large sculptures peer at you while you eat. Though I kind of like how much there was to discover while looking around, I feel like somebody spent 30 years robbing the houses of old Italian grandmas.
--
And now that I've found out that everybody gets a free glass of wine, as long as they mention Yelp, then my experience has lost a little bit of resonance. Going to restaurants in the North End of Boston growing up, I've always loved Italian food the most. The experience of eating great food when you go out with friends or family is always the goal. You make the experience yourself, positive or negative, and that's totally true at this place where the hospitable service and food quality is spot-on.
This spot might not be some insane deal or bougy mecca, but it's everything you need when you're wandering North Beach looking for Italian food.
I went to this place in North Beach with my Auncle Sammy when he came for his annual SF visit. He told me he comes every year knowing that he must get there Gnocchi.
It feels like this is family owned and you feel like someone's grandma is making you dinner versus some of the bigger places that Columbus has to offer.The Gnocchi that my uncle ordered was so light. I'll make homemade gnocchi at home for special occasions. I thought mine were pretty good but this place kills it! Their like little potato cheese clouds. I got the Lobster Ravioli in Pink Cream Sauce. It was really yum. Not all that heavy either. My Auncle's step-son (well not yet but pretty much) got the Veal Parmigiana I think. Gotta love the Veal. No one left disappointed and the staff even helped us out with a photo op.
I hate food snobs. I really do. But there is one area where I allow myself to be snobby, and that is when it comes to Italian food. Growing up with my grandma's Italian cooking, living with an Italian family for four months and dining in restaurants from Milan to Amalfi has given me an acute sense of what makes good Italian food.
It's amazing to me that North Beach is so populated with cheesy, overpriced Italian joints with blah food. Where are all the authentic, delicious places? Please tell me.
All of that to say, Michelangelo is highly mediocre. Starting with the bread, that was dry, flavorless and left much to be desired, and ending with the crappy service, I would not go back. I got gnocchi, which was decent, a bit starchy in a way that's hard to avoid with gnocchi, and in a red sauce that was definitely edible, but tasted like I could have gotten in boxed at Trader Joes.
Our waiter neglected to refill bread and water until he was asked twice. And all around us people had plates of gummy bears and cookies, which is apparently their cheesy fun thing they do, but we didn't get a plate, even when we asked for one. So instead of leaving with the taste of manufactured fruit in my mouth, I instead left with a taste of boring red sauce and bitterness.
Stumbled upon this well lit restaurant Saturday night after finding our previously decided upon restaurant was inexplicable closed. The host was nice and cute. He seated up promptly and gave us plenty of time to look at the menu before he came back and took our order.
As soon as we were seated our table was adorned with fresh bread, kalamata olives, and ice water.
Our host was able to answer questions and offer suggestions which makes dining a breeze.
Dinner was delicious... more raviolis could have been plated but there was plenty of gnocchi and their wine goblets are cute!
Loved the thank you treat on our way out... gummy bears and cookies!!!
If going for a B-day be ready for owner and hosts to sing to you.
Had an early dinner here this past weekend. I had not been here in quite a few years, and since we were in North Beach, we decided to stop in. The atmosphere was still the same, a weird cornucopia of all things kitschy Italian. I especially love the chandeliers! Started with the calamari, it was fricken awesome! Lightly battered, not tough at all, incredibly light for a fried dish, loved the marinara that accompanied it. Went on and had the veal parmigiana (natch..) and my partner had lasagna. The veal was very good, another dish that was fried, but still light enough to almost finish both cutlets that were served. Tomato sauce that it was marinated in was fantastic! One of the better veal dishes that I've had, not as good as Casa Orinda, but I've never seen a restaurant that was able to duplicate that. Partner's lasagna was perfect! The marinara, the ricotta, the meat, OMG! next time I am definitely having that dish, so good... Our server was Italian through, and through, he was always there when we needed him, and engaged us in quite a lively conversation. We really enjoyed him! Finally after all that food, we were served complimentary gummi bears, and cookies. I thought that was a cute gesture. We will definitely be back! Four Stars!
Jack always says I am a low-reviewer. Well then.
Fairer & I came here bc they had a ton of tables open during the North Beach Festival (umm, red light? yellow at least.)
But, we Needed Sustenance.
We both ordered the caprese salad, and it was fine. Nothing to rave about. Admittedly, the complimentary bread / balsamic was destroyed at our hands within minutes (I will devour anything with vinegar involved.) The further complimentary plate of olives had the same fate.
The appetizer (calamari) we ordered came well after we were into our main dishes - so much so we both forgot about it. And it was soggy. Eww, soggy calamari. But, yeah, we ate it. The dipping sauce was heavy tomato.
We had a hard time getting our bill, and I guess, to compensate, were treated with a plate full of umm, gummy bears.
Yes. Gummy Bears.
Went back to Michelangelo. Nice busy little restaurant. Great pasta dishes, lovely seafood all around the table. still miss that cheeseblock. The wine was great.
Oh we scrambled around for cash because it's a cash only restaurant. but if you are ever in that situation go down towards chinatown/broadway ave. then you'll see all the major banks there.
The magic of the night was the fact we found parking less than 30 minutes on Saturday night prime dinner time in North Beach, so eat that bitches!
Love this place. I think it's better in Summer so that the Seafood are just really great to have.… Read more »
Ups: The service was good. Our waiter was friendly. Michelangelo is the owner and received us when we arrived. We complained about one of the meals and he prepared something different for us, and it wasn't in the menu. Portions are big.
Downs: food was not special at allllll. the decoration is terribly tacky.
So food wise, it's just ok. But the service is nice and they are open LATE which is a huge plus, especially when you're exhausted and need a bowl of pasta to warm you.
Bonus points for gummy bears.
A+ on the appetizers and salads.
D on the entree course.
The owner/host/street barker was very personable, very nice, and gave us each a free glass of wine.
Easily a four-or-five stars on the bruschetta and caprese. Actually, the best caprese I've ever had, hands down. I would go to this restaurant in an instant for wine and appetizers.
But the main course? Wow, meh. The tomato cream sauce was so-so on the special lobster ravioli, and the pasta for it wasn't anywhere near homemade or restaurant-made; these came off a truck.
My dish (scallops, shrimp, farfalle, also tomato cream sauce) was incredibly lackluster. The scallops were crunchy (from sand?) where they'd been improperly cleaned, and there was an enormous amount of pasta, but not enough other stuff to balance that. The sauce was fishy from one of the two kinds of seafood in it.
I had gnocchi. good. Also had lentil soup. good. Server-dude splashed a bit on my shirt. bummer.
The others had dishes that didn't look very interesting to me, but they seemed to like it. (something seafoody)
The decor is kinda 'buca di beppo autentico', but the main dude (Michelangelo?) was nice. Although the service overall wasn't that great.
Also there were very few people other than our party there on a Saturday night.
We didn't have dessert, but I remember there being something free and weird at the end of the meal -- gummy bears with something else? Strange but an interesting end to our experience.
I think I wouldn't mind trying it again one day, but in no hurry.
Back in the 90's this use to be one of my favorite places to take a first date. Perfect location next to a plethora of coffee / pastries houses. Short romantic walk from the Cable Cars. Lighting and quiet setting and nice staff was always the norm. Also when the staff sees me with a different lady friend they always try to play me up. Very cool of them to do that.
Now it seems to be slipping just a bit. The food just doesn't taste the same and the ambiance is more LOUD now rather than soft and romantic. The wine was just so so. Love the cheese, olives, bread with olive oil including the tiramisu. Always, always pass up the gummy bears to many germs. Price is average. Look at the past reviews, this place had more stars back in the days.
I came here for a friends bday. I really enjoy the statues on the walls. Including the two ASSES in my face the whole night. LOL.
But seriously this place is OK. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary here. I had fettucini alfredo, it was OK. I just liked the cool experience of trying somewhere new. Most thing I remember was the bowl full of GUMMY BEARS, First reaction: OOoo gummy bears. Second reaction: Do Italians eat gummybears??
Doubt I'd come again.
I wish we could give half stars on Yelp, Michelangelo is a solid 3.5 stars. We were walking around North Beach trying to find a delicious/not-so-touristy Italian place. We were actually headed somewhere else, when the owner (Michelangelo) came out to tell us about their specials. Michelangelo was so nice (and we had heard good things about the restaurant from friends), we couldn't resist.
The atmosphere is ok, nothing special. Michelangelo was very warm and hospitable. The waiter was trying, but unfortunately, he wasn't that great...not bad, but not great. Our water glasses were empty for most of the meal and he forgot to come back and ask us if we wanted dessert. Additionally, he messed up our order slightly.
The food was definitely a 4! We had the veal parmigiana, which was amazing and the gnocchi was probably the best I have ever had. The prices were also quite good. Despite the weird service, we will be going back again, because the food was great. I can't wait to try more things.
This place was great and the service was exceptional. My friend ordered the tiramasu just for himself and he ate every last bite. The waitstaff was working hard to keep up on a busy night but deserves credit for their excellent service.
Had the Cioppino for 4 people and it came in this HUGE bowl. Seriously, it was so much for us we all took some home. Location can't be beat.
First came here about 6 years ago and still go back.
We walked here from Pier 39 after going on the Blue & Gold Fleet. Not a quick and easy walk with a 4.5 year-old and a baby in a stroller, but not too long. We ordered the lasagna ($12) and some breaded chicken with lemon sauce ($14). They were both excellent, as was all the bread and butter for our kid. The service was prompt and polite, and they even brought our daughter some gummie bears and cookies on the house. Just a great place, perfectly located in North Beach, with a beautiful view of Coit Tower.
Any place that gives you gummy bears for dessert ....Rocks!!
its very cozy place, the fixtures on the wall can be a little freaky and overkill but the food is great.
Ask for the meat lasagna, its not on the menu but they always have it. The tortelini is also very good, the alfredo sauce is creamy and absolutely yummy
Very nice host and wait staff, tasty good food, and I loved the décor. Try the specials.
We were seated right under the giant sculpture of an agonized man being dragged down by demons. The bottom demon was half man - half goat.
And we're not talking about dear ol' Mr. Tumnus from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe played by the super hot James McAvoy.
We're talking scary creatures that live in Pan's Labyrinth.
Anyway, the goat man's bottom was directly in my face all night which I didn't appreciate too much.
I came late, so my friend's decided to eat all the free bruschetta. They were kind enough to leave me all the marinated olives.
I don't like olives too much.
The place was crowded and the wait staff few which led to our order taking over thirty minutes to come.
I did not order the cioppino, but it looked good. Instead, I had the fettuccine with scallops, prawns, peas and mushrooms in a tomato-cream sauce. The dish was decent, albeit under-sauced.
We were in a hurry so we left after paying and before the cookies and gummy bears could come out. Which, at the rate things were going, would have taken another thirty minutes.
Plus, there was a strange smell. I called not it. So did my friends.
I blame the goat man.
I would be vaguely horrified to go on a first date here. Actually, I would only be horrified if the guy were a douche, and he was, like... trying to impress me or something. Ok, what am I talking about - I haven't had a date since 2007, so I took my lovely BFFs to this uh... lovely restaurant.
The server told us some story about his grandmother getting groped in the bushes in Italy. "Yeah," I thought, "PG-13, and we haven't even gotten the wine yet!" I love Italians.
So, you get free bruschetta... and bread... and gummy bears! Mm... gelatin. Granted, someone's squalling offspring is going to be chewing at your ankles mid-meal, but a swift kick when the parents aren't looking, and you're good to go for the rest of the meal. $24 for a nice bottle of Montepulciano too.
There was also some statue T&A going on. Really, the inside of the place was pretty weird, but the food was good. We also got free Limoncello.
I think the server wanted to grope us in the bushes. But hey, I'm willing to smile a little for the Limoncello.
I had marched Jeremy P around North Beach and demanded that he pick the restaurant. Or so he thought:
Him: "How about here?"
Me: "Hmmm... I think these are just sandwiches and stuff. I'd like to have, like, a sit down meal, if that's ok with you."
"How about here?"
"Argentinian food? We're in North Beach, we should have Italian."
"The smells coming out of this place are fantastic."
"We had pizza for lunch, I want something different."
"This place looks good."
"Steps of Rome sucks, let's move along."
"Here?"
"Too expensive."
Then he threw me in front of a bus. Not really. But I wouldn't have blamed him.
Eventually we ended up at Michelangelo. I was a little cautious of going to a restaurant right on Columbus on a Saturday night but Michelangelo's was a pleasant surprise. The food was good and the staff seemed to be surprised and delighted that we had stopped by. The table we sat at was right in the window so it felt a little bit like being on display. It's kind of weird t be eating dinner and have people walking by 2 inches from your face.
The bread tasted a little stale but J thought the olives served with it were delicious. The proscuittio and melon we had as a starter was fantastic. I had the ciopinno (reasonably priced at $18) and it was delicious and chock-full of fresh seafood. Unfortunately the garlic bread served with it was hard and tasted like it had been reheated a couple times. My magically delicious arm candy had the salmon special and damn near licked the plate.
There were a lot of tourists in here - a family from some red state who insisted the sauce for their pasta be served "on the side" and a couple who couldn't figure out what the olive oil was for and demanded butter instead. Um, why are you in North Beach? Not for the food, clearly. These are the same folks who go to Chevy's for the "Mexican" food. The stafff were really nice about it and obviously used to patrons coming from the world of Olive Garden and trying to destroy real Italian food. Yes, I'm a judgmental bitch. But I only judge people who DESERVE it.
I tried this restaurant for the 1st time last Saturday evening and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
Its a place where you feel like family. Where you know about their special things like "chicken juice" and the complimentary dessert. Where they're willing to make special dishes to accommodate your palate - nice!
The "chicken juice" is their light, fruity house red wine that's served in a large (heavy) chicken pitcher - the wine pours out of the chicken's beak. Kinda' eerie, but I couldn't help but stare at the beak every time I poured!
My friend's pasta seafood combo in red sauce was delicious! A large bowl with generous portions of calamari, fish, scallops, clams, and mussels (he requested they hold the shrimp).
My gnocchi was absolutely DEE-LISH-US! I asked for pesto sauce instead of tomato and they were happy to comply - that creamy yummy pesto sauce was so good I wanted to drink it! And I cleaned my plate because the gnocchi was perfect! Tender and chewy! Mmmmm!!!
The service was great. They were very attentive. I felt so comfortable and welcome there!
4.5 stars, that's my final answer! I would have given it 5 stars if the complimentary dessert hadn't been funky - the gummy bears were fine, but the almond cookies were so strange tasting. Almost like they were fermented? A very sharp bitter and slightly alcohol-like taste to them. Hm. Maybe that batch was off.
I was really craving chicken parmigiana which was not on the lunch menu so I asked the owner if they can make some. The owner was very nice and made sure I got my chicken parmigiana. I'm from Jersey and I've eaten at a lot of the high rated, fancy Italian restaurants in SF and have been dining here for years. Michelangelo's chicken parmigiana was really good and I have a hard time believing that some yelpers claim they can make better at home. I would give an extra star if the quality of wine was better even though it was free. I recommend that they don't offer it at all because it does not compliment the food. The rose was very pretty. I'm still in search for the perfect pizza in SF that is comparable to the pizza we have in Jersey/NY. Good location for people watching!
We used to really love this place. We like the free stuff. We like the Italian feel.
But the food seems to have slipped. We used to love the Cioppino, but the quality of the seafood in it has definitely fallen. The mussels were OK but not super fresh tasting. The sauce changed for the worse. The big chunks of seafood were missing. And it seemed like the price went up quite a bit.
This is my goto Italian restaurant. After years and years of eating here the prices remain reasonable and the food is consistently excellent. Just solid simple food. The Scampi in my eyes, are unbeaten. The shrimp, scallop, and fettucine in a tomato cream sauce and pesto pastas are also excellent. They pass around a full wheel of Parmigiano while you're waiting (or even while you're eating) and at the end of your meal they produce a huge bowl of Gummy Bears and a plate of amaretto cookies.
Anyone who walks in is treated as if they were a long time customer and the wait staff are friendly and lively. Sure this place can get overrun with people, local and tourists alike, but the wait is rarely very long and it keeps the place bustling. The ambiance is like an Italian art gallery gone mad which is amplified by the wedged shape corner space that it occupies. Intimate enough for a date (if you can get a corner table), relaxed enough for a few friends, or boisterous enough for a huge party.
Mean waitress=not cool.
Our food took over an hour to come. The waitress told us the kitchen had skipped us over. We didn't give her a hard time...we obligingly told her not to worry. Though she kept trying to push wine on us while we waited. Expensive wine we told her three times we didn't want.
Then we finally got the check, and realized we'd have to put the bill on our various cards. I know this is a cardinal sin in restaurant protocol, but we asked to split it *evenly* on three cards, and apologized profusely. Considering the slow service and our patience, we didn't think it would be an issue.
Instead the waitress marched back to our table and lectured us, "This is very poor etiquette. I did it this time but in the future, it should be a minimum of $20.00 on a card, and only one card. This was *very rude*."
Um, hi. I'm an adult. Pretty sure I grew out of parental lectures from my own parents about 10 years ago...and I certainly don't need them from an ill-tempered waitress my own age. With a sea of other italian restaurants in North Beach I certainly won't be returning to Michelangelo.
This is a fairly inexpensive Italian restaurant, tiny (in true North Beach fashion), with a basic menu and many "house" wine selections. I had the spaghetti with clams and mussels, which was a very generous portion. It was pretty good. My friend had lasagna, which she liked (and finished completely), and my other friend had the spinach ravioli in a cream tomato sauce, which I tried (and it was pretty good). There was nothing particularly standout about this restaurant, but it wasn't bad at all.
I liked the giant Gummy Bear bowl at the end - cute and original touch!
Fine versions of Italian standards. I had the gnocchi with tomato sauce. Shared a salad to start. Enjoyed the complementary bruschetta to begin and the amaretto cookies at the end (the gummy bears were cute but I'm just not into gummy bears).
Found this place as we were looking for a restaurant that could seat us before a concert nearby. They had pasta which we wanted and had a booth for us right away. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but would go back if in the neighborhood.
On the one hand, life is short, North Beach is far away and Italian food is overrated. So will I ever eat a meal here? I highly doubt it.
On the other hand, it was pouring rain after the John Oliver show, I needed to sober up before driving, and Mario's was packed. So did we run across the street to grab cappuccinos and dessert here? You bet.
And whatever else I may say about Italian cuisine, they do know their coffee and ice cream. That hit the spot, questionable faux-roman-statue decor notwithstanding.
5 stars for service
3.5 stars for food
I like bringing visiting friends here as it 'feels Italian" even tho' it is owned by a Portuguese guy. It has that European "Take your time, enjoy, eat, drink, talk to your neighbor." feel.
I don't eat the cookies or gummy bears, tho' too many hands have been in those bowls -YUCK!
Let me start off by saying: my meal ended nearly four hours ago, and I'm still really bummed that I had to discard the leftovers. The shrimp and whatnot would have been pretty iffy by the time I had a chance to get home and refrigerate it. I fully expect to be thinking about that dish for days on end.
Anyway, never before have I had a seafood pasta so overflowing with delicous shrimp, scallops and other goodies like porcini mushrooms and peas. I honestly think there was more seafood than noodles. And the tomato cream sauce was to freaking DIE for. I want to bathe in it.
It was such a welcome surprise, looking around the table and seeing my friends' plates overflowing with delicousness as well, when so often you are totally shirked on the good stuff like seafood or prosciutto in a pasta dish. It was simply divine. I loved every bite. The wine came in an awesome carafe that had us calling our chianti "chicken wine" all evening.
I can't wait to go back. I had a great time. What a treat.
Slice + Salad + Drink = $5.30
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Category: Italian
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Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Where I go when I in the city by the Bay. Which is…
Well, I didn't like them. Try 'em at your own…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
