I must admit that part of this review is actually more than a year old, but this restaurant has stayed on my mind for just as long. I made an instagram account with my friend to document the different types of pasta in San Francisco, but we never took photos when we did go out to eat. Barzotto is located at 1270 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110. I went with just one of my foodie friends and sat on barstools at a reasonably sized square table for the amount of food we ordered. The space is dimly lit and feels intimate. It seems like a great spot to bring a significant other. It is definitely an elevated restaurant, as the service was fabulous. The wait staff were dressed in formal attire as were the patrons.
My friend and I ordered focaccia and brussels sprouts to start. The focaccia was fluffy and airy, but it had a crisp crust. I was hesitant about ordering the brussels sprouts because anchovy was on the list of ingredients. I was surprised at the outcome, the anchovy and the prosciutto added the saltiness needed and combined with the citrus, created a perfect balance of flavor.
For the main course, we ordered bucatini and lumaconi. The bucatini delivered its promise of a spicy tomato sauce. It had guanciale which added texture and saltiness but it was not the best pasta dish of the two. The Lumaconi is the adult version of macaroni and cheese, it is refined. The butternut squash added the creaminess as well as the sweetness, in addition to the honey pepita. The toasted breadcrumbs added the needed crunchiness to just nail the flavor and texture profile. We both had half of each dish, but both wanted another serving of the lumaconi.
We finished the meal with a Boca Negra cake (not pictured) each as we both have an insatiable sweet tooth. The chocolate cake was rich but balanced well with the blueberry syrup and mascarpone. With the four dishes we ordered prior, it proved to be too much as we were almost too stuffed to finish. Barzotto was a treat that I wish to indulge in again.
Focaccia Bread
Focaccia Bread and brussels sprouts
Bucatini and lumaconi