GREAT EATS HAWAII: CAFFE BAONECCI

CAFFE BAONECCI

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

CAFFE BAONECCI

516 GREET STREET

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94130

415-989-1806

HOURS: Monday thru Friday 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM

Saturday Open Lunch and Dinner

Sunday Closed

www.caffebaonecci.com

Email: info@caffebaonecci.com

A small immigrant family moves to San Francisco from Lucca, Italy in 2005. Their young son is a baker by trade so they buy a local bakery near the Little Italy section of the City by the Bay. The mother begins to cook pizza and some of her other favorite recipes from Italy. The smells of home cooked Italian Food begins to permeate the bakery and customers begin asking for a sample. Next thing you know the son who was the baker gets an allergic reaction to wheat flour and can no longer bake long hours in the kitchen. The family adapts by turing the bakery into a small neighborhood Italian restaurant where the mom would simply cook her family recipes from Lucca. Forward to 2013 and Caffe Baonecci has a cult like following on Yelp and has won numerous awards for Best Pizza, Best Neighborhood Restaurant and many more. I booked a reservation using Open Table's website and we arrived on a warm 80 degree San Francisco day. Weather was so nice that we requested a table outside on the front patio. We were immediately greeted upon arriving by a smiling young man. His smile was from ear to ear. Inviting and infectious. Welcome he said. How are you. I have a table outside in just one minute for you. Please sit at the bar for a moment. We sat at the bar and he asked if would would like a drink. Sure we said. A beer and a glass of red wine. No problem and our drinks were on the table in seconds. As soon as the drinks arrived we were taken to the outside tables and sat at a table with an awkward slope. Our waiter who was the owners son still smiling took us through the menu and talked about some of his favorite dishes. Wow...I said. Just give us an appetizer, pasta and pizza that you would recommend. I am leaving this up to you I told him. No problem he said with a big smile. I'll take care of you. First up was the Tagliere Antipasto Toscano ($17.95). This was a delicious platter of Italian meats. Prosciutto de Parma, Salame, Coppa, Mortadella, Pecorino Cheese and olives plus warm and delicious bread. Next up was Lasagna with Meat Sauce ($16.95). Meaty Lasagna with home made Bolognese meat sauce, parmigiano and a béchamel sauce. Loved the Lasagna but just wish there was more tomato sauce. Next time I order this (and I will) I will request a side of sauce. The pizza suggested by our waiter was the Pizza Monte Bianco ($19.95). San Marsano Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto Parma and a scoop of Mascarpone Cheese. Whats not to like about these simple fresh ingredients. I took one bite and was in heaven. The thin crust is PERFECT and the Prosciutto Parma was sweet and salty with the Mascarpone Cheese adding a silky moist texture on top of the ham. This is pizza the way i like it. This is thin crust. This is pizza where each topping pops and provides flavor. You can taste every ingredient in the pizza. Nothing is masked with cheese and dough. This is the bomb. Best pizza I have ever eaten in San Francisco. Loved it!!!! While we were enjoying this great meal, the owners son joined us for some conversation. He talked about his Mom and Dad and how proud he was of them. He talked about moving to the United States from Italy and the trials of opening up your own business. I would tell him that I loved the food and he would say "thats' my mom in the kitchen" and smile. You could tell he loved his family and the business. This is in his blood. Our conversation moved to more personal subjects like the fact that he was just married and spent 14 days on the Island of Oahu where we live. This brought more smiles and memories of his weeks in paradise. Truly a remarkable host and great "face" for the restaurant. After talking for a bit our host excused himself and returned with a chocolate ice cream ball covered in chocolate. This is from my Mother he said. We were so full that one bite of this was not on my mind. After one taste we finished the entire dish. Me and my guest were blown away by the food and hospitality here and both said this would be a "tradition" every time we visit San Francisco. I cannot wait to return for more pizza.

Caffe Baonecci is a TASTE OF HAWAII FAVORITE!