Downstairs is a cozy room with seating for maybe 10. Its seclusion is only disturbed by patrons descending to and from the restrooms. There are also a couple of tables available out front for those balmy San Francisco nights. The menu, which is supplemented by a large number of daily specials, consists of a number of variations on a homey American-Italian theme. The flavors and flavor combinations are simple and rich, making for a soothing experience.
Appetizers are mostly salads.
There is a delicate frisee salad containing small poached eggs, deliciously fresh-tasting, with a consistency similar to mousse, offset by crisp pieces of fatty pancetta. There is a thick tomato soup with large floating pieces of hearty flavorful bread, served in a tall bowl, not as blandly sweet as many tomato soups, and practically a meal in itself. There are also a number of classic comfort-food side dishes available, including creamy polenta, whipped potatoes and, yes, creamed spinach. Among the specials on a recent Friday night was a large plate of tender slices from a rare leg of lamb atop a risotto with lentils, which itself nestled on a bed of grape leaves. The server insisted that one eat the grape leaves.