Archive for May 28th, 2008

Al Moro Restaurant – Rome

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

Vicolo delle Bollette 13
+39 06 678 34 95
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 1-3:30pm and 7:30-11:30pm
Credit Cards: MC, V
Closed August
Prices: Expensive

Al Moro has been around for a long time, in fact since 1929, and was a restaurant favored by the director, Frederico Fellini and others in the film crowd during the sixties and seventies. The son of the founder Moro, called Franco keeps up the family tradition by appearing to be quite surly as he stands guard at the door. The rooms are quite dark and physically things have changed not at all since I used to frequent this restaurant in the seventies.

The menu still offers traditional Roman cuisine with classic dishes such as: fritti alla romana (zucchini flower and ricotta) or spaghetti alla Moro with egg, bacon and red peppers, calamari alla Moro, abbacchio al forno (roasted lamb), crispy roasted baby goat flavored with fragrant rosemary, Roman-style stewed milk-fed lamb with tomatoes, and or course, crispy fried artichokes.
I was able to find a proper bottle of Frascati here after some previous disappointing attempts.

I had heard that the cooking was a little watered down from its former self, but quite frankly, I found it still
good—although I stuck to the old favorites.

A16 Restaurant – San Francisco

Wednesday, May 28th, 2008

A16 is located in the
Marina District of San Francisco at
2355 Chestnut Street
between Scott and Divisadero
Tel. (415) 771-2216
Operating Hours:Lunch: Wednesday – Friday: 11:30am – 2:30pm; Dinner: Sunday – Thursday: 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Restaurant accepts Walk-Ins
Website: http://www.A16sf.com
Credit Cards: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Prices: Moderate

Facade of A16 (Photo from A16)The restaurant is aptly named after the highway A16 that winds through Campania the region that is home to Napoli, Positano, Pompei, the islands of Capri and Ischia that lie off the coast among many other lovely towns.

This restaurant is currently one of my haunts when I am in San Francisco; I really enjoy it!.
They have a wood-fired oven serving Neapolitan Pizza, which I will not delve into since there are so many varieties. Please check with the A16 website link above for the full menu and wine list.

Some of the interesting dishes served (some may be seasonal) are:
Beet and potato salad with radicchio, green olives and toasted almonds, Roasted young favas with green garlic, mint, chiles and lemon, Tripe napoletana with onions, tomato, white wine and breadcrumbs, La Quercia Berkshire prosciutto, La Quercia acorn edition tasting: coppa, lonza and lardo, Prosciutto San Daniele aged months,Smoked trotter terrina (house-cured), Ciccioli (house-cured),Pig ear terrina (house-cured), Lonza (house-cured), Bresaola (house-cured).

The wine bar serves around 40 wines by the glass or 375ml carafe and are mostly Italian with a few special boutique California wines, some made from Italian varietals.
I include only a few wines by the glass from Campania, although they have so many more, again check with the above website for the complete list:

White Wines: Glass or Carafe (375ml)
Campania Whites
Villa Raiano, Fiano di Avellino 2006,Terredora di Paolo, Greco di Tufo 2006, Alois,’Caulino’, Falanghina 2005, Marisa Cuomo, ‘Ravello’, Costa d’Amalfi 2006 (Falanghina/Biancolella)

The parking can be quite difficult so I would highly suggest going by taxi rather than spending time looking for street parking (very difficult) or big money to park in the lot