Locanda

location: 557 valendia (between 16th & 17th), the mission

time of day: weekday night

i ate: fried castelveltrano olives ($), jewish style artichoke ($8), bucatini all'amatriciana ($16), carciofi crudi ($11), halibut with white beans ($21)

when i was seated at locanda the couple finishing their meal at the table next to me asked if it was my first time, it was so i told them yes, and they said "well get ready for the best meal you've ever had." my meal at locanda would definitely be high up on a list of best meals ever. the restaurant serves delicious, fresh, authentic italian dishes that worked perfectly for sharing. our server was fantastic, explaining anything we were unsure of and giving recommendations when asked. the belgian beer selection was wonderfully expected. i couldn't ask for more, accept for the long wait for a reservation. if you're thinking about going at a normal time, like most of the other hyped sf restaurants, the wait can be a while for a res. 

food vs. price: yay!

tastiness: yay!

service: yay!