THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Il Cane Rosso Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Il Cane Rosso Restaurant Review:

Inspired by the family-run rotisseries of Southern Italy, Il Cane Rosso in San Francisco's Ferry Building is nonetheless no casual enterprise. Lauren Kiino (ex-Delfina) brings her formidable pedigree to bear on brawny, juice-flinging sandwiches, substantial roasts, simple sides and antipasti---hearty, invigorating food in an informal setting: a small counter with self-service drinks and rickety metal tables in a hallway with a good view of The Slanted Door's opulent bar. Because dinner is a fixed three-course affair (reasonably priced at $25), lunch is the best time for variety-seeking diners to visit, and even less expensive. Porchetta, one of the restaurant's signature spit-roasted offerings, is available in a sandwich or as a platter with a side. With house-made mustard on the side, the piled folds of silky pork, ribboned with fat, redolent of fennel and garlic, contrast wonderfully with the hard-candy-like triangles of blistered skin. Even humble egg salad bounds to lofty heights. As stark and drafty as the atmosphere may be, sitting down to a table here makes a person happy to be in San Francisco, where even frazzled tourists and office workers can eat like royalty.