Piccino in the Dogpatch...

The Dogpatch neighborhood of SF is not known as culinary destination. However over the past few years, there's a been a gentrification as the IT industry continues to drive growth further down from SOMA. A few month's ago, I wrote about Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous. This time it's Piccino, an inviting restaurant on the bottom floor of a Victorian building. The open plan california-style italian restaurant has a large bar area overlooking the kitchen and communal tables spread throughout dinning area. 

At the recommendation of our waitress, we order several small plates for sharing, starting with a salad of strawberries, shaved fennel, arugula, mint, and toasted hazelnut. Sweet and tart, fresh and crunchy, this salad had a nice overall balance. You normally expect walnuts and goat cheese, but this take was a welcome departure. Definitely worth trying. 

Next up, we went for the falafel plate. This was a head scratcher to see on the menu, but that didn't stop us from trying it. Served on a cucumber yogurt, the falafel were crispy on the outside and very moist on the inside. It not uncommon for falafels to dry out if overcooked, so needless say we enjoyed them. Despite how great they were, we've had better...so stick to the italian dishes instead. 

For the main, we decided to share a margherita pizza. Served on a wood board with parchment paper, the pizza came out piping hot. As you'd expect, all the ingredients were simple and really fresh - tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. The dough was slightly chewy; not as crispy in comparison to Delfina or Gialina. What was unique though is that this pizza didn't get cold and soggy. We both figured it was because it was served on a wood board that absorbed any excess moisture. Funny thing is, it didn't take us long to finish the pizza because of how good it was. 

For dessert, we shared the stonefruit crostata with brandy zabaglione, and spiced walnut. This wouldn't have been a normal choice, since I always opt for chocolate. Not sure what got into me, but it was definitely the right move. It had the right balance of fruit and dough; and was not overly sweet. The fruit (which I believer were plums) was appropriately the star of the dessert. The zabaglione and the walnuts were a nice touch, but not memorable. 

All in all, a great restaurant off the beaten track. And with a large communal space makes, Piccino is ideal for larger parties. Go try it! 

ice creamy overload at mr & mrs misc...

Now there's another boutique ice cream shop in town. It's call Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous and it's located in of all places, the Dogpatch. Co-owners Anabelle Topacio and Ian Flores have been churning out classic American flavors with several twists. They have been open for 1+ years and the recent features on both Food Network and Cooking Channel have taken this unassuming spot to the next level of popularity.

Sheila and I have been meaning to try this place for a few months and on a Indian Summer afternoon this past October we made the trip over to the Dogpatch via Muni from the Mission. The shop is a converted warehouse storefront with large glass roll up doors and an open space plan. We we arrived, the line was about 10 deep, but by the time we sat down to eat our ice cream, the line had swelled to 25 plus! Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous makes their ice cream daily in one batch; once they're out, the shop closes. Very SF-esque, think an ice cream version of Una Pizza Napoletana!

The flavors on tap on that Sunday were exciting - we tasted the salted mango, lemon verbena before settling on jasmine green tea and rosemary pistachio. The portions were very large - Sheila's junior at $3.25 and my single at $4.25 - easily could have been shared and several others in the shop were doing. Starting with the jasmine green tea - Sheila described it as creamy and aromatic. Typically green tea can be bitter, but this was delicate. It reminded her of an ice cream version of bubble tea from Fantasia, Sheila's favorite pearl tea shop in Santa Clara. She gave it two thumbs up.

The rosemary pistachio was equally earthy and aromatic like the jasmine green tea. The rosemary provided the a great element of surprise - like smelling a nicely balanced Pottery Barn candle. There were pistachio were toasted and provide a nice chunky element throughout the scoop. However the cream, and by virtue the sugar content, was overpowering at times which made it pretty hard to finish. I enjoy ice cream like most people, but I wish the cream was lighter. In hindsight, I should have gone for the salted mango.

Mr & Mrs Miscellaneous is an inventive shop! The quirky flavor combinations will keep the patrols coming to this gentrified neighborhood. In Sheila's mind, when compared with Humphry Slocombe in the Mission, Mr & Mrs easily is superior because the flavors are delicate and the ice cream is lighter. I would tend to agree, despite the my lukewarm review of the rosemary pistachio.