Park Tavern

location: 1652 stockton (filbert), north beach
time of day: week day night, early dinner
i ate: deviled egg ($2/each), brussels sprout chips ($7), lemon chips with burrata ($13), grilled pork chop ($24), twice baked potatoes ($8)

park tavern is a fairly new restaurant in washington square park. the restaurant has a huge, open air window that looks out onto the park and gives the dark wood space a really light and airy feel. the restaurant is still pretty hyped from it's opening so we were stuck choosing between a 5:45 or 10:00 pm reservation. we opted for the early seating, which was probably the best decision because i've heard the wait there, even with a reservation, can be a while. the selections we made for dinner were really good although i have mixed feelings about how some of the things are priced. i was surprised by both the brussels and lemon chips. the brussels chips were very crunchy and flavorful without being too oily and the lemon chips were prefectly battered leaving them sour and tart but refreshing. the pork chop was amazingly flavorful. it felt like our server came by our table too much which can be annoying when you're mid conversation over dinner.
i suggest making a reservation at least a month in advance for a decent seating time.

food vs. price: okay!
tastiness: yay!
service: okay!

Cotogna

location: 490 pacific (at montgomery), fidi/north beach
time of day: weeknight dinner
i ate: warm ricotta & musroom on crostini ($12), tagliolini w/ crab & meyer lemon ($16), roasted pork loin ($27), roasted potatoe & fontina gratin ($7), bread pudding ($8)

i shared this whole meal at cotogna with a friend so while it seems like a lot, it ended up being the perfect portion of food. this is by far one of the best meals i've had in san francisco (not surprising considering the chef won the 2011 james beard award for best chef in the pacific region). reservations are pretty much necessary at this point, we made ours a full month in advance, but the wait was well worth it. great service, warm atmosphere, and delicious food. the hallways are lined with wooden logs because a lot of the food is prepared in a wooden oven.

food vs. price: yay!
tastiness: yay!
service: yay!

Tony's Pizza Napoletana

location: 1570 stockton (at union), north beach

time of day: weekday night

i ate: calarmari fritti ($11), spinich salad ($12), margherita pizza ($19), wild robiola ($23), new yorker ($22)

tony's is considered some of the best pizza in san francisco and it definitely lives up to it's reputation. it's worth the 45 minutes wait, and may i recommend any of the bars around the corner while you wait. i went with a few friends so we could try several different pizzas. dining at tony's is a different experience than most pizzerias. tony is literally rolling the dough and preparing the pies at the counter in front of you (pictured above). the restaurant has several different ovens so that the pizzas are cooked the way they were originally intended, so you get the most traditional slices you could imagine. ask a lot of questions, the waiters are happy to answer and make recommendations.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Giordano Bros.

location: 303 columbus (at broadway), north beach

giordano bros. in north beach is a home away from home for anyone from pittsburgh. i was introduced to this great sandwich place and bar by two friends from pittsburgh and i've been in love ever since. coming here on a steelers day is like stepping into another world. it's packed shoulder to shoulder with die hard fans, the beers are cheap and the food is cooked to order and to perfection.

the bar is known for their all inclusive sandwich. modeled after primanti bros. in pittsburgh, pa, they put everything on the sandwich itself. meat, fries, and cole slaw loaded between two pieces of fluffy white bread. they have sides you can order as well, but you quickly learn you didn't need a side of onion rings once you start attacking your sandwich. i feel full after one half but it's so good i end up completely full after the whole thing.

the bar tenders and cooks at giordano bros. are as friendly as can be, as long as you're not annoying them with questions like "what comes on ____ sandwich." there is one answer: meat, fries and cole slaw.

they offer beer & wine only. if it's a game day, show up early. if it's nice you can sit on the patio and enjoy watching the tourists and passers by on columbus.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Da Flora

location: 701 columbus ave. (at filbert), north beach

da flora is an authentic venetian restaurant in north beach. owned & run by flora, she hand writes the italian menu daily and has an extensive list of italian wines available. having never been to venice, or italy for that matter, this is what i would expect it to be like. low lighting, nice ambiance, and a long meal with limited interruptions by the wait staff. i went with L & j for dinner so we opted to share a bottle of wine with our meal. the waitress was helpful in selecting a nice red and also in giving us recommendations and information about the food on our menu.

everything that i ate at da flora was amazing. i can still remember the tastes and smells of my dinner there. even the focaccia bread starter was memorable. i started with the crab, grapefruit & arugula salad ($12.50) that was covered in a delicious champagne vinaigrette. i could eat that salad every day and never get bored. for my main entrée i had the penne pasta ($20), covered in a spicy marinara sauce with guanciala. i had never even heard of this italian meat before my meal at da flora and i absolutely loved it.

i've read a lot of complaints about the service at da flora on the internet but i disagree that the wait staff is rude. they're attentive, they'll answer your questions and they expect you to be polite and have manners when dining in their restaurant. otherwise, they pretty much leave you alone. i don't like it when a server comes by my table a lot during the meal or makes me feel rushed, so i really enjoyed the atmosphere at da flora.

recommendation: perfect first date spot.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe

location: 566 columbus avenue (at union), north beach

mario's is not a cigar store. it may have been at one point. it's kinda boho but it's mostly just amazing. this cafe on the corner of columbus and union has a spectacular view of washington square park and st. peter & paul church (my fave in sf). it's small, the people that work there are nice and they serve delicious hot foccacia sandwiches made with bread from liguria bakery, which is just around the corner.

i've been here a few times and i'm always waiting for my next trip back. i went with l & j and we split red & white house carafes and ordered sandwiches. i had the hot foccacia with turkey and melted pepper jack cheese. it also has onions and dijon mustard. just 4 simple ingredients that make up one of the best sandwiches i've ever had. and it's cheap.

the menu is mostly sandwiches, a few dinner entree options, and some salads. the service is quick and it's a great atmosphere while you're waiting. usually feels like it's mostly regulars sitting at the bar, most likely talking about yesteryear.

there is limited seating outside, which makes it perfect for a sunny north beach day. they serve food until about 9 or 10 and beer and wine even later.

recommendation: if you haven't been, go. now. bring me.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!

Naked Lunch

location: 504 broadway (at kearny, in enrico's restaurant), north beach

i hit up naked lunch with l & c today on this beautiful sunny afternoon after we read about this sandwich on thrillist. they claim this fried chicken sandwich (with green garlic aioli, creamy coleslaw, pain de mie) is the best sf. it's mighty delicious but i don't know if the best sandwich in sf, that is yet to be determined! this little lunch spot is open in the enrico's kitchen during lunch hours and serves up a different and fresh menu each day. the seating is the same outside area available for enrico's so you have a great view of the broadway strip clubs while you chow down. the guy that rang us up was super friendly and gave us the suggestion of using hot sauce, i always love it when the staff encourage spicing up or adding flavor to a meal, the food came out fast and it was delicious. all around, a great lunch experience. and all for the low cost of $8. no sides included. you can follow nakedlunchsf on twitter to find out daily specials or peep their website.

testimonials from lunch:

"this is the juiciest fried chicken i've ever had"- c

recommendation: get over there and bring cash.

tastiness: yay!

food vs. price: yay!

service: yay!