Stop #31 Rose Pistola (RP) was one of the places I’ve been looking forward to from the beginning, so I was happy when it finally came, and even happier when on the day I had a rezzy to go I received a groupon offer. Perfect timing! As soon as I walked into RP I liked it. The atmosphere is great, they have outdoor seating, a full bar, counter space to eat in front of the chefs, and then some more secluded tables near the back. The service was friendly, helpful, and attentive. For appys we had house marinated mixed olives and grilled seafood-stuffed calamari with potatoes, fava beans & spring onions. Both were good. Unfortunately they were out of the crab pasta, which is what Ryan would of liked to order, instead he went with the rock shrimp, provolone & shaved fennel pizza. He enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as good as he thought it was going to be. FZ ordered the slow-braised American kobe brisket with stracchino-potato gratin & horseradish cream with a side of spinach. He thought the brisket was a little on the dry side, but I actually thought it was tender and had a nice smoky flavor. Kevin ordered the terrorized dry-aged NY steak with escarole & truffle butter. I’m convinced it was due to the humorous name, because as I got to know Kevin more over the course of this dinner he is an extremely funny guy. Everyone thought Kevin’s steak was really good, great flavor and cooked well. The girls both had the risotto with asparagus, bufala mozzarella & lemon oil. We both agreed it was very tasty. It wasn’t as creamy as I expected it to be, but this wasn’t a bad thing, as sometimes it makes it too heavy or rich. I liked the texture of it and the melted mozzarella made the dish. I could have eaten an entire plate of the mozzarella alone. The risotto was a generous portion size, so I thought I might have leftovers, but it was too good to stop eating. This is one of the more pricey restaurants on Columbus, especially for the main entrées, but if you are looking for a more upscale place in NB with great atmosphere and service it’s a good choice. I will definitely go back for appys and drinks and the occasional dinner, and I would like to do so on a night when they have live music.
A taste all, tell all, tour guide to all the restaurants on Columbus Avenue in North Beach, San Francisco, Ca.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Respectable Rose Pistola
Stop #31 Rose Pistola (RP) was one of the places I’ve been looking forward to from the beginning, so I was happy when it finally came, and even happier when on the day I had a rezzy to go I received a groupon offer. Perfect timing! As soon as I walked into RP I liked it. The atmosphere is great, they have outdoor seating, a full bar, counter space to eat in front of the chefs, and then some more secluded tables near the back. The service was friendly, helpful, and attentive. For appys we had house marinated mixed olives and grilled seafood-stuffed calamari with potatoes, fava beans & spring onions. Both were good. Unfortunately they were out of the crab pasta, which is what Ryan would of liked to order, instead he went with the rock shrimp, provolone & shaved fennel pizza. He enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as good as he thought it was going to be. FZ ordered the slow-braised American kobe brisket with stracchino-potato gratin & horseradish cream with a side of spinach. He thought the brisket was a little on the dry side, but I actually thought it was tender and had a nice smoky flavor. Kevin ordered the terrorized dry-aged NY steak with escarole & truffle butter. I’m convinced it was due to the humorous name, because as I got to know Kevin more over the course of this dinner he is an extremely funny guy. Everyone thought Kevin’s steak was really good, great flavor and cooked well. The girls both had the risotto with asparagus, bufala mozzarella & lemon oil. We both agreed it was very tasty. It wasn’t as creamy as I expected it to be, but this wasn’t a bad thing, as sometimes it makes it too heavy or rich. I liked the texture of it and the melted mozzarella made the dish. I could have eaten an entire plate of the mozzarella alone. The risotto was a generous portion size, so I thought I might have leftovers, but it was too good to stop eating. This is one of the more pricey restaurants on Columbus, especially for the main entrées, but if you are looking for a more upscale place in NB with great atmosphere and service it’s a good choice. I will definitely go back for appys and drinks and the occasional dinner, and I would like to do so on a night when they have live music.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Caffe Roma-licious!
Sunny days are best spent outdoors, especially when you can
grab a good bite to eat with an amazing friend.
Stop #30 brought me to Caffe Roma after a gym sesh with Erin. We ordered two sammies to share and sat at a
table outside. We had the Italiana- grilled
chicken, mayo, mustard, tomatoes & cheese on a ciabatta roll served hot and
the North Beach Special- turkey, salami, cheese, balsamic dressing, sun-dried
tomatoes, avo & lettuce. Both sammies were delish. The chicken on the
Italiana was flavorful and moist and there was lots of it. Loved the melted
cheese on the crunchy ciabatta bread. The NB Special was served warm, instead
of cold like it said on the menu, but it was still great. The balsamic dressing
completely complimented the other flavors and gave it a nice kick. And again,
who doesn’t love melted cheese on a sammy? Since Caffe Roma is best known for
its caffeinated beverages, I ordered an iced chai to go, and indulged in a
cupcake filled with cream cheese. Both of these items were heavenly. Dangerous.
This is one of my fave CC finds so far. I will be back for the chai, the
cupcake, the sammies, and to try various other menu items. They also have a
good deal for a cup of soup & a half sammy for $8.95. Score.
Monday, February 25, 2013
L' (ordinary) Osteria
Best part by far of stop #29, L'Osteria Del Forno was the
company. I was so happy to dine with some of my fave girls. I had never eaten
there before, but Goose had a few years back and loved it. The review this time
was not as good. In fact the reviews from everyone were mixed and mediocre at
best. Right from the start it wasn’t a
very warm welcome from the waitresses. The place is small and it is difficult
to accommodate larger parties, but a table for five should not have been too
much trouble. You aren’t able to be seated until your entire party has arrived
which is understandable, but once our party was entirely present they told us
to step inside and then just looked at us as if we should rearrange the tables
to put five seats together. We didn’t want to impose or assume we
would chose the correct formation, so it was a bit of a staring contest for quite
some time before we assisted one of the staff in creating a table for five.
Phew, now that we had that out of the way, and luckily had a sense of humor
about it, it was time to tackle the menu. We started with an insalata caprese
(sliced tomatoes & fresh mozzarella with basil, capers, green olives & anchovies)
and the pomodori gratinati (baked tomatoes with bread crumbs, garlic, Italian
parsley& olive oil). The caprese was good, the tomatoes were just a little
on the mushy side. The stuffed tomato was bland and unfortunately was a preview
of some of the dishes to come.
When Megs asked the waitress what she liked (on
the menu), the response was, “what do you like” I know this can be interpreted
as her trying to get more info on Megs likes/dislikes, but either way the menu
“help” was vague and not forthcoming. For our main courses we all agreed to
order something different so we could share. Goose had the polenta, it was
decent, but the word that came to mind was: bland. Sensing a theme? Even the melted
gruyere cheese that coated it did
not provide a
flavorful kick. It definitely
should be listed as a side dish and not an entrée. Di had the penne pasta baked
in Bolognese, béchamel sauce. One word: bland. Megs had the crepes filled with
sautéed porcini mushrooms, ham, béchamel sauce. This was good, filling, and rich. Mendy Poo had the pumpkin ravioli
special. We were all
excited about tasting this one. I really
liked it, but (not surprisingly) it too could of used more
spice. MP thought the pasta was undercooked. I ordered one of the many pizzas
they offer- the tre formaggi: imported gorgonzola cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella,
no sauce. I enjoyed it and so did the
rest of the table. Crisp crust with gooey cheese, what was not to like? For
dessert we had a slice of the ricotta cheesecake, being a cheesecake connoisseur,
I was not a fan. MP did LOVE her espresso with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in
it. Some other good things to mention are- the prices are reasonable, perfect
portions, the setting is very intimate, and the focaccia bread is amazing. I
think you really just need to know what to order, so my advice is to avoid
most of the menu items we had. This dining experience proved that no matter how
mediocre the meal, as long as you are with the right friends the meal may be
forgotten, but the moment will be memorable.
http://www.losteriadelforno.com/01_home.html
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Reacquainted & it tastes so good...
Stop #28, Original US Restaurant, yes please! I had only
eaten here once before and it was over a year ago, I liked it, but it just
wasn’t a place I ever thought to go back to. That will not be the case now.
Goose and I dined there last week and it was awesome. Great atmosphere,
attentive service, decent prices, and delish food. I had the penne a la salsa rosa- penne pasta in a
tomato cream sauce and I added fresh mozzarella, which ended up being a wise
move. The melted mozzarella complimented the rich sauce and al dente pasta
nicely. The portion size was generous enough for me to make two meals out of
it, love when that happens. They offer 2-3 specials daily and Goose got one of
them. She had homemade pappardelle pasta with shrimp & zucchini in a tomato
sauce. They were the widest pappardelle I’ve ever seen and the texture was
perfect. Great flavors & it tasted extremely fresh. OG US also has TVs,
which is always a plus for this sports girl. I’m really happy I was
reacquainted with this place and look forward to eating there more than once a
year.
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