Ristorante Parma - San Francisco

5/5 stars

UPDATE :)

There are so many restaurants in San Francisco, I always feel an itsy bitsy guilty when I go back to the same one instead of trying something new. BUT but but ... I can't stay away from Parma! Heck, I came here for dinner on Friday and, not only did I want to get a to-go order for a midnight snack, but I wanted to come back for dinner on Saturday (I didn't do any of the above, but I wanted to ...)

I ordered my favorite pasta dish of all-time - the Romanoff. If you like vodka sauce, you gotta try it. Of course, before eating my main course, I filled up on their incredible bread+garlic+balsamic+olive oil concoction and their paper-thin prosciutto wrapped canteloupe. I also fell in love with a new dish - their Spaghtti Carbonara is the BEST CARBONARA I've ever had!! Most carbonaras are too creamy and heavy, but this one was so light and tasty!

When I return to Parma next Saturday, I'm going to have a lot of trouble deciding between the Romanoff and the Carbonara. Oh well, maybe I'll just order both. Life's short ... right?

***

RISTORANTE PARMA IS LOVE!!!!

This is the restaurant where I'd have my last meal on Earth.

I'd eat here every weekend if I could.

Whoever put vodka + sausage together is a genius.

Garlic swimming in olive oil + balsamic vinegar will be the end of me.

THE ATMOSPHERE: It's a long, narrow, family-run restaurant that intimately sits 40 or so. It always reminds me of an Italian cafe tucked away on some cobble-stoned alleyway and when you're a lost tourist wandering around Rome and stumble upon such a place, you feel like you've come across a local gem. We got to the restaurant around 6:30PM on a Friday night and luckily beat the dinner crowd. Half an hour later, almost every table was occupied. The owner of the restaurant - a serious-looking, but pleasant, short, Italian man in his 60s - hugged regulars warmly, while his daughters recited house specials and lit tea candles. It's such a cozy place.

THE FOOD: The Penne Romanoff is my favorite Italian pasta dish. Ever. Al dente penne, creamy tomato sauce with a touch of vodka, ground sausage, and thinly-sliced mushrooms - it's super delicious. I would've licked the plate clean if that wasn't taboo. The caesar salad is made with a perfect, housemade dressing, and the bread is rustic and heavenly when soaked in the chopped garlic, light olive oil, and sweet balsamic vinegar. We ate almost two loaves.

(2007-2009)