Delfina
It's no wonder Delfina has a reputation for one of the best restaurants in the city. The food is amazing, the service excellent, and the atmosphere fun and upbeat. The best part? All of this comes at reasonable prices too! Be forewarned, though, Delfina is very popular and gets crowded from the minute it opens. Make reservations, or do like we did, pop your head in an hour or so early and hope for something at the bar. Try the bread from Tartine, Sweetbreads Saltimboca, Duck Ravioli.
Atmosphere
Delfina is small but well designed, with distinct contrast between old and new world style. Warm, muted colors of pale mustard and cocoa brown are set against dark blue mosaic tiles, stainless steel bistro tables, wood banquettes, and contemporary pendant lighting, giving it both a modern Italian feel, with a touch of San Francisco. To eat, one can sit in the main dining room, the bar, or a small spot of stools that have been plunked somewhere in between, all of which have their own style and character. Either way, no one in Delfina looks unhappy, they are all there just to have good food, and with that it doesn't matter where they sit. We were lucky to walk by about an hour before they opened and snag a reservation for the only table left at the bar, at 5:30pm, About 10 minutes before that time, diners started lining up outside, waiting to get in. As the doors are unlocked, servers stand in a row, hands behind their backs, smiles on their faces, waiting to show you to your table: a restaurant assembly line, in no uncertain terms, and yet the vibe was distinctively friendly, upbeat, happy, and accommodating. You may be driven in like cattle, but somehow that's OK. The bar turned out to be a great place to sit, because we had an excellent view of the street, the restaurant, and the open kitchen. Mellow folky-pop music plays overhead.
Service
Service at Delfina was nothing short of perfection. All servers, runners, assistants, hosts, were pleasant, well-informed, polite, and professional.
Food
Let's face it, 5:30 is an awkward time to eat dinner, especially for those of us who are barely finished with breakfast at this time of day. So, that combined with the fact that we were sitting in the bar and not the main dining room, we decided that a light meal of starters and pastas as the way to go, instead of the usual starter and 2 Mains. That way, we could be sure to sample what Delfina had to offer, without stuffing ourselves full at such an early hour.
To begin, warm Country Loaf bread from Tartine bakery next door was some of the most delicious I've ever eaten: crusty on the outside, soft and spongy on the inside, slightly sourdough, and served with fresh butter sprinkled with gray sea salt. I could have stopped there and been happy, forever. Seriously, I may start dreaming about this bread. It is the bread against which all bread will now be compared. Sorry Acme Seven Grain!
For courses, a salad of bitter greens (radicchio, arugala, frise, and endive, pancetta, curled parmigiano cheese, and walnuts was good, but nothing life-changing. On the other hand, Sweetbreads Saltimboca ($14), with crispy sage, proscuitto, and lemon butter was a culinary revelation that transcended any preconceived notion I had of sweetbreads. Light, airy, almost bread-y, pan-fried to perfection with just a touch of salt from the ham and a hint of tangy lemon and butter to keep them from any sense of dryness. 3 small bites, but sheer delight! The sauce was even more heavenly when mopped up by the aforementioned best-bread-in-the-world. Fantastic!
Behind the sweetbreads, two half-orders of pasta were different, but both excellent. A rich Spaghettini en Nero ($9)(thin spaghetti with black squid ink) was fresh, but not exactly black pasta, which is what I thought the dish would be. Topped with a small piece of sea urchin, very large and heavy fresh peas, thin strips of calamari, and a spicy olive oil, it was at once light and decadent. In contrast, duck-filled ravioli with aged balsamic vinegar ($8.50) was pure hedonism: rich, gamey, and full-flavored, the pasta was perfect, and the demi glace good enough to induce plate-licking. It was a small order, but I could easily have eaten a few more, orders that is.
Unfortunately, we did not get to dessert because just before coming we indulged in Bi-Rite ice cream across the street. Next time, though, we promise...
*Just a note, the menu at Delfina changes daily. Go online for each day's menu.
To begin, warm Country Loaf bread from Tartine bakery next door was some of the most delicious I've ever eaten: crusty on the outside, soft and spongy on the inside, slightly sourdough, and served with fresh butter sprinkled with gray sea salt. I could have stopped there and been happy, forever. Seriously, I may start dreaming about this bread. It is the bread against which all bread will now be compared. Sorry Acme Seven Grain!
For courses, a salad of bitter greens (radicchio, arugala, frise, and endive, pancetta, curled parmigiano cheese, and walnuts was good, but nothing life-changing. On the other hand, Sweetbreads Saltimboca ($14), with crispy sage, proscuitto, and lemon butter was a culinary revelation that transcended any preconceived notion I had of sweetbreads. Light, airy, almost bread-y, pan-fried to perfection with just a touch of salt from the ham and a hint of tangy lemon and butter to keep them from any sense of dryness. 3 small bites, but sheer delight! The sauce was even more heavenly when mopped up by the aforementioned best-bread-in-the-world. Fantastic!
Behind the sweetbreads, two half-orders of pasta were different, but both excellent. A rich Spaghettini en Nero ($9)(thin spaghetti with black squid ink) was fresh, but not exactly black pasta, which is what I thought the dish would be. Topped with a small piece of sea urchin, very large and heavy fresh peas, thin strips of calamari, and a spicy olive oil, it was at once light and decadent. In contrast, duck-filled ravioli with aged balsamic vinegar ($8.50) was pure hedonism: rich, gamey, and full-flavored, the pasta was perfect, and the demi glace good enough to induce plate-licking. It was a small order, but I could easily have eaten a few more, orders that is.
Unfortunately, we did not get to dessert because just before coming we indulged in Bi-Rite ice cream across the street. Next time, though, we promise...
*Just a note, the menu at Delfina changes daily. Go online for each day's menu.
Cleanliness
Very clean, and fun to watch the bustling open kitchen.
Pros
Fantastic food, Perfect service, Reasonable prices.
Cons
Can be very crowded, salad was not as good as the rest of the food.