2008

Delfina Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Posted by Food Nut

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Delfina

3621 18th St (Between Guererro and Dolores)

San Francisco, CA 94110

415-552-4055

Website

Delfina San Francisco 2

Since 1998, Delfina, a bustling neighborhood Italian trattoria has been packing them in. The menu changes daily and they use organic produce and sustainably-raised meats and fish whenever possible. It is a popular place that requires advanced booking for a reservation or showing up at 530pm for a table at the counter or bar.

Pizza is only available next door, where you usually have to wait because there are no reservations.

Delfina San Francisco Interior

Delfina San Francisco 3

Decor, Vibe – Stylish modern decor, cramped seating area for parties of 2. Nice patio area in the back, for when the weather allows.  Most of the crowd was couples or small parties of people in their 30’s and 40’s.

Menu pics

Menu changes daily.

Website Menu

Picks:

Delfina San Francisco calamari

Grilled fresh calamari ($9.25) with warm white bean salad was a great dish that tastes as good as it looks.

The only down side is a little burn scaring on the octopus. The beans were delicious and tender.

Delfina San Francisco quail_

Wolfe Ranch quail ($25) with fennel sausage, polenta and vin santo was very good even though it looks like a mess. Quantities are not high with this delicate bird, but the flavor is great. The sausage makes the polenta a great combination. A little salty but very tasty.

Delfina San Francisco Swordfish

Grilled Swordfish ($25) with warm lentil salad, fennel crusted fennel and anchovy aioli.  Tender meaty fish that was cooked just right.  A little on salty side.  This dish really did not need the aioli.

Delfina San Francisco Risotto

Risotto nero ($18) with sepia inzimino or squid ink was extremely delicious.  One of the best risotto’s around.  It came out steaming hot and had a bold complex flavor to it.

Delfina San Francisco Lamb

Leg of Lamb Special ($25) was tender slices of roast lamb leg bathed in gravy with lacopi butter beans.  Slightly gamey but very tender meat. Good combination with the soft butter beans.

Delfina San Francisco Snails

Fresh San Joaquin Valley Snails ($12) and celery formatino had only 5 small snails that tasted like butter along with the tasty and smooth flan.  Tasty but way too few snails.

Delfina San Francisco Tomato Salad

Heirloom Tomato Salad ($11) with pane bucato, Bellwether crescenza, olives, and salt packed anchovies was in season and tasted great. Very light dressing, reasonable quantity.

Delfina San Francisco panna cotta

Buttermilk panna cotta ($9) with golden and red raspberries was smooth as silk. Perfect balance of sweetness to cream. Could have used more berries.

Delfina San Francisco Torta

Warm Scharffen Berger chocolate torta ($9) with olive oil gelato and maldon sea salt sounds like a weird combination but it works.  Torta was very chocolaty, a little nutty and bitter, and very good.  The olive oil gelato took getting used to, but then became delicious.

OK:

Delfina San Francisco Roast chicken

Delfina San Francisco 13

Roasted Fulton Valley chicken ($18) with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and royal trumpet mushrooms was
a good dish and prepared well but not as spectacular as say the chick at Zuni Cafe. Huge portion of mashed potatoes.

Delfina San Francisco Polenta

Anson Mills Polenta with fontina Val d’Aosta Cheese ($7.75) was a huge steaming hot pile of polenta.  Not very buttery, but full of corn meal texture.

Delfina San Francisco Spaghetti

Spaghetti ($11 large) with plum tomatoes, garlic, extra virgin olive oil and peperoncini came al dente and full of their tomato sauce mixed in.  Decent dish, but other items were far better.

Pans:
None

Delfina’s Service was very good, as you could see the waiter circulate repeatedly. They do sit some tables for 2 way too close together. Parking is not fun in this neighborhood. $1.25 per person charge for health plan wasn’t fun but probably worthwhile. Delfina has high wine markup.

Update: We returned in early October and added items to our lists of food recommendations.

Delfina on Urbanspoon

Do not forget to save some space for nearby delicious Bi-Rite ice cream that is across the street and down the block.

Delfina San Francisco 2

Delfina San Francisco 3

Bi-Rite Creamery and Bake Shop on Urbanspoon

Restaurant.com $25 Dining Certificate for $10
Entertainment Book 2 for 1 restaurant coupons, food discounts, and much more

Overall Rating: (Excellent)

Come Back?

Food Rating: (Excellent)
Service Rating: (Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating: (Very Good)
Value Rating: (Very Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:Full Bar. High wine markup.
Attire:Casual
Hours:Mon-Thur 530pm-10pm. Fri/Sat 5:30pm-11pm. Sun 5pm-10pm
Parking:Street. (Difficult)
Reservations:Yes
Prices:$11 - $27
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Posted on October 7th, 2008
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2 Responses to “Delfina Restaurant Review, San Francisco”

  1. flour + water Restaurant Review, San Francisco, 94110 | Foodnut.com Says:

    [...] not a destination restaurant. The food is fair, not exceptional. Pasta quantities are very skimpy. Delfina is not far away and a lot better. Moderate wine markup, small selection. Glasses of wine from [...]

  2. New 2010 San Francisco Michelin Guide | Foodnut.com Says:

    [...] Gibraltar Camino Cena Luna Chevalier Colibrí Cook St. Helena Corso Crouching Tiger Cucina Paradiso Delfina Dosa Farina FIVE flour + water Henry’s Hunan Hong Kong Flower Lounge Incanto Insalata’s [...]

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