pasta? in palo alto...

This is definitely our restaurant, Sheila has been going here for 9 years and she's been taking me there since I moved to the Bay Area in '02. We've celebrated many a birthday and anniversary here because it simply brings back great memories.

Located on University Ave in Palo Alto, it often goes unnoticed amongst to eclectic mix of other restaurants. The funny thing is that storefronts have changed overnight given the economic downturn. However Pasta? has remained open for 10 years now. The reason is the food - Southern Italian fare prepared with authentic and simple recipes. There is mix of soups and salad; an array of tube and filled pastas; and decadent desserts. Having been to Italy, Pasta? is not that far off from it's roots. For this review, I'm going to focus on our last orders - ravioli della casa, chocolate souffle, and tiramisu.

The ravioli della casa consists of handmade fresh ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach in pink sauce. The ravioli is cooked al dente and the filling is melt in your mouth good! The flavors of both compliment each other with being overpowering. The pink sauce (blend of tomatoes, cream, red onion, and basil) provides a perfect, slightly sweet base for the bed of ravioli. Don't get me wrong it is smothering in pink sauce, but I have often found myself wiping the plate clean with their complementary sourdough bread. The portion is just right for allowing room for dessert. This is my favorite pasta dish and Italian restaurant outside of the original.

The chocolate souffle at Pasta? is a 3" diameter chocolate cake with molten chocolate center served alongside two small scoops of vanilla ice cream. Once you cut into the cake the wonderful dark chocolate oozes out. The cake is somewhat bitter, which is good because the ice cream provide the right amount of sweetness. Based on it's size, I would recommend sharing it. All in all, it's nice end cap this meal.

As noted on the menu, the tiramisu is made in house. The layers of marscapone, rum-infused ladyfinger cake, and coffee are perfectly balanced. It's not overly sweet or rummy, which allows for each ingredient to shine in it's own way. I have to say that the last time we went, the bottom layer had excess moisture, probably because of settling. There was a dollop of whipped cream, which was unnecessary, so we ended up taking it off. Along with the ravioli, this dessert is part of our normal staple of orders.

Over the years, Pasta? has gone through a couple of renovations and even expanded to include an adjacent bar area, which has meant a steady increase in prices. The interior has gone from a sleepy farmhouse to a pseudo lounge. However, one thing that hasn't changed is the quality of the food. Now at $15.45; inflation is out of control as this was $8.95 nine years ago. However its still a great by when compared to other Palo Alto joints. Forget the other fancy storefronts along University Ave and stop into Pasta? for some neighborhood Southern Italian food. Like us, I hope it will be memorable.

keste's pizza nyc felt much like sf

Yes, I am a pizza snob. Let me re-phrase, I am a pizza monster. Wait, perhaps pizza obsessed. SF is a great city to live in for this craving - as you've picked up on from previous blogs. With recent trips to NYC, the opportunities to eat pizza have now increased! Backing up for a minute, I've noticed that SF prepares high-end (bordering on pretentious) pizzas made with the freshest of ingredients and cooked in wood burning showpiece ovens. NYC (also using fresh ingredients) prepares no frills, simple pizzas in a old-world Napoli and Roma kind of way. So how to compare? For me, it's about appreciating the differences - or so I thought.

This past May, Sheila and I hit up NYC and, of course, ate our way through Manhattan. On a Sunday afternoon, we ventured onto Bleecker St in the West Village for a meal at Keste, on the top 10 NYC pizza list of several publications. We were promptly seated by the hostess halfway down this narrow restaurant. The ambience was relaxed and the decor was modern Italian with old world Italian accents in the photos and accessories. The menu had a great selection of vegetarian salads, pizzas, and desserts. In the end we decided to share a meal since the days prior consisted of lots of heavy meals.

First up was the Toscana salad - spring mix, fresh pear, walnuts, lemon, and evoo. There were a burst of flavors from the pear and citrus infused evoo, but it was balanced by the nutty walnuts. The portion was large enough for us to share, but I suspect that must people would order it as a single portion. My only negative comment was that the pear ratio was rather low. By the time we were at the bottom, the only things left were greens and walnuts.

Next up was the Regina Margherita pizza - tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, basil, and a sprinkle of evoo. The cheese was melt in your mouth soft, the crust was crispy on edges and chewy on the inside, the cherry tomatoes added subtle sweetness. The drizzled evoo came through with each bite and provided a smooth finish. Just like everyone claims, included the cast of Entourage, the secret to the dough (and taste) is in the water. Suffice to say I could a have eaten the entire pizza by myself. My recommendation, go with a groups of friends and order several to share, oh and invite me!

Last up was the tiramisu - it's appearance was much more like espresso and rum whipped cream because we couldn't see the lady fingers. Taste-wise, the tiramisu was light and not overly sweet. In fact it was slightly bitter if you didn't combine it with the cream topping. No deep rum tones (a good thing), which can be the case with tiramisu gone wrong. I'd say order this if you're looking for an out of the ordinary tiramisu.

Final thoughts - Keste, in ambiance and pizza style, reminded me more of SF than of NYC. Alas, it will never to confused with Gramaldi's or Lombardi's. I did enjoy the simplicity of each dish and the perfectly cooked pizza (oh the amazing crust). However, next time we'll try a slice house to eat the way that New Yorkers enjoy - folded in half, eaten from below, hanging off a paper plate, standing on the sidewalk. I'm hungry, can't wait go back to NYC!

gialina, our neighborhood pizza joint

When Sheila and I moved to Glen Park, our friends, neighbors, and even realtor, commented about how great the local pizza joint, Gialina, was. Soon enough we started reading the accolades from GQ Magazine, Sunset Magazine, The SF Chronicle, and Check Please Bay Area. Needless to say the foodies are right on, Gialina is fantastic and is turning Glen Park into a food destination!

It's been 18 months and we've physically eaten there twice and ordered taken at least 6 times. That's partly because the restaurant is quite small with only 30 seats and wait can be upwards of 45 mins. However it's very much a warm cozy interior with open kitchen, small tables, and large scale family photos on the bright red walls. The menu is straightforward with several starter salads, a dozen pizzas, and a few desserts. The chef and owner, Sharon Ardiana, prides herself on using fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. Some pizzas like the (1) Atomica and (2) Margherita are always on the menu. The others like the (3) Pesto w/ chard, olives, & ricotta and (4) Zucca w/ ricotta, sage, & brown butter are based on what produce is available.

We've tried all four of the above, but I'll be focusing on (1) and (2). Although Gialina does not have wood burning ovens, it's able to produce some of the best tasting crust - puffy on the edges, slightly blackened with a chewy taste remaining. As San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer notes the secret to this amazing crust is because (a) the yeast to flour ratio is low; (b) the dough is wetter than most, and (c) allowed to proof overnight. Whatever the secret, i can't get enough. The Atomica is out of this world good. It's topped with tomato sauce, red onions, chillies, mushroom and mozzarella. It has a kick to it with the chillies but not overpowered by heaps of mozzarella (just a few shavings). Sheila orders without mushrooms and I with - works either way. As for the Margherita, the dough comments definitely apply. The tomato sauce tastes extremely fresh, as does the mozzarella slices. With SF gourmet pizza restaurants all known for their Magherita, it's tough to differentiate Gialina from Delfina, Zero Zero, or Una Pizza Napoletana; which is praise indeed!

For dessert, we've had the Tiramisu and Chocolate Pistachio Cake. The Tiramisu is quite good. Sheila's way to gauge is whether it's too "rummy", which Gialina's one is not. We've ordered it to go on several occasions. The ladyfingers are moist with the right level of coffee and rum infusion; the mascapone cheese not overly sweet; and the cocoa powder gives a good bitterness. However the Chocolate Pistachio Cake, which we ordered once, was a bit dry and the pistachios overpowered any true chocolate flavor. In a pinch if the cake was all they had, I would rather head into Canyon Market across the street for their selection of great dessert.

Few things to keep in mind. The key to enjoying Gialina pizzas is to have it piping hot! We've noticed that once the pizza cools off, the flavors become subdued. There are also some inconsistencies in crust, especially between types of pizza. This is probably because of the high volume of orders that come through the cramped kitchen. The pizzas are around $15 each, which is expensive when compared to the competition. Lastly the wait can be long, but Glen Park has several quaint shops to keep you occupied.

Make the trek to Glen Park, not cuz we live there, but to taste amazing pizza. You won't second guess any of the praise lauded on this local eatery. Mangia tutti!