Digesting The Reviews: Alamo Square, Bar Bambino And More


Michael Bauer opens his Wednesday Chron review with a reflection of sorts, admitting that the deluge of high-profile openings often causes him to lose track of San Francisco’s forte: “small neighborhood places run with care and passion.”

With a newfound dedication to the little guys who shine, Bauer heads to Alamo Square Seafood Grill in the Western Addition. Despite the hustle and bustle (which at times can become a detriment to diners), Alamo Square shines as a neighborhood joint doing one thing and doing it well:

The fish available each night is recited verbally, but generally includes snapper, trout and salmon ($13.75); specials are written on a chalkboard on both sides of the compact dining room. We tried the sauteed snapper, nicely served with couscous, sauteed vegetables and beurre blanc. Customers choose whether they want the fish grilled, sauteed, poached or blackened, and then select one of six sauces, including bearnaise, green peppercorn with red wine, and a Provencal with tomatoes, capers and garlic.


Michael Bauer opens his Wednesday Chron review with a reflection of sorts, admitting that the deluge of high-profile openings often causes him to lose track of San Francisco’s forte: “small neighborhood places run with care and passion.”

With a newfound dedication to the little guys who shine, Bauer heads to Alamo Square Seafood Grill in the Western Addition. Despite the hustle and bustle (which at times can become a detriment to diners), Alamo Square shines as a neighborhood joint doing one thing and doing it well:

Meredith Brody confronts an issue that we’ve heard many a time: the seeming overpopulation of the city with Italian restaurants. In her opinion (which we happen to strongly agree with), there is “more reason to cheer than complain,” primarily because of the variety. You’ve got every type of eatery from so many different regions, from Sardinian seafood to cozy Sicilian to glamorous to pizzerias and so on and so forth. One of the newcomers, Bar Bambino, nicely fills the niche of fresh, simple cafe/wine bar in the Mission:

Another alluring design element is a small glassed-in room, the only open element of the kitchen, displaying Bar Bambino’s collection of salumi and cheeses. The chic, cosmopolitan, yet friendly place has been so popular since giorno uno that reservations are suggested for dinner, even during the week.The signage may say cafe and wine bar, but the multi-page menu reads restaurant. It is so tempting that it would take strength of character to restrict oneself to a snack to complement your choice from the all-Italian wine list. (Beer drinkers will be happy to know that the national focus has been relaxed in this area; you’ll find German, Belgian, English, Czech, even Californian labels, alongside Moretti.)

Brody goes on to eloquently lavish Bar Bambino’s fare with praise, from the prosciutto (“succulent, thicker-cut”) to the papardelle with sugo di coniglio. Despite the proliferation of wine bars in the city, Bar Bambino–with its extensive restaurant-y menu–seems like a different breed of sorts. We’re intrigued. [SF Weekly]

Rounding out the reviews: The Bay Guardian goes to Sonoma to check out LaSalette, South City gets love from the Chowhounds at the Basque Cultural Center, Amanda Gold is at Ginza, Ms. Tablehopper explores Katana-ya and the Merc hits up Nami Nami.

[Photo courtesy: inetours.com]

Digesting The Reviews: Alamo Square, Bar Bambino And More