Quince
photo: Quince
The 2009 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants guide is out, and 8,755 avid diners like you have spoken. With 23% of those surveyed listing it as their favorite, Italian is easily the most popular cuisine – distantly trailed by Japanese (15%). With over 200 Zagat-Rated Italian spots to choose from, the Bay certainly isn't lacking in options. But where to go when only the best will do? Here are the five Top Italian restaurants in the Bay Area.
1701 Octavia St.; 415-775-8500
“A tough table to get” and even “tougher to leave” swoon “true foodies” over this “sublime” “craftmanlike” New French–Italian Pacific Heights “jewel”; it’s fast “gaining status” thanks to a menu of “glorious”, daily changing fare that includes “pasta as you have never experienced it before” proffered by an “über-attentive staff” in an “intimate” setting that’s “just shy of stuffy”; the “only drawback” is a “lack of space” – though an eventual move is planned.
1722 Sacramento St.; 415-567-5432
When you want to be “pampered and catered to, to your heart’s content” take thee to this “saintly” “special-occasion” Italian set in a “charming old church” in Polk Gulch; “soft lights”, a “hushed”, “old-world atmosphere”, namesake watercolors on the walls and “tuxedoed waiters” that proffer “exemplary” service and decant “perfect wine pairings” to complement “sublime” prix fixe menus (featuring “ephemeral pastas”) prompt “society-page” types to “count their blessings”; but a devilish few quip that the “somewhat fussy” setting “might feel more comfortable if I were in my 60s.”
3621 18th St.; 415-552-4055
“There are two kinds of people: those of us lucky enough” to score “rezzies” for Craig and Annie Stoll’s “jam-packed” Mission trattoria that dishes up “simple”-yet-“edgy” “undeniably right-on” Italian food and the “adoring hordes” at the bar; “it’s a neighborhood joint at heart” “abuzz with happy people” and staffed by “foxy” but “friendly” servers that “just get it”; “bring your earplugs” to handle the “din”, though the “always fantasic” chow “at prices that make [the competition] look crazy” is “worth every decibel.”
320 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur; 415-924-0300
At his “grown-up, stylish” eatery in “laid-back” Larkspur, chef-owner Bruce Hill displays his “sense of humor” and “creativity” with his “amazing”, “eclectic” Italian cuisine that emphasizes “seasonal”, “locally grown” ingredients, and cognoscenti caution “it’s really easy to go overboard” with the “small plates” and wind up with a “large bill”; a “stellar” wine list and “professional” service add to the “memorable” experience; P.S. some bargain-hunters find Pizzeria Picco next door to be an even “better deal.”
5008 Telegraph Ave., Oakland; 510-652-4888
“Toques off” to Chez Panisse alum Charlie Hallowell for bringing “killer”, “creative thin-crust pizzas” and “absolutely fantastic” Southern Italian fare to the “hip” “new Temescal gourmet ghetto” in Oakland; the “well-trained staff” provides service that “varies from good to excellent”, but some warn the “rustic, noisy” space “tends to get packed and stay packed”, so “make reservations” or prepare for an “interminable” wait.
To see more Bay Area Top Lists, click here.