southern italian homage at oenotri in napa

Napa Valley is home to the most amazing wines in the US (and arguably the world), but it is also home to some of the best restaurants such as French Laundry, Bottega, Bouchon, and Restaurant at Meadowood. Those were a bit too expensive for our taste. However on our Babymoon trip, Sheila and I did partake in a foodie excursion that included Oenotri, an Italian restaurant in Downtown Napa.

Oenotri is the work of Tyler Rodde, a native of Napa Valley, where his southern Italian establishment features a daily changing menu driven by a local, fresh, and in season ingredients. All breads and pastas are handmade onsite and all ingredients, including the olive oil, come from Oenotri's own farm in Napa Valley. The beautiful pizza oven is a wood burning Acino imported from Naples! Salivating now?

The interior of the restaurant is warm and inviting - large natural wood tables and comfy colorful seats are scattered throughout the open plan dining area. The kitchen is in plain view of the dining area so all patrons can see the action unfold. It can get a bit loud inside, so conversations tend to be at high volumes. Our waiter came over a few mins after we were seated and took the time to explain the entire menu, which features several vegetarian dishes. We eventually decided to share the asparagus antipasti, margherita pizza, and ricotta & spinach ravioli.

Chopped asparagus with mint, and parmigiano-regiano - a cold antipasti of asparagus, hand ripped mint and grated parmigiano. The asparagus was crisp and fresh, blanched and shocked to retain it's earthy flavor. The mint provided the freshness and balance. The parmigiano was flavorful but not overpowering, and provided the natural saltiness. This was a dish where you could taste each individual  ingredient with great balance. At $11 you are paying for the restaurant's location and it's organic mantra, but it's worth it.

Ricotta and spinach ravioli with saba and fava leaves - stuffed pasta filled with creamy ricotta and earthy spinach topped with a light drizzle of olive oil and saba (aged sweat balsamic vinaigrette). This is a dish that could come off as heavy, but not at Oenotri. The made to order pasta was smooth to the taste, light, and pillowy. Each bite left us clamoring for more, the saba drizzle on top provided a really nice sweetness to the dish and the fava leaves were a pleasant earthy surprise (more common would be sage or basil). Our only complaint is that at $16 this dish is a bit expensive for the portion size. Either of us could have finished the dish on our own and wouldn't have been full.

Margherita pizza cooked in a wood burning oven - mozzarella di bufala, san marzano tomato sauce, oregano, and olive oil. The 10" pizza came out piping hot with a lightly charred crust. I'll start by saying it was good, but not memorable. The best part was the crust - crispy but chewy which is a sign of great gluten balance. The cheese came across a bit too salty for our palate. The tomato sauce was fresh, but lacked flavor depth. I for one prefer the margherita at Delfina, Keste, Co, and Zero Zero over Oenotri. At $14 this was on the high-side for such a small pizza. I think next time we'll try one of their veggie farm inspired creations.

Oenotri definitely hits the mark for local, fresh, inviting Italian cuisine. Even for Napa Valley, it's not a cheap dinner for two our bill came to $70 with drinks. Although they are known for pizza, we both found the antipasti and pasta to be the stars. The ambience and atmosphere is fun for large groups; and we'd certainly come back with friends. Check out this spot if you're craving authentic southern Italian fare in Napa Valley. We give Oenotri a solid 7 out of 10. 

A Tavola Pizzeria - a real surprise in Cincinnati

When Cincinnati comes to mind, you don't quite think cultural vibe or hipster flair. But neighborhoods such as The Banks and Over the Rhine will make you think again. With its close proximity to Kentucky bluegrass culture, mid-west friendliness, and German immigrant population, Cincinnati has charm. I went there for the first time in Q4 2013 for work and scoped out a few of Cinci's best local restaurants. Of course there was a pizza joint on the list - A Tavola in Over the Rhine at 1220 Vine St.


I went to A Tavola with a few colleagues on what we thought was a quiet Tuesday night, A Tavola was buzzing with energy. They don't take reservations, but we arrived  around 6:30 and we're seated right away. The space was open yet inviting, wood topped tables closely placed, an open bar area towards the front, and a huge wood burning pizza oven nestled just in view of the dining area. The menus star is obviously pizza, but they have a nice selection of antipasti, salads, and sliders. At $10 to $16 per pie the cost is on par with SF but the portion sizes are slightly larger. We ordered family style - Roasted Cauliflower, Margherita Pizza, Artichoke Pizza, and Peach & Rhubarb Streusel with Salted Caramel Gelato. All were very tasty with my favorites being the artichoke pie and peach streusel.

Roasted Cauliflower - cauliflower and lemon vinaigrette. The dish came out with piping hot with the over roasted cauliflower lightly drizzled with lemon vinaigrette. Each floret was a bite-size portion and the overall serving was enough to feed 3 as an antipasti dish. The dish was a bit bitter and acidic, but not overpowering. The cauliflower itself had a nice charred/smoky flavor and was slightly al dente.


Margherita Pizza - tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil. This was a safe choice given the other eclectic pies on the menu. The crust was chewier than I prefer with a few char marks from the wood oven. The sauce was a hint sweet from the san marzano tomatoes, the home made mozzarella was a hint salty - a good balance but nothing that I hadn't tasted before at many SF establishments. Lets just say that we ate the entire pie, but in the futures would opt for a more unique choice.


Artichoke Pizza - tomato sauce, pesto, artichokes, mozzarella, and goats cheese. This was by far the best dish of the evening. On the surface the combination of artichokes and goats cheese did not sound appealing, but the waitress indicated that this was one of restaurant's best sellers. The pizza was perfectly cooked with and generous charring along the crust. The combination of mozzarella and goats cheese provided a sweet and salty balanced flavor. The artichokes were cut small and before being added to the pie. They were fresh and retained a nice crunch. The pesto seemed out of place and it's taste really didn't come through, but I'm nitpicking at this point. I would order this again.


Pear and Rhubarb Streusel - baked pear and rhubarb with cinnamon crumble and salted caramel gelato. This dessert definitely hit the spot with the warm naturally sweet streusel and the cold creamy salted caramel gelato. The gelato itself was soft serve, a nice touch since it was easy to scoop and share. I have become a bit fan of salty sweet combo desserts and A Tavola does it right. The streusel tasted more peach than rhubarb, but none the less the fruit was very ripe and tasty. The serving size was about right for three to share and I would definitely order this dish again.

All is all A Tavola did not disappoint. A hipster vibe, great friendly service, and memorable pizza makes this place a must on your list in Cincinnati. I give a solid 7.5 out of 10. See for yourself.

Farina Pizza in the Mission...

In an already crowded restaurant scene, Farina Pizza opened it's doors at the corner of Valencia & 18th. Yes, this puts is within walking distance of five other venerable spots - Pizzeria Delfina, Beretta, Arnell's, Little Star, and Mozzeria.  So what differentiates Farina from the others - the Italian imports, literally - from the ingredients and countertops, to the gas oven and chefs. Farina prides itself on replicating the authentic neapolitan experience, which is rare in a era when SF restaurant have touted the concept of farm to table, organic, and sustainable.

One recent Tuesday evening, Sheila and I decided to spontaneously visit this beautifully designed spot of clean white subway tiles, carrera marble counters, harvest wood tables, stainless steel fixtures, and artisan glass.  We arrived around 6:30pm and had the option of sitting at a communal table or the bar. We decided on the bar which overlooks the pizza prep station and oven. Good thing we got there early, because within 30 mins the place was packed and there was a  pretty long wait list. Needless to say, they don't take reservations.

The menu combines several fresh salads, pizzas, and pastas - made in the traditional Italian style with imported produce.  We went straight for the pizza with each of us ordering our own (margherita and ortolana)

The margherita pizza (San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte mozzarella, romano cheese, olive oil, basil)  was served piping hot from the gas oven as it should be; we actually watched the entire preparation from our  seats. The crust was slighted charred and not too salty. It had a great chewy factor (glutenous) which we've found to be a hallmark of neapolitan pies. The fior di latte mozzarella was silky smooth and wonderfully delicious. Sheila found the pizza to also have a nice cheese to tomato ratio. She would rate the magherita as better than Zero Zero and equally on par with Keste and Co in NYC. However, she prefers Delfina's crust. Although there something to be said about Farina's ambience and overall experience. 

Ortolana pizza (fior di latte mozzarella, eggplant, mushrooms, and bell peppers) - Similar to the magherita this crust was chewy. I thought it lacked a bit of seasoning, but nevertheless had a good balance of char and gluten. The eggplants, mushrooms, and bell pepper had been roasted with olive oil, but yet retained their earthy flavors. I agree with Sheila's assessment of the fior di latte mozzarella, one of the best I've ever had. The only thing missing for me was some sauce, after a while the pizza started to dry out. Overall good balanced flavors, but I'll try a different pie next time.

All in all, cool new hot spot in the Mission. This gives us another traditional neapolitan pizza place to add to our list. And at $15 per pie, the price point is on par with the others listed above. If you want the closest thing to classic Italian pizza, go to Farina. It's worth checking out. 

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! 

is pizzeria delfina the best in sf?

Arguably yes, if you asked Sheila and I. Pizzeria Delfina is the uber-trendy casual establishment of Craig and Anne Stoll (of Delfina and Locand0) that opened in 1995. It serves Neapolitan style pizzas using local and seasonal ingredients. There are six staple pizzas and two or more daily-changing specials. There are two locations -one in Pacific Heights off Fillmore; and the other on 18th St sandwiched between Tartine and Bi-Rite. Over the past 2-1/2 years, we've probably been the both an equal number of times - maybe 8 times in all, but who's counting!

The place is tiny with around 25 total seats inside and a dozen outside and an open plan kitchen. The environment is casual (more so that Flour + Water and Berreta); and the ambiance is simple and functional. It doesn't take reservations, there's a chalkboard as you enter when names can be added, so be prepared to wait around 30-45 mins any day of the week. We've had some luck during odd hours - post lunch rush around 2pm and pre-dinner rush around 5pm. The place to sit is at the sidewalk tables, especially when the weather is cooperative. More often than not we opt for two pizzas instead of sharing a salad and pizza, but to be honest it's that good! The pizzas remain a constant as well - Panna and Margherita.

The panna is a mouth watering take on a pie with tomato sauce, fresh basil, shaved parmesan, and cream. The tomato sauce is fresh, slightly chunky, and a bit sweet. The fresh basil give the dish an aromatic punch; the shaved parmesan (thin strips) provide the salty element; and lastly the cream (sorta like a creme fraise) provides the silky buttery aftertaste. Oh wait, don't forget about the crust - thin, crispy, and always slightly burnt - it's cooked in a wood fire oven at about 700 degrees. The one word that comes to mind with this crust is consistent. You always know what you’re going to get – it’s not paper thin like a cracker and not overly chewy like some other California-style crusts. The perfect blend of crunchy and chewy, we feel this crust is the best in the City. And at $10, this is one of best bargains for high end hipster pizza.

The margherita is a simply prepared with the freshest of ingredients. The tomato sauce and fresh basil (same as the panna pie) are juicy and bursting with flavors. The fior di latte mozzarella is soft, silky, and. This is pie best eaten piping hot from the even – when the sauce is still bubbling, the crust still steaming, and the melted mozzarella falling off the slices. The pizza just doesn’t have the same character after getting cold – of course the same can be said for most others. It’s been a while since I’ve had the margherita pies at Gialina, Zero Zero, and Beretta; but for my money, Pizzeria Delfina takes the prize. The perfect crust, with fresh ingredients, cooked in a wood fired oven, served steaming hot! It is $12.50; which is a reasonably priced when compared to its competitors.

So to conclude, Pizzeria Delfina is the real deal. Sheila and I would recommend this place hands down. The Mission location has the ambiance, but the Pacific Heights location is larger and easier to find parking. Again, the food quality is great at both and the wait may like be the same. Service can be hit or miss (hipster status quo); we’ve had many more positive experiences than negative. Skip the appetizers and dessert (Tartine and Bi-Rite are next door) and order one pie per person. If there are left0vers; don’t fret I’d be glad to help out. Happy eating, from the pizza monster!

Raving about Pizzetta 211

There are neighborhood joints and then there's Pizzetta. Located at 211 23rd St between California and Lake, you'd never notice this place existed. That is until you see all the people congregated outside the storefront. Is it a garage sale, maybe a house party? Nope, just one the best tasting pizza in SF, and for that matter, the US.

Pizzetta is unassuming, there are only four tables inside, three tables outside, four stools at the bar, and a kitchen the size of most SF condos. No waiting area, no credit cards, no large parties, no reservations, no substitutes.

After reading through their website, we decided to call ahead on the wait and arrived around 6:45pm. Note that parking in the Richmond can be hard work. Took me about 10 mins, but others 25 mins. The owner, a charismatic gentlemen with a scruffy face and short curly hair took our name down and within 15 mins sat us at the bar. The interior is a combination storage room, dining area, bar, and kitchen. The real joy are the owners and workers - it's a group of four lads who look like either frat brothers from Cal or musicians appearing at Outsidelands. Really nice fellows, one making the pizzas, one tending to the appetizers and drinks, one at the cash til, and one for the front of house. They took care of the many happy clients wearing shirts made by a regular customer with the words "Pizzetta Attitude" and a photo of the owners.

We started with the special appetizer of the day - artichokes with aioli and butter beans with olive tapenade. Simply amazing and not the type of elevated food you'd expect from a small place like this. The artichokes were freshly cooked through without being rubbery, the aioli was not overpowering (only a small amount on the artichokes), the butter beans were tastefully seasoned, and the olive tapenade was pureed down with chives and kumquats for a tasteful mix. I've never had something like this before and would want to steal this recipe for future house parties. At $7, it's the perfect amount to share without getting too full.

The pizza sizes were about 12", so we decided to order our own rather than share. Sheila opted for the Margherita (tomato sauce, mozzerrella, and basil) and I sought the advice of our waiter. He suggested the San Marzano (san marzano tomato sauce, mascarpone, and wild arugula) because of it's balance. It's great to watch the chef create the pizza right in front of us - from pulling the dough, the drizzling the olive oil, to spreading the sauce, to placing the cheese. After about 15 mins in the electric oven, our food was brought over all the while we were entertained by the wait staff.

Sheila's pizza looked fantastic; the owner calling it food porn when I took the below picture. It was well done Margherita with a twist of basil pureed with olive oil rather than fresh. The thin crust was a true flour crust flavor without any seasoning. Sheila loved the fact that the crust was not burnt, which is what tends to happen in coal or wood-fired ovens. The sauce was mildly sweet and the cheese was fresh as can be. Sheila is not one to finish her entree - no problem this time which says enough.

The owner brought out the San Marzano followed by the comment - he (the waiter) fooled you into picked this one, huh? I knew it would be good at that point. The crust was similar to Sheila's; the flour flavor was not masked by anything. My sauce, however, had the kick of chilly flakes, which is what I was looking for. The pizza needed this because I was expecting the mascarpone would overpower this dish on the sweet side - it was not. I loved the richness and subtle tones of this cheese. The arugula (simply tossed in salt, pepper, olive oil) was layed fresh on top - great to pick off and eat on its own. I caned that pizza in no time.

For dessert, we chose a goat cheese tart with candied kumquats - another recommendation of our waiter. The only way to describe it is like a cheesecake - but so much better. The crust had a nice butter flavor, the mildly sweetened goat cheese was much lighter than cheesecake, the kumquats were like a candied circuit provide a nice kick of sweetness.

Pizzetta would definitely be our version of Gialina's if we lived in the Richmond. It has the loyal clientele, personable wait staff, amazing food, and local SF charm. If it weren't so small, we would take all our out of town guest here (to join Papalotes, Slanted Door, & Tartine Bakery). Sheila even wanted to go back the next day! Go to Pizzetta, brave the wait - it's worthy of the rave reviews in the SF Chronicle, Sunset Magazine, and Zagat.

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!

the great sf pizza debate

San Francisco is truly a foodie capital, on par with New York. However, we feel our city has become pretentious when it comes to pizza joints. I should re-phrase - specialized pizzerias. GQ, Sunset, NY Times, 7x7, and CN Traveler have been singing their praises. Now they seem to be outdueling each other. Even funnier, they are sprouting up in evey SF neighborhood!

We've been on a mission to decipher what really sets SF's hallowed pizzerias apart? Zero Zero in SOMA, Una Pizza Napoletana in SOMA, Flour + Water in the Mission, Beretta in the Mission, Delarosa in the Marina, Pizzeria Delfina in Upper Fillmore, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach, Credo in FiDi, Pizzeria Delfina in Upper Fillmore, and Gialina in Glen Park. The latter two will be reviewed in depth on a future blogs, so for now we'll focus on the formers.

Our focus is on fresh margherita pizzas served in small batches across this city. From the use of buffalo mozzarella, san marzano tomatoes, hand picked basil, and zero zero flour, and the finest extra virgin olive oil - the ingredients couldn't be any simpler. Couple that with wood-fired ovens and you have the makings of something special, right?

The difference? Not very much. The ingredients are fresh, no doubt. So can high-end pizzerias survive in SF, especially when their pizza menus and preparation are so similar? Let's break it down over the next few days.

First up, Zero Zero...