A16
Ahhh. A16 in the Marina at Chestnut x Divisadero....one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Every single time I go there, I have great service, good company and excellent food and wine. This time was no different.
We split a plate of bresaola (house-cured beef) that came with a slab of baked ricotta and a small mix of tomatoes, black olives and wild arugula. The ricotta again, was creamy and went really well with the bresaola. I've been afraid of wild arugula because I had it once and was shocked by how bitter it was. I didn't even finish my salad because it was way too bitter. But, of course, A16 does nothing wrong. Somehow, they've dressed it with the right amount to cut the bitterness.
Next, we ordered an arugula salad that came with nectarines, fennel (love fen!), walnuts, green olives and a ricotta salata. The ricotta gave the salad a sweet, nutty flavor and complimented the strong arugula. Simple yet complex salad.
Between the four of us, we got two pizzas - margherita (tomato, mozzarella, grana padano, basil and olive oil) and funghi (tomato, mushrooms, mozzarella, grana padano, garlic, oregano and olive oil) with prosciutto. The crust is thin, just the way I like it. :) They bake their pizzas in an brick oven and you can definitely taste the woodsy-ness. Yummy!
Lastly, got to have dessert! I ordered a plum and hazelnut cake with hazelnut brittle and plum gelato. The cake was moist and tart with chunks of plum. I thought the hazelnut brittle was going to be hard, brittle like, but it was soft, like a cookie. And the gelato....not the texture I expected either. I thought it was going to be more creamy by the looks of it, but it was more icy and crumbly. Either way, loved it. A16 can do no wrong.
I forgot what bottle of wine we ordered, but it was a light pinot-like from Italy. Their wine list is so extensive! It's so hard to remember what we've had. But, not a problem. A16's waiters are very knowledgeable and always, ALWAYS suggest an excellent wine.
Seriously, I heart A16. Be sure to plan a week and half in advance, reservations are tough. They do accept walk-ins but you usually have to wait 45 mins and you end up sitting in the front - not the best spot since you don't see the action in their open kitchen. ;)
We split a plate of bresaola (house-cured beef) that came with a slab of baked ricotta and a small mix of tomatoes, black olives and wild arugula. The ricotta again, was creamy and went really well with the bresaola. I've been afraid of wild arugula because I had it once and was shocked by how bitter it was. I didn't even finish my salad because it was way too bitter. But, of course, A16 does nothing wrong. Somehow, they've dressed it with the right amount to cut the bitterness.
Next, we ordered an arugula salad that came with nectarines, fennel (love fen!), walnuts, green olives and a ricotta salata. The ricotta gave the salad a sweet, nutty flavor and complimented the strong arugula. Simple yet complex salad.
Between the four of us, we got two pizzas - margherita (tomato, mozzarella, grana padano, basil and olive oil) and funghi (tomato, mushrooms, mozzarella, grana padano, garlic, oregano and olive oil) with prosciutto. The crust is thin, just the way I like it. :) They bake their pizzas in an brick oven and you can definitely taste the woodsy-ness. Yummy!
Lastly, got to have dessert! I ordered a plum and hazelnut cake with hazelnut brittle and plum gelato. The cake was moist and tart with chunks of plum. I thought the hazelnut brittle was going to be hard, brittle like, but it was soft, like a cookie. And the gelato....not the texture I expected either. I thought it was going to be more creamy by the looks of it, but it was more icy and crumbly. Either way, loved it. A16 can do no wrong.
I forgot what bottle of wine we ordered, but it was a light pinot-like from Italy. Their wine list is so extensive! It's so hard to remember what we've had. But, not a problem. A16's waiters are very knowledgeable and always, ALWAYS suggest an excellent wine.
Seriously, I heart A16. Be sure to plan a week and half in advance, reservations are tough. They do accept walk-ins but you usually have to wait 45 mins and you end up sitting in the front - not the best spot since you don't see the action in their open kitchen. ;)
Sorry the pictures aren't that great and justify the food's beauty. It's very dark, romantic and moody in there... :X
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