fresh home-made pasta
I’ve got pasta on the mind. Fresh chewy yummy pasta! I want to sit in a tiny warm cafe and be served a hot plate of rich, calorie-laden, oh-so-good pasta. Other than Bacco (a great restaurant in Noe Valley) I have yet to find another great Italian restaurant in San Francisco. However, I have a hunch- a strong hunch- that I may have found it in Da Flora. Now, I just need to have dinner there!
Several weeks ago, I found myself in SF’s touristy neighborhood of North Beach. Land of Tourists and Italian Food. I have been warned to never “stumble” into a restaurant in this area. There exists the potential for a profound dining mistake. So, I called a friend who strongly recommended a small restaurant called Da Flora.
My dining partner and I walked many blocks over (we had already found a parking spot and were NOT about to lose it and re-park) and found this charming little restaurant on the corner of Filbert and Columbus . I walked in to see about the wait. Unfortunately the small intimacy that I so appreciated as I walked in, was also the reason that there would be no tables available for several hours! I glared jealously at the warm self-satisfied patrons that were already dining and made a mental note to return…with a reservation!
The restaurant, as I’ve said, has a cozy, intimate and warm atmosphere. There were small round black and white tiles on the floor and red plush curtains that hung from the floor to ceiling windows. Delicate antique crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The restaurant was shaped like a circle or octagon and the ceiling was tremendously high. The kitchen was somewhat visible from the small linen-clad tables dotted around the room.
It felt like the kind of place where the owner greeted you warmly at the door, took your coat and then went back to the kitchen to prepare your meal. If the food is as good as it looked then the dishes are authentic and wonderful. Reading their menu online, I can’t wait to try their fresh sweet potato gnocchi with sage and smoked bacon and sherry cream sauce as well as the roasted asparagus with lemon aioli, toasted bread crumbs and champagne vinagrette.
So, hopefully you will soon read an account on this blog of my experience with the best Italian food in San Francisco…at Da Flora restaurant.
Have you ever been? What is your favorite Italian restaurant?
Da Flora Restaurant
http://www.daflorasf.com
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 6-9:30
701 Columbus, San Francisco
Photo credits to Orsorama and Zaldoe
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6 Responses
Oh wow! That sounds like La Trattoria, our restaurant that recently reopened after gutting the building and rebuilding after a fire. Cosy, intimate, hard to get into but so worth it when you do!
Julie Sturgeons last blog post..Talking Dogs Say the Darndest Things
I have been to Da Flora, but can’t say it’s my favorite. In North Beach, Ideale is great. Outside that neighborhood (which does have a lot of flops) I’m fond of the Sardinian at La Ciccia and the ingenious Cal-Italian at Incanto. Sometimes it seems like we have *too* many good restaurants here–tough for the waistline and for the wallet!
colleens last blog post..Atlanta’s Best Budget Hotels
Julie, La Trattoria sounds wonderful!
Colleen, thanks for your review and other Italian restaurant recommendations. I will be sure to put these on my list as well. I agree, San Francisco has more restaurants than my waist and wallet can handle!
I definitely like Da Flora – but for a place that’s great for my family, I like Joey and Eddie’s!
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