Visited Amit and Joanne's very nice loft in the Mission. The NFL conference championship games was the nominal excuse for the get-together. But by the end of the 3rd we conceded that the game was done. Amit had to catch up on work, but he recommended the nearby restaurant for Sam, Michelle, and I to have dinner. It's a narrow space, half taken up by the bar, half by a row of tables. The place wasn't packed like the trendier places nearby, but the people spoke with a legit Italian accent and the food was legit as well.
Wasn't in the mood for a heavy main, more looking for something pasta-ish, so I finally had an excuse to get gnocchi. The gnocchi in the Gnocchi Alla Coda was light, but the hearty tomato-oxtail sauce added the richness that complemented the glass of Sangiovese. I found Michelle's pumpkin Mezzelune Alla Zucca raviolis a bit sweet, but I guess that's the way they're supposed to be. The one bite I had of Sam's Braciole Di Maiale was super-tasty, but then it's hard to go wrong with the layer of mozzarella over prosciutto-on-pork for the piggish goodness. I suspect I wouldn't have managed to finish the whole thing if it were mine entree, though. Desserts were tiramisu and panna cotta. Not exactly going out on a limb there, but perfectly solid versions of the standards, which was exactly what we were looking for.
IL Cantuccio
(415) 861-3899
3228 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103