 "La ciccia" means "baby fat" or, as Italian native Lorella Degan puts it, "sweet fat." Count on acquiring a few ounces of it at the thriving neighborhood restaurant she co-owns with her husband, Sardinian chef Massimiliano Conti. Together the couple charms an eager crowd of regulars in the small, pool-blue dining room where conversation reaches a boisterous tempo (partly thanks to a fabulous wine list, heavy in Sardinian Vermentino) and no one is ever rushed. Conti's beloved island is far enough culturally and geographically from Italy to have its own language; the food is simple, seasonal, sea-salty and saffron-kissed, with a traditional penchant for earthy flavors as well as oceanic influences. Al dente wafers of carrot, potato and radish bolster a seafood salad, served lemony, at room temperature, and lively with tender squid. Wafers of cauliflower make a surprising, sophisticated appearance atop rich "spaghittusu" pressed with bottarga---a "poor man's caviar" made from mullet roe. Sensuous, salted pools of olive oil collect at the bottom of each plate to be sopped up by hunks of bread; whether they choose the house mozzarella, house-cured salumi, mint-braised tuna or lamb, diners inevitably leave here tasting the sea on their lips. |
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Set the mood for love by reserving a table at one of the Best Romantic Restaurants in San Francisco, or view our list of Valentines Restaurants to find out which restaurants are offering unique menus just for February 14. Also, see who sets the standard for seductive dining across the country with our Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. list.
