I enjoyed basic, although very good Italian dining at Rose Pistola on Columbus. The menu is inspired by the basil-fused cooking of Liguria, brought to the Bay Area by Italian sailors or traders who settled in San Francisco decades ago, most of whom were from the Ligurian coast, near Genoa and Portofino.  Italian cuisine is after all, no better than the ingredients it is fashioned from and the menus change daily to prove, if you will, the freshness of the locally grown produce.
The restaurant’s general demeanor lends itself to casual dining, and from pizza or focaccia from the wood-burning oven to small-plates of antipasti, as well as pastas tossed in classic rough-hewn sauces, whole roasted fish with fresh herbs, meats and fowl from the rotisserie or the grill, and if you total the experience, Rose Pistola has something for everyone.

In addition, the restaurant offers a realistically priced selection of boutique wines from Italy and California.