Ernesto's - Italian, San Francisco

2301 Clement St, San Francisco C 94121
(415) 386-1446
Parking: street parking
Hours: Daily 4-10pm

Last Visited: February 19, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Ernesto's has been around for quite some time. Wendy, one of my dining companions for the evening, told me that back in elementary school, one of her fellow classmates did a school report on Ernesto's and since then, she had wanted to try it - that's a good couple of decades of having this place on her 'Places to Go' list. I don't remember how I heard of it, but it showed up on my own list about a decade ago. I've driven by this place frequently, but it's easy to not even notice them amidst all of the Chinese restaurants in the area.

I love Italian food. There was so much stuff that looked good on the menu that I had a hard time deciding what to get. Pizza, pasta, or maybe an eggplant parmigiana....there were so many possibilities that sounded delicious.

Tonight, there were three of us dining. The restaurant is quaint with white tablecloths and windows in the front. The waiter was very friendly and allowed us time to get settled and chat. He was also happy to answer our questions. We were brought a basket filled with hot garlic bread (love the fact that it was hot) - it was good enough for me to go back for a second piece.

- Baked Stuffed Clams - Five good-sized clams were stuffed with breadcrumbs, parsley, and had great flavor. I don't know what else was in there (maybe cheese?), but it tasted good nevertheless. $8.95

- Veal Saltimbocca - Veal scallopine is sauteed with wine, lemon butter sauce, and topped with prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. As you can see from the photo, sauteed mushrooms are added, asparagus is served on the side along with linguine topped with tomato sauce. The portion is generous and the flavors are very good. It makes me think that this is what old world Italian (not the California version) is supposed to taste like. While the veal was very good, I appreciated how well the linguine and sauce were salted - you'll often find a flavorful sauce and bland linguine when you eat at Italian places, but at Ernesto's it's generously seasoned without being too salty. $17.25

- Tiramisu - While we were pretty stuffed, the three of us split the tiramisu. Topped with cocoa powder, this dessert with espresso-soaked ladyfingers and marscapone cream was light and fluffy. Good stuff. $6.50

While it's unlikely I would make a special trip there, if I lived in the neighborhood, I could see myself dropping by Ernesto's for dinner to go if I didn't feel like cooking. The earlier you can arrive for dinner, the better your chances for finding parking. Check out Ernesto's for good traditional Italian meals in large filling portions.