maitaitom

After a busy day exploring Golden Gate Park and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco (reports up soon), the crew was craving some Italian cuisine. Kim and Mary’s daughter had told us about a place in the Marina District called Roma Antica. Since they don’t take reservations, we scurried (well as fast as you can scurry while driving in San Francisco), and arrived at about 5 p.m., just before the place started filling up. Speaking of filling up, by the time we finished our pasta dishes, there was no stomach room available. This place is a little gem and, by San Francisco standards, quite reasonably priced. My cacio e pepe was as good as any I had ever tasted.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/rom...-francisco-ca/

Dukey1

Apparently you got lucky. I'm sure Chef Dudley will probably comment:

"SAN FRANCISCO — A Tuesday afternoon in the Mission District of America’s tech wonderland. Michael Feno stands outside Lucca Ravioli, his beloved pasta emporium on Valencia, a vestige of old San Francisco, puffing on a cigar while posing for pictures, his customers in tears.Living in this city’s radically shifting landscape, veterinarian Gina Henriksen found comfort by telling herself, “Thank God, Lucca is still here. If Lucca goes, I’m going to have to leave San Francisco. What do we have left?” Lucca is no longer here.After 94 years, doors shuttered on the last day of April. The parking lot sold for $3.5 million. A three-building parcel, including the store, listed for $8.3 million and was purchased by — need you inquire? — a developer..A few blocks away, in this neighborhood of shops hawking $2,600 electric bikes and $8 lemonade, Borderlands Cafe — a throwback with plants cascading from the ceiling — closed the same day after a decade in business.Owner Alan Beatts couldn’t retain staff, even with a $15 minimum hourly wage. Who can live on $15 an hour in this city transformed by innovation?How can Alba Guerra, co-owner of nearby Sun Rise restaurant, continue to charge $10.95 for the housemade vegan chorizo platter after her rent spiked 62 percent last year to $7,800 a month?"

The above from a Washington Post piece

maitaitom

Maybe that's why they opened a second restaurant in Larkspur.

yetthere2

tom42

that looks really good. Strangely enough I've never had cacio e pepe.

maitaitom

"Strangely enough I've never had cacio e pepe."

Simple, yet delicious. Give it a try.

emalloy

It looks wonderful. Did your lovely bride have that too?

maitaitom

emalloy, Tracy went for the Boscaiola; rigatoni, mushroom, onion, Italian sausage, cream sauce

tom42

Oh I have no doubt I would love it. I just haven't come across it much in restaurants. Actually I only recently learned about it during my research for a trip to Rome (that was ultimately canceled due to the untimely catching of the flu).

5alive

Planning to go back to San Francisco this fall. I will check this out. Do you have any other restaurant recs for the city?

​​​​​​Ideally $100 or less for two, not including wine or drinks.

maitaitom

Hopefully Stu or any of the Bay Area experts will chime in (or maybe start a new thread), as I am just a visitor. We have enjoyed Gamine French Bistro (2223 Union Street @ Fillmore) a couple of times. Reasonable prices and good food. We'll be in San Francisco this summer so will get a couple of more restaurants "under our belts."

5alive

Thank you, Tom! I will start a new thread closer to my trip.