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A16
2355 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA
415.771.2216

www.a16sf.com

The expressway to good eatin'


inside a16

What kind of no funghi guy doesn’t like rustic Italian chow? Not me. When I heard that there was a place with slow food, I sped on over.

Service:
The staff were efficient and knowledgeable. When they didn’t know an answer they got someone who did.
There was a super long wait for the pizza, but I guess that’s why they call it “slow food.”

Atmospere:
City energy. Bustley and noisy. Modern meets Traditional, People in suits and people in jeans.

     
cheesy cloud

 

Mozzarella burrata ($10):
This tender, olive oil veiled, cheesy cloud of delight was a simple and delicious way to get the meal started. Thin, olive oil brushed croutons were too much of a brittle contrast with the cheese. It was better without the bread, just a turn of pepper and nothing else.
Ciccioli ($8):
One of the reasons that I wanted to come to A16 was for their house cured meats. I asked the server which one I should order. Ciccioli.
They make this chunky pork pate on the premises. Pressed into their own fancy spam shaper, this is served thinly sliced with a sweet balsamic stripe and a trickle of olive oil.
I was underwhelmed. Good texture, but it needed spicing up.
Ah well, next time I’ll try one of the other selections.
house made

Romana Pizza ($9.50):
The wonderful blackened blisters on the crust were the signature of a real pizza oven. I enjoyed the flavorings of olives, anchovies and chilies but the tomato sauce made the crust too wet to have a crisp contrast it deserved.

Braised pork ($18.50):
The pork breast was slow cooked to a flavorful tenderness. The braising liquid was dotted with olives, rosemary and the most wonderful firm and tasty chestnuts.

I chose the Cannelini beans as a side dish. They were cooked beyond their peak. The crisp bread crumbs on top mocked the soft beans underneath. But hey, that pork was so good it didn’t bother me for long.
Cheese plate ($13):
The gorgonzola was rich and buttery with pleasant salty finish
The soft caprino goat cheese was fairly young with a lovely creamy flavor with a subtle tanginess
This hard sheepsmilk cheese had a wonderful nuttyness and made me think of a pecorino kissed by a truffle.
This generous serving was presented at the perfect temperature with toasty slices of brown bread, thin slices of a dense almond date pan forte like cake and a pot of honey. This dish calls out for slices of apple but to be fair, they have a lot going on on this plate.

Coffee:
They do cute little machiatos with a teeny bit of brittle on the saucer!
Their regular coffee comes in a coffee press with good beans, brewed right.
Top marks in the coffee department.

In case you were wondering: A16 is named after the autostrada in southern Italy running from Naples to the Adriatic.This highway connects many interesting culinary regions, a kind of route 66 for food in Italy.
Overall Rating:

Overall:Two and a half carrots out of four. Great atmosphere and good, even remarkable, but somewhat uneven chow.


"Great"

A16 Bathroom Rating

Attractive, clean, well stocked and tidy.

       

 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
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