Piccino Cafe - Italian, San Francisco

1001 Minnesota St, San Francisco CA 94107
(415) 824-4224
Parking: street parking
Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-10pm, Closed Mondays
http://www.piccinocafe.com/

Last Visited: April 27, 2013

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

Lee recommended Piccino as a great place for dinner, so I went to check it out with the girls.  We wanted to try a variety of dishes, and since the pizza was highlighted by multiple people, I made sure we tried it. 

When we got to Piccino, it was just starting to fill up for dinner, and before long, the whole place had filled up.  Reservations aren't required, but if you have a larger party, there are a limited number of tables for large groups, so reserve ahead. 

The decor is rustic with wood tables and floors.  The chairs are modest and the large table in the center had a display of lemons.  The bar on the side remained busy through the evening, and the large number of windows bring in a lot of natural light. 

- Salad - Asparagus, burrata, heirloom polenta, watercress, salsa verde - I didn't know what heirloom polenta was and asked the hostess whom explained that the polenta is made in an old way and that it tasted good.  So with that recommendations, I ordered it and it was delicious.  If you like fried tofu, it's quite reminiscent of that - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  This is probably amongst the best polenta that I've had.  While the asparagus was tender, it may have been better if it was baby asparagus.  The burrata was soft and paired with the salsa verde, the flavors were quite good.  However, the watercress was a bit disappointing - these large leaves and stems were a little tough and would have been better left off the plate.  Great polenta and burrata - I would have been happy with double the amount of those items only. $13

- Potato Gnocchi - octopus, pepperoncino, marinara - The marinara was really tasty and the gnocchi was tender.  I really liked the sauce with the spiciness coming from the pepperoncino and the sweetness from the tomatoes (San Marzano probably), but the portion was minuscule.  The octopus was just okay - I wouldn't have missed it if it was gone.  $13

- Pizze Funghi - Roasted mushrooms, stracchino, shaved garlic - Mushrooms are roasted, run through a food processor, and spread over the pizza along with the cheese.  Garlic slices and parsley are sprinkled on top of the pizza.  The mushroom flavor is pretty intense and complements the cheese well.  The texture and presentations of the ground mushrooms may not be for everyone - I personally prefer to have them sliced. The pizza has a very thin crust, and overall, it's pretty good - crispy crust all the way around with little brown bubbles on the edges. $16

- Pizze Salsiccia - Housemade sausage, mozzarella, red onion - The sausage is broken into pieces and sliced red onions and parsley are sprinkled on top.  I preferred this flavor profile better, but the sausage could have been spread out more evenly across the entire pizza.  The crust on this pizza was equally thin and delicious.  Good. $15

- Zeppole - Vanilla Bean Crema, Berry Marmelatta - Five zeppole are served in a bowl with a sweet berries over a dollop of crema on the side.  The zeppole are lighter than a donut, but denser than a cream puff.  The color of the zeppole was a beautiful golden brown and each had been rolled in sugar.  I actually liked the zeppole without the crema which was nicely infused with vanilla beans, but too thick in texture - more like frosting and too viscous.  The berries are a nice balance with their sweetness and tartness.  $7

While service is good for the most part, I found that some of the servers lacked warmth and when we were deciding on a dessert, the server seemed a bit impatient.  The hostess on the other hand is very friendly and perhaps that contrast makes the other server appear even less friendly.

Other offerings for the evening included cod, lamb, and pork and beef polpette. Serving sizes are on the smaller side, so if you like to try multiple dishes, you'll definitely be able to do so, but it makes sharing a little difficult.  Ingredients are fresh, but if the watercress and asparagus had been a little younger, they could have been five star dishes.   Piccino has solid offerings overall.