"Where-To-Wednesday" Adventures: May 2012

Why is it that it seems we need to travel to the far ends of the earth for a worthwhile getaway? Cannes, Dubai, Indonesia…and let’s face it, even Tahoe feels like a trek ‘round the world on a holiday weekend. Has our “happy place” become almost unattainable due to crazy logistics involved? Not anymore. I found my new getaway, that I can actually…wait for it…. “get” to. What a concept. Comfortably tucked away into the folds of a quiet street, Piccino Café truly feels like the oasis we’ve all been waiting for. This recently inhabited spot by Piccino meshes the sleek, refreshing design of a new space that invigorates you just being there, with the comfortable neighborhood feel that makes you want to kick off your shoes and stay a while. Can I rent this out by the week, please? Many thanks to Chelsea for planning this latest rendition of Where-To-Wednesday on 5/9 that myself, Becky, Elizabeth, Tara and Lindsey enjoyed. So…did the food live up a retreat-worthy feast? Read on and find out which way Piccino topped the 0/10 scale. In the interim, I’ll keep searching for the complimentary robe and slippers in this place…

Ambiance 9: Let’s play a little game of mad libs. A perfect Saturday night is (adjective) because you’re going to (noun: place). Some of you are dreaming of breaking in new heels and an exciting night hitting the town…some of you are salivating over that bottle of 1999 Georges Letour Cabernet Sauvignon you’ve been you’ve been waiting tirelessly to crack open and savor on a night at home (or is that just me?) Decisions, decisions. And yet…now you really don’t have to make one. Piccino seems to have it all. Kicking a modern feel into this place, its sleek wooden edges adorning the walls, symmetrical ceiling beams and contemporary steel custom chairs pulled up to the counter tops that line the open kitchen, remind you that you are indeed out on the town. Heels? Check. But then…just as you whip around to order a martini, Piccino throws a curve ball. You notice that with the soft candlelight glowing across the room, the wood paneling actually gives the allusion of an old farmhouse. The wild flowers placed on each table embrace a soft, rustic feel and as you begin to ease into your seat to curl up with a bottle of red, all at once you have to remind yourself that you are most definitely not on your couch. The best of both worlds, Piccino flawlessly combines an exciting atmosphere with a relaxing vibe…giving you the perfect excuse to stay up well past your bedtime…even on a school night, sans the headache in the morning from those damn Martinis that went down way to easy at the dance club. Win/Win people.

Wine 7.5: Change is good…sometimes. I mean it did bring about our new life master: Miss Siri thanks to the new iPhone, the Hybrid car, and most recently the announcement from Obama to recognize gay marriage – finally people! Okay, I’m definitely getting ahead of myself but you can see solid instances of good coming from change. We started off our meal with a bottle of the Caravaglio Salina Malvasia, from Sicily, which was divine. Soft and floral with hints of white peach, the Malvasia was both a perfect match to the array of dishes we ordered, as well as standing on it’s own two feet. After a few bottles of the Malvasia, trying to branch out a bit and try a few of the other vino offerings, we asked for a few recommendations. When the descriptions fell short and head scratching started, we should have known to stick with a good thing. Instead, in spite of our gut instincts, which were now put to bed thanks to the first few bottles, we changed it up and jumped on the red train. Our selection, unfortunately, was lacking in several ways – one being that it was a little young and needed more time in the bottle. The other reasons, I don’t remember because I didn’t even bother to write them down…or even the name of the bottle. I know…I’m not giving you very solid clues as to this elusive “red” to avoid, but hey, at least you have a lead on a winning white!

Food 9: I gather from the name “Piccino,” that the original restaurant was cozy and small, with a matching “piccino” sized menu. Things have changed. Piccino is no longer the tiny establishment it was, expanding out to an impressive-sized restaurant. The menu, however, seems to have retained the charming bite-sized list of offerings, heavily focused on the array of pizzas available. But don’t fret, there is plenty of food to go around…just grab quickly!

- Broccoli Di Ciccio: A refreshing start to the meal with a lemony zest, the consistency of this dish was a winning combination. Mixed with almond gremolata for crunchy goodness, along with soft farro, the combination of different textures and finishes left us wanting more!

- Fava Falafel: I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of falafel. I try to be. I order it each time with the confidence of knowing...this could be it. This could be the one for me. And finally, it happened. I fell in love with a Falafel. Deep fried with a slightly spicy outer layer and filled with soft fava beans, this dish was delicious. A refreshing cucumber yogurt or hot and spicy calabrian chili dipping sauce options were perfect pairings to the Falafel.

- Beets: The pickled vegetable of the day. And...I wish it would have been the pickled vegetable of yesterday. Or never. Don't get me wrong, I like beets and these were good, but they were a bit plain. Mixed with herbs - primarily Rosemary - and spices, they held a tangy, slightly bitter taste that felt reserved for a "eat your vegetables" command for 8 year olds. Skip!

- Wild Arugula Salad: Trickery...this salad will make you believe that Summer is around the corner. Freshing in every way and holding another winning combo of flavors, this is a refreshing way to kick off a meal. The peppery arugula paired with sweet, delicious strawberries and mint (are we sure Summer will not be making an appearance in San Francisco this year), and topped with crunch, toasted hazelnuts - this salad will send you home with ideas to recreate this starter. Hint to my husband: Thursday dinner spoiler alert.

- Pork & Beef Polpette: That's right. Piccino doesn't mess around. Pork AND beef, people. The best of both worlds. Juicy and delicious, as soon as you sink your teeth in to it, you're introduced to a world of flavor. Peppered with heavy garlic, parsley, crushed tomatoes and parmesan, this dish is a must-order.

- Baked Semolina Gnocchi: Not your average gnocchi. If you go in expecting the usual stuff, you’ll be scratching your head when the dish arrives. “I don’t think we ordered soup. Or this stew. Or…what is this?” It’s gnocchi, dollface. Not your normal small bite-sized, cookie-cutter gnocchi. Instead, this gnocchi is a large and flat (I’ll be honest, I thought it was the halibut at first…whoops), and playing in a pool of parmesan broth, mixed with peas, carrots and basil pesto. Very interesting textures…soft consistency with a touch of garlic and heartiness to the delicate nature of the consistency, it was an interesting and pleasant surprise.

- Halibut: Ah…here you are, Hal. Served on a bed of barley tabbouleh and radish, sitting atop smashed avocado and topped with meyer lemon, this dish has a winning consistency and perfect finish. It starts with a zesty zing of citrus that matches well with the delicate halibut, and fishes with the heartiness that the avocado and tabbouleh add to the mix.

- Margherita Pizza: Simple yet satisfying. A rather thin crust pizza, topped with tomato sauce, oregano and patches of mozzarella. Very good, although a few more throw-downs of mozzarella on that pizza would have been nice. “Siri, reminder – more mozzarella!”

- Pisello Pizza: Now we’re getting somewhere. If you’re going to go somewhere known for their pizzas, you might as well expand out of your comfort zone, right? Check. Topped with English peas (for the record, NOT a normal “topping” offered from Pizza Hut and the likes), buffalo mozzarella, pea tendrils (no, the peas alone were NOT enough), and herb pesto, this pizza packed a hearty punch. Delicious combination of flavors, textures and the end result was a wonderful new favorite dish.

- Salsiccia Pizza: You just FEEL Italian saying this, right? Can you guess what it is made of? Guess…I’ll wait. If you said salsa….you lose. If you said sausage…you win. Plus you’re smarter than those salsa guessers. Topped with house made sausage (how do these people find the time?), mozzarella and red onion, this one was also a satisfying choice. Full of robust flavor, the Salsiccia pizza was a great combination of spices from the sausage and onion, with the mozzarella adding the mellow yet satisfying flavor, to keep the overall taste from being too spicy. Overall: delic.

Dessert: I would normally go into this long, drawn-out explanation of how full we were…and yet we ordered dessert, but by now, you know this is a standard. No matter how full we are, we WILL order dessert like it is a far-reaching goal we have been working at attaining for years. So rather than bore you with chatter…let’s get on with it.

- Zeppole: No…not what sounds like a French pronunciation to “ze pole” they will need to use to push your tush out of Piccino with after you eat this…although now I do believe in that second meaning. Zeppole is a delicious dessert consisting of fried ricotta donuts sitting on top of drizzled chocolate sauce, nestled next to small candied orange peels. These warm nuggets of goodness embrace the sweet, delicate tastes of ginger, cinnamon and sugar, which meets it’s match with the velvety chocolate sauce and rich cardamom cream anglaise sauce to dip in. Yes Sinatra, we’re in heaven.

- Chocolate Pudding Cake: With advertising succeeding once again, my mind can’t help but wander to Bill Crosby and a room full of smiling children whenever “pudding” is mentioned. But this…ain’t no child’s play. Rose geranium cream sits atop warm, yet surprisingly delicate, chocolate cake, creating a light, airy dessert…or so you think. For just when you wish there was more to it, you spy the dark chocolate pistachio bark lying next to it. “Siri – we have a winner!”

- Lemon Crostata: I typically view any dessert not containing chocolate as a main ingredient, as a waste. I’m just being honest. This one, I’ll admit I wasn’t excited about ordering. It seemed to light, to boring, to wasteful. Why not just a second round of water? But oh how I love a good surprise. The lemon crostata was surprisingly rich, with a zesty zing packed into every bite of this intensely, savory dessert, whose taste was magnified even further with a tasty sauce poured onto it. Topped with bruleed meringue whose light, airy consistency paired perfect with the rich tart, and a beautiful candito di limone added as a finishing touch, this dessert was a delicious delight.

- Affogato: Finding it’s way into more and more restaurants in the bay area, I’m realizing that I won’t need to travel too far the next time I’m craving Italy. Affogato is a simple yet perfect end to the meal. Atop jivara milk chocolate ice cream, the espresso gives you the little kick you need to savor the last bites of the meal before you return to reality.

Price 8: At a little over $70 a person, it may be a little steep. On the other hand, we ARE on a retreat here, remember? And for three pizzas, meatballs, delicious (white) vino, and even affogato to top off your night among other things – you get the goods of Italy delivered right to your mouth…for much cheaper than a ticket to Italy. And a free new song compliments of me: when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s a’Pisello! I know, you’ll be singing it all night.

Noise Level 9: Contrary to its name, Piccino is actually a fairly large restaurant. With several tables laid out across the room, all with ample room to allow you to talk without hearing or bumping elbows with the non-related table next to you, you can actually devote all of your energy to conversing with those in your party. What a concept. Siri – take note.

Service 9: This may be the only time I ever count this as a positive, but that night – I had no idea who our waiter was. We had so many people helping us – pizza recommendations, topping off our glasses, taking our orders, delivering our food, giving us samples, and even – wait for it…this is a big one – not just taking our picture, but asking if we would like our picture taken. Gasp. I’ve found my happy spot.

All About The Area: I’m not sure whether to relish in the unnatural silence found in this area of the Dogpatch District…or run for the hills. But as I stood there debating, whilst trying for the former in an effort to proceed and find this restaurant, I believe I saw a tumbleweed roll past me. At the corner of “nowhere” and “you’re lost,” this area will have you scratching your head. “Siri – WHERE THE HELL AM I?” There are some cute wine bars in the area as well as restaurants, but you’re going to be hard pressed to find them if you just decide to wander. No noise seems to carry, and I don’t remember passing a soul on the street…so bring your phone or other GPS device, and plan ahead. Or…make it a one-stop shop. Piccino is right next door to a wine shop and a clothing company. Come to think of it, with wine and clothes within reach…who needs directions anyhow?

Overall Grade: 8.6