Everyone's noticed that this town has gone pizza-crazy recently. When I moved here 7 years ago, there was nary a good pie to be had (perhaps Pauline's was the pinnacle at the time).
Today there's a great diversity of dough, sauce and cheese on offer, and a much higher threshold to cross to enter the city's competitive pizza joint landscape.
It's not surprising that Michael Bauer has jumped on the bandwagon, starting a weekly blog entry about pizza around the Bay Area. So far, he did a good job nailing Gialina in Glen Park. But we'll have to wait and see what else he uncovers. One place we haven't tried that has been amped up in the press lately is the Pizza Place on Noriega, supposedly an East Coast-style dough thrower. When we do get around to sampling their pies, we'll share the verdict here first.
Showing posts with label Glen Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glen Park. Show all posts
10/11/07
9/10/07
Review: Le P'tit Laurent
This corner bistro at the Glen Park crossroads of Chenery and Diamond is so French I was shocked when one of the unfailingly young and friendly waitresses was American, not French. Given its Francophilia, perhaps I should have been more shocked the waitresses were friendly.
But there they were, young and chatty and not unpleasant on the 37-year-old eyes, approaching each time with a "Messieurs, alors..." (OK, gentlemen...) to see if my tablemates and I, all late 30-something husbands having a brief boys night out, were ready to order. The answer was mainly no, as we were catching up on not having seen each other for many years, and our particular young and easy-on-the-eyes mademoiselle remained, yes, friendly, even a little jokey.
One of my friends' wives, whom we visited after our boys-only dinner, remarked that she found the service a little rude, but I thought it more off-handed. A slightly larger problem was that the service was a little forgetful. With a smile and wee Gallic shrug our waitress, and one or two others, apologized for not bringing this or that (water, our bottle of wine, a second helping of bread). It didn't matter because we had already set the unhurried pace of the evening. The service simply met us halfway.
I prattle on about the service for another reason: there isn't much to report regarding the food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't distinguished. Decent bistro food, I guess you could call it. I had the rabbit prepared Normandy style, if I remember correctly, my mates each chose a fish -- monkfish in lobster-bacon sauce and the night's special swordfish. Each of us reported the same reaction: decent enough. Not particularly delicate or subtle, somewhat meager proportions, and less than maximum presentation effort. You could generously call it "unpretentious," and for lower prices, sure, why not.
But main courses were in the $16-$20 range, perhaps even a bit more, apps up to $10. What with rents and labor and fuel prices and foie gras backlash, perhaps that's the going rate these days for a decent-enough neighborhood bistro meal served by good-naturedly insouciant French women (do they bring them in on H1-B visas?) in a cozy neighborhood spot. If so, you could be far more disappointed, but on the whole, c'est dommage.
In this city we're up to our stamped-tin ceilings in wannabe authentic bistros, so you should have no problem finding one closer to home at the same or even better prices without having to wander over to Glen Park.
But there they were, young and chatty and not unpleasant on the 37-year-old eyes, approaching each time with a "Messieurs, alors..." (OK, gentlemen...) to see if my tablemates and I, all late 30-something husbands having a brief boys night out, were ready to order. The answer was mainly no, as we were catching up on not having seen each other for many years, and our particular young and easy-on-the-eyes mademoiselle remained, yes, friendly, even a little jokey.
One of my friends' wives, whom we visited after our boys-only dinner, remarked that she found the service a little rude, but I thought it more off-handed. A slightly larger problem was that the service was a little forgetful. With a smile and wee Gallic shrug our waitress, and one or two others, apologized for not bringing this or that (water, our bottle of wine, a second helping of bread). It didn't matter because we had already set the unhurried pace of the evening. The service simply met us halfway.
I prattle on about the service for another reason: there isn't much to report regarding the food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't distinguished. Decent bistro food, I guess you could call it. I had the rabbit prepared Normandy style, if I remember correctly, my mates each chose a fish -- monkfish in lobster-bacon sauce and the night's special swordfish. Each of us reported the same reaction: decent enough. Not particularly delicate or subtle, somewhat meager proportions, and less than maximum presentation effort. You could generously call it "unpretentious," and for lower prices, sure, why not.
But main courses were in the $16-$20 range, perhaps even a bit more, apps up to $10. What with rents and labor and fuel prices and foie gras backlash, perhaps that's the going rate these days for a decent-enough neighborhood bistro meal served by good-naturedly insouciant French women (do they bring them in on H1-B visas?) in a cozy neighborhood spot. If so, you could be far more disappointed, but on the whole, c'est dommage.
In this city we're up to our stamped-tin ceilings in wannabe authentic bistros, so you should have no problem finding one closer to home at the same or even better prices without having to wander over to Glen Park.
6/4/07
Review: Gialina Pizzeria
We continue the pizza theme. In the gray summer fog we seek the comfort of the pie.
Da Fanch read in Sunset Mag about a new place in Glen Park, Gialina. From the menu to the no-reservation policy, it seemed at first blush a Pizzetta 211 copycat. We arrived at 6:30 on Saturday eve and had to wait 45 minutes for a table, but they do take cell numbers and will call you when your table is ready.
We soon discovered other differences:
1) Many more tables. Unfortunately, they're squeezed into a narrow room, and squeezed uncomfortably together. Mr. Loud Cackling Laugh at the party-of-eight table across from us made people turn and stare several times.
2) The pizza's not as good. It's pretty good, but not Pizzetta good. Slightly thicker crust, first of all. We split two: Italian sausage/dandelion greens, and a puttanesca. The sausage/greens came with fontina cheese, a bad arrangement, as its strength overwhelmed the delicately bitter greens and the sweet, mild sausage. The puttanesca was better, but I wasn't thrilled with the tomato sauce. It also lacked cheese, which wasn't clear from the description on the menu. We were able to sample a third pie when the couple at the next table left without their left-over box. I ran out to find them, to no avail. The waitress said, "We'll just throw it away. Why don't you take it?" Quick thinking. The leftover slices were a simple marinara and a salami. Again, tasty but nothing to justify the haut-pizza prices.
3) More menu and pizza choices. I loved our two appetizers: caramelized cauliflower on polenta that was charred on the outside, with a nice crunch, and a salad with sour cherries and almonds and fantastic goat cheese. There was also a non-pizza entree, a roast chicken that one reviewer raved about.
Prices were not different than Pizzetta. Dinner for two (including two glasses of wine) plus tip: $70.
One nugget to keep in mind: The place gets crazy busy from 5:30 to 8 when the young family crowd packs it and take-out orders keep the kitchen buzzing. But by 8 p.m., half the tables were empty and the waitress said there's usually a lull around that time. Better yet: go to Pizzetta.
Da Fanch read in Sunset Mag about a new place in Glen Park, Gialina. From the menu to the no-reservation policy, it seemed at first blush a Pizzetta 211 copycat. We arrived at 6:30 on Saturday eve and had to wait 45 minutes for a table, but they do take cell numbers and will call you when your table is ready.
We soon discovered other differences:
1) Many more tables. Unfortunately, they're squeezed into a narrow room, and squeezed uncomfortably together. Mr. Loud Cackling Laugh at the party-of-eight table across from us made people turn and stare several times.
2) The pizza's not as good. It's pretty good, but not Pizzetta good. Slightly thicker crust, first of all. We split two: Italian sausage/dandelion greens, and a puttanesca. The sausage/greens came with fontina cheese, a bad arrangement, as its strength overwhelmed the delicately bitter greens and the sweet, mild sausage. The puttanesca was better, but I wasn't thrilled with the tomato sauce. It also lacked cheese, which wasn't clear from the description on the menu. We were able to sample a third pie when the couple at the next table left without their left-over box. I ran out to find them, to no avail. The waitress said, "We'll just throw it away. Why don't you take it?" Quick thinking. The leftover slices were a simple marinara and a salami. Again, tasty but nothing to justify the haut-pizza prices.
3) More menu and pizza choices. I loved our two appetizers: caramelized cauliflower on polenta that was charred on the outside, with a nice crunch, and a salad with sour cherries and almonds and fantastic goat cheese. There was also a non-pizza entree, a roast chicken that one reviewer raved about.
Prices were not different than Pizzetta. Dinner for two (including two glasses of wine) plus tip: $70.
One nugget to keep in mind: The place gets crazy busy from 5:30 to 8 when the young family crowd packs it and take-out orders keep the kitchen buzzing. But by 8 p.m., half the tables were empty and the waitress said there's usually a lull around that time. Better yet: go to Pizzetta.
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