Delfina
White Peach Bellini
Semolina Bread and Butter
Polenta Taragna
Papardelle with Liberty Duck Ragu
Tripe alla Fiorentina
Comtesse Thibier Monbazillac
Lemon Budino – Strawberries, Olive Oil Gelato, Basil
Another day and another second dinner led myself and a friend to Delfina, a place that had somehow always fallen off of my must visit list despite numerous raves and accolades from palates I trust. Considered by some to be the best California Italian restaurant in a city sporting the likes of Spruce, Flour + Water, SPQR, and more it came as no surprise that the bustling Mission restaurant was filled to capacity on our arrival and opting to visit the restaurant on a whim we luckily nabbed the last two seats at the bar where we were placed under the care of a young woman named Kari who offered a few suggestions, and later a complimentary glass of honey sweet Monebazillac to go with dessert. Having both already enjoyed an earlier dinner but wanting to experience a representative sample of the menu the decision was made to order one side, one pasta, and one ‘main’ before dessert and with the choices left in my hand I let personal biases guide me into a rustic trio of cheesy toothsome polenta, tender pasta ribbons with gamy duck tamed by bright, balanced tomato sauce, and finally a bowl of tripe in aromatic San Marzanos, some tender and others pan fried to crisp. Delicious but certainly not ‘light,’ dessert would consist of an airy sponge cake topped with light Meyer Lemon gel dubbed a budino positioned alongside typically perfect California Strawberries, creamy gelato, and a touch of basil – a delicate dessert to end a great evening and one of many reasons a return visit to Delfina for a better sampling of the menu is planned for the not so distant future.
http://www.delfinasf.com/restaurant/