Cozy Calzone's

Stop #22, Calzone’s is a NB staple. The biggest draw of this place is the ambiance, especially when you sit outside. At night the mosaic tabletops are candlelit and placed beneath heat lamps. This is where Di, Erin & I sat while we consumed. The weather was nice and it was fun getting to chat with a few friends that unexpectedly passed by. Di had the gnocchetti in a tomato cream sauce. After adding red pepper flakes it was a good combination of sweet & spicy. Very fitting for Spicy D! Erin had the combo pizza- sausage, pepperoni, eggplant, onions, bolognese sauce & mozzarella. She really enjoyed it, but felt it was overpriced at $15.95. I had the seasonal tomatoes salad- red onions, avocado, basil, crostini & balsamic vinaigrette. I added chicken to it and unlike the last stop it was not $7 extra, but $3.95, fair enough. My salad was delish, lots of different flavors that complimented each other well, and the superb heirloom tomatoes were firm and juicy.  

I eat at Calzone’s often and I like the food, even though there hasn’t been anything that has completely blown me away. It is very convenient in terms of location and late night dining.

http://www.calzonesf.com/

4 out of 5 Ciabatta loaves  

Consistent Colosseo

I’ve now reached the area of Columbus that I live near so most of the upcoming places I have eaten at before. This is true for stop #21, Colosseo Ristorante. I really like this place. It has a very open, fun atmosphere. The food is consistently good, the service is decent, and the menu is extensive, a little on the pricey side, but average for NB. My BFF and I had brunch there on one of those gorgeous January days in SF, where the weather is crisp, but the sun is brightly shinning. We decided to sit at one of the outdoor tables under a heat lamp and it was lovely. Plus eating outside on a busy street in this city provides endless people watching entertainment. I had the pesto gnocchi, which was awesome. The pesto sauce wasn’t too heavy and the pasta was the right texture. Laura had the grilled salmon with veggies. She said it was some of the best salmon she has had at a restaurant, and the zucchini was cooked perfectly- just a little heavy on the oil. It was a simple delish meal, complimented by a great catch up sesh, after a morning yoga class. They also have a projector screen near the bar so you can always catch a game there. Colosseo is for sure a go to NB spot for me.

http://www.colosseosf.com/

4 out of 5 Ciabatta loaves

I've got no strings...pulling me back to Pinocchio

I’ve been to stop #20, Trattoria Pinocchio, a few times and I’ve never been blown away by it and this experience was no different, in fact this was probably the last time I’ll go there. They have a brunch menu on Saturday & Sunday. I’ve always wanted to try the crab cakes, but there is a notation next to them that says: “ask about availability” Every time I have asked the answer is no. I’m thinking maybe they should be removed from the menu entirely. So I went with the cheese omelet. It was good, very cheesy and came with veggies & salad, which were also good. Erin had the Sicilian sausage and eggs, she asked to substitute the potatoes for fruit or something, but this was not allowed. She was allowed to have more salad though, so she did that, but they brought her the potatoes anyway. Her meal was just ok. Goose ordered the insalata tricolore: radicchio, arugula, and fennel topped with pesto vinaigrette & goat cheese. She decided to add chicken to the salad, a common decision. The waiter did not mention what the charge would be to do this, and in my experience the average cost would be between $2-4, so that’s what we assumed. You can imagine our shock when the bill came and the added chicken was $7, this is on top of the $13 for the chicken-less salad. That’s right ladies & gentleman a $20 salad. Was it worth the price? Of course not! It was lettuce and chicken. Goose enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything special. Our guest of honor, adorable little Miss Scarlett aka Gosling had the kids spaghetti. She was kind enough to give me a bite and it was good, a very tangy marinara. So overall the food was decent- nothing bad, but nothing great. Just over priced and not a place any of us are trying to go back to any time soon.

http://www.trattoriapinocchio.com/

2 out of 5 Ciabatta loaves

Mouthwatering Molinari

This will be a short & sweet review. Stop #19 was Molinari Delicatessen, which is phenomenal. I eat here frequently. When you get there you grab a number and wait for it to be called- warning going during peak hours can have you waiting for a long time. Next you pick your bread from the basket or you can go with the focaccia that they keep behind the counter (which I recommend trying). They have several other goodies in the store for you to buy as well: cheeses, chips, salads, drinks, etc. There are many sammy options or you can create your own. One of the most popular is the Molinari special- a combo of cold cuts, condiments, and cheese. I have tried a few different ones, but I always seem to go back to salami & provolone plain. I love being able to taste just the meat and the cheese. Their salami is outstanding. I sometimes buy of stick of it to bring to parties and when I do it always goes quickly. They do have a couple of tables out front, but this is more of a grab & go place. So go, grab, enjoy.      

 http://www.molinarisalame.com/

 5 Molinari loaves