Eats - Italian

Cities covered: San Mateo, San Jose, Sunnyvale, Fremont, Mountain View, Walnut Creek, Palo Alto

Amici's
Dinner: **
Downtown San Jose Location
225 W. Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA
408/289-9000 (no reservations taken)
Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sat 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
This is on the bottom floor of a new office building at the corner of N. Almaden and Santa Clara. The interior is fairly stark and lined with the traditional photos of baseball players. When you're the only patrons (not unusual at night) it amplifies the emptiness. Anyway, the food here can be good, but the pizzas aren't; usually a bit too salty because of the toppings, and the sauce is weak. I've also eaten at the Redwood Shores location and it's the same. Do not order the mini pizza unless you're not hungry or you're also ordering another entree. That said, the spinach salad is great; lots of different toppings, lots of spinach, a not too cloying lemon-basil dressing. For the spinach salad, two small pizzas and coffee, dinner for two before tip: $44.02 May 9, 2007

Bella Mangiata
Lunch ***
233 Baldwin Av.
San Mateo, CA 94401
www.bellamangiata.com
Another tiny restaurant, this time in downtown San Mateo. The high-ceilinged main room is charming and the food is less predictable and programmed than at Capellini down the street. All of this comes at a slight price, which is inconsistency and sometimes longer than average waits, at least at lunch. Still, for an interesting lunch, I'll choose this over any other local Italian eatery. 09/2001

Bella Mia
58 S. 1st St
San Jose CA
(408) 280-1993
Rating: ***
A long-time favorite and very trusty place for grilled meats and seafood. Pastas are okay. Brunch menu is good. I happen to like the downstairs booths rather than the tables upstairs, but that's mostly because you can smell what's cooking better. NOTE: This restaurant got caught selling pork as veal a few years back, but I'm sure they've learned their lesson. Muslims and kosher Jewish people may want to take note though. January, 2002

Buca di Beppo (San Jose location)
925 Blossom Hill Road
San Jose, CA 95123
408/226-1444
This is a chain that tries to recreate family-run joints in big cities, and actually does a pretty good job of it, from the intentionally cheesy decor of people no one knows to the smart aleck-y waitress. We had penne arrabiata, calamari appetizer, di Beppo 1893 salad (nice mix), saltimbocca, a raspberry iced tea, and a coffee. This restaurant is known for the quantity vs. the quality, but everything was actually pretty good. The servings aren't THAT big, and shouldn't pose a problem for big eaters. Total for a very large lunch was $57.88 before tip. May 14, 2007

Capellini
310 Baldwin Ave.
San Mateo, CA
650/348-2296
A long-time favorite and very trusty place for pasta, meats, and seafood. Skip the risottos. The calamari fritti appetizer is fine, with a light batter and two sauces. The carpaccio is fine as well. Try not to be seated on the second level, which though it offers a nice view of the cavernous dining room is often ignored by waitstaff. And, if they try to seat you in the basement, leave. August, 2002

Update Feb 1, 2008: I took my web developer here as a treat. We had carpaccio, a house salad, chicken with truffle oil and linguini, tortellini with proscuitto, a Coke, an espresso, a regular coffee and and iced tea. I'm actually surprised this place is relatively unchanged from five years ago. Not surprisingly, the tab was $62.51 before tip.

Caprino's Italian Restaurant
1000 Sixth Ave
Belmont, CA
650/591-4156
Dinner 7 days a week from 5pm - 10pm, lunch weekdays from 11:30am - 2pm
We went here for lunch because it's near our office at Saba. The food is very good, but if you order a pizza, it's also very leisurely. We had a filet mignon sandwich (good) and a side of fries, a prosciutto pizza and a pepperoni calzone, both of which were also good. A Pelligrino and two iced teas rounded things out. Service was fine. Before tip: $54.50. July 13, 2007

DiCicco's Restaurant
2665 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95051
408/247-6161 | www.diciccosonline.com
I love this place, mostly because of the calamari steak, which is lovingly prepared and always tender. This isn't the fanciest restaurant, but it's comfortable, the service and the food are good, it's reasonable, and there's plenty of parking. As usual, I had the calamari dore, which was perfectly cooked and came in a lovely light sauce. My caesar salad was nice as well, with bits of non-salty anchovy and lots of cheese mixed in. My boyfriend Scott had pollo siracusana, sauteed chicken breast with red peppers, capers, garlic, olive oil, and white wine. I had a bite, and the sauce was the entire dish. If you want something dependable with a neighborhood feel, this is the place. Dec 26, 2004

Franchino's Italian Restaurant
347 Columbus Ave.
San Francisco CA 94133
415/982-2157
Rating: **
This is in North Beach, but is pretty much targeted at tourists (read: expensive). The food is actually quite good, when it finally arrived. I'm not sure why given the number of patrons there that evening, but a simple dinner took 2-1/2 hours. Servings are small, but the quality is decent. Would I go here again? No chance. Dinner for three (one appetizer and three entrees) was $87.61 before tip, which should have been a decent dinner. September 27, 2008

Frankie Johnnie & Luigi Italian Restaurant
939 W. El Camino Real
Mountain View, CA
650/967-5384
Rating: *
$50 for two (lunch)
A nice, busy spot for lunch, with a large enclosed patio. Typical Italian-American selection, with pastas, veal a few ways, and pizzas. Ceaser's Fantasy salad is nicely done and could serve as a light lunch. Veal marsala is a large portion, but with an uninteresting sauce. New York Style pizza had nice toppings, an okay sauce, and a good light crust. Service was first-rate; fast and friendly. September, 2002

Happy Chef American Restaurant
3815 Geary Blvd
San Francisco, CA
Rating: **
$21.87 for two (lunch)
When we drove past this "Italian" place, I told my boyfriend that it was probably Asian-owned because of the "noodle soup" sign in the window. He didn't believe me. I was right. "Italian-Asian" food is interesting because it's an interpretation, which basically means fairly large portions, not much emphasis on sauces, and your choice of Asian or Italian. We went Italian. My marsala was fine, as was my boyfriend's. Will we go back? Probably not, but it's not bad if you're in a bind. Dec 30, 2007

Il Fornaio
Type: Italian
Lunch **, Dinner ***
www.ilfornaio.com
Locations I've been to:

Solid and predictable for lunch and dinner, the San Jose version of this chain inhabits the ground floor of the Hotel St. Clair. It's a beautiful room with high arched windows, and especially nice on a sunny afternoon. The menu offers a fine selection of grilled meats, pastas, and salads, along with a decent wine list. For starters, the carpaccio is excellent, although the calamari fritti are sometimes less than crispy. Grilled meats are always a good choice, and nightly specials offer adventure if not consistent excellence. Dessert carts are laden with unusual selections like pumpkin panna cotta, along with a dandy tiramisu. Service is good, if a bit over-serious at times.

Update June 11, 2008: We had bruschetta pomodoro, carpaccio, insalade bietole, polipo (excellent!), the risotto special, pumaroru something (I've forgotten since I didn't order this), costicine angnello, scallop cariofi, cannelloni forno, and fettucini bolognese. A glass of Sebastiani merlot, a tiramisu, gelato, crema doppio, and two coffees rounded things out. Total for five people before tip: $234.63.

Update Aug 16, 2008: Il Fornaio has been running regional specials that offer and expanded, more interesting menu. I highly recommend going if you haven't been in awhile. The dishes are sometimes uneven and just plain mediocre, but I think you need to support their marketing effort.

We return for a large dinner. We had the carpaccio (dependable here, if not exciting), Insalade Bietole, tortino, merluzzo (cod), passera (plaice, firm white meat fish), and roasted chicken.

Coffee, zabaione, and a crespelle rounded out the meal, which came to a fairly reasonable $134.18 before tip (dinner for five). The one downside of the regional meals is that for some reason there was an extremely long gap between courses (more than an hour).

Lucetti's (formerly Angelo's on Twenty-Fifth Avenue)
Lunch ***
109 25th Ave. San Mateo, CA 94403
650/574-1256
This is an odd, little restaurant tucked away on one of San Mateo's cute shopping streets. The food is old-fashioned and so are the customers. It's like wandering in on a room full of Godfather extras. The food is quite good, and sometimes excellent. Unpretentious, well prepared, and not overcooked like so many Italian joints. April, 2000

Update April 2008: I went back here for lunch a few months ago, and the place is basically the same with the same old guys hanging out mixed in with a few lunch ladies. Simple food, not super pricey, and worth visiting. Lots to tech people hide here.

Caffè Macaroni Sciue Sciue
124 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
415/217-8400 (call weekends for reservations or you'll never get in)
This is where we watch the Chinese New Year parade from the second floor dining room which has large banquettes. It's right at the end of the parade unfortunately, so the performers look a little droopy (and wet most years). The food is regional Italian, but we haven't figured out what region. We had prosciutto and melon, carpaccio, insalata pazza, fruitti di mare (order this), amalfitano, oreciette, a pasta with octopus, ossobuco (order something else; I've had much better). For dessert, we had panna cotta, affogato, a mocha, and americano, five espressos and some cookies. Total for lunch for seven was $192.05 before tip. Feb 29, 2008

NEW - Madison & Fifth
367 University Ave.
Palo Alto CA 94301
650/323-3900
Rating: ****
I was in surly mood after a bad experience at the Apple Store (talk about incompetent), but this place changed that. We had a fabulous gorge-ouselves lunch here by chance (which is true most of the time). While the girly & garish murals mar the otherwise very tidy interior, this is a really nice date restaurant. We started with carpaccio (probably the beefiest-tasting I've had for several years) and an asparagus salad, both done salade composee-style. For pasta, we had the mild black linguine with squid, which was okay, but forgetable. The entrees (a large-ish order of duck—breast meat so-so, leg fabulous) and whatever my boyfriend ordered...oh, yes chicken milanese, were lovely. Coffee Americanos (not really what we were served, but fine drip coffee nonetheless) to finish. Service is quite good and considerate, and they definitely have a fun time with things, which is very good. The manager looked a bit worried though, but maybe that's because we tend to dress like beggars and I continously picked things off my boyfriend's plate. Before tip: $89. (admittedly a splurge, but we enjoyed ourselves) March 25, 2007

La Pastaia
233 W. Santa Clara
San Jose, CA 95113|
408/286-8686
www.lapastaia.com
Rating: ***
On the ground floor of the remodeled De Anza Hotel, this is a fine place for a pre-Arena event (the San Jose Arena, or whatever they're calling it now, is four blocks away). For starters, I can recommend the spiedini (grilled prawns with argula) and melanzane (an eggplant Monte Cristo!). What sets this place apart from Spiedo is that they make an effort to update the presentation of classic Italian dishes. The carpaccio is served like a timbale, molded around the greens instead of laid out flat. Pizzas have a crisp, thin crust and excellent toppings, and the grilled items I've tried are well prepared. NOTE: check out the hotel bar, a spectacular mission style space. 09/2002

Went back for a friend's going-away dinner. I showed up about an hour late, so they'd already started on their appetizers. I had the last bite of the carpaccio, which thank god isn't done in that ridiculous mold anymore. Instead it's wrapped around some greens. I started with eggplant done three ways: grilled, in a capanata, and as a "truffle" (chopped and shaped into a ball with a crispy crust and deep fried. I loved this appetizer, especially since I ordered late and it came straight to the table piping hot. For the entree, almost all of us had the fish special, which was a trout split lengthwise with the skin on and rolled in out itself, then sauted to a crisp. The meat was juicy, although I don't know about leaving the skin on if it's not crisped (as in Japanese cooking). Finished with gingerbread with a compote (gingerbread was a little dry) and almond and coffee tart (the winner). Big dinner for four was about $180. 02/04

Piccolo Italia Pizza
799 O'Farrell St.
San Francisco, CA
415/409-3300
These guys are open until 3 a.m. Had the bar order two pizzas (pepperoni and sausage and mushroom with onion) at 12 midnight. Pizzas arrived about an hour later, fairly warm. Both were fine, but the amazing thing was the driver who brought them, who scared the crap out of both of us and managed to pull a U-turn on Harrison and accelerate backwards into a parking spot for no apparent reason. $23.33 before tip. Nov 23, 2008

Pizza Antica
334 Santana Row, near Stevens Creek Boulevard
San Jose, CA
408/557-8738
I went here with a friend of mine at his suggestion, mostly because I'm lactose intolerant and pizza isn't on the top of my list. Luckily, the pizzas here aren't terribly cheesy. The focus here isn't on piles of toppings, but on simple ingredients nicely prepared. I had the calzone and my friend had the sausage pizza. Both were fine. However, the standout was the deep fried artichoke hearts, which were piping hot, crispy, practically greaseless and utterly delicious. 05/2003

Il Postale
Type: Italian
Location: 127 W Washington Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Phone: (408) 733-9600
www.ilpostale.com
Rating: *
A small bistro across the street from the downtown Sunnyvale shopping mall. I've been here for lunch several times with mixed results. On my first visit, it was pleasant with okay food and fun service. The second time, service was extremely slow (they were swamped) and the food wasn't particularly good. This last time (April 2002) the food was inedible—do NOT order the crab cake sandwich, which has the consistency of insipid mashed potatos and no crab to speak of. I just ate the bread stuffed with some olives from the pasta salad side. 05/2002

Prima Ristorante
1522 North Main
Walnut Creek CA 94596
925/935-7780
www.primawine.com
Rating: Dinner ****
The meal comes second to the wine. Dependable classic Italian fare, although I've only been there twice for dinner.

Spiedo (San Jose location)
151 W. Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113
(408)971-6096
Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM, Dinner: Mon-Sun 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM
www.spiedo.com
Rating: ***
Dependable grilled meats, pizzas, and pastas in a fantastic two-story space (large main floor with a mezzanine). This is a first date place for me, since almost everyone can find something they like. Brick oven calzones and pizzas are a nice cold night treat, and the carpaccio is nicely done. Calimari fritti has been soggy the last two times I went. Ground floor booths offer exceptional peoplewatching, but can get a bit cool in the winter because of the enormous picture windows. When my boyfriend flew into a rage and stormed out in a huff, the waitstaff quietly removed his plate and came back with a takeout container for me to throw at him (elegant). The manager on the weekends is the sexiest daddy in town. 02/01

Updated 06/03: We ate here on a Sunday. Don't do it. The kitchen sent out a carpaccio appetizer that was obviously off. The meats are still done well, but overall it's a big risk.

Updated Jun 10, 2007: We went on a weeknight, which usually means you have any restaurant to yourself in San Jose. This was no exception. We had the insalata mista and carpaccio (the latter being an improvement over previous visits), and the anatra and a risotta special, both of which were fine. Again, this is a fine date restaurant but not a place to make a special trip for. Before tip: $54.40.

Spiedo (San Mateo location)
223 Fourth Ave., San Mateo, CA 94402
(650)375-0818
Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM, Dinner: Mon-Sun 4:30 PM - 10:30 PM
www.spiedo.com
Rating: ***
The more modest northern cousin of the San Jose Spiedo, but the food is a notch better, probably due to the smaller room. The calamari fritti and capaccio were perfect, as were the pasta entrees. I've eaten lunch here several times on the covered patio and dinner once. Valet parking out front. 02/2001

Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza
1072 Willow St.
San Jose, CA
408/971-7080
Rating: ***
A choice local spot for good Italian cooking in a jeans and T-shirt environment. Given the neighborhood, the T-shirt may be Prada, but it's still a T-shirt. Very nice pasta dishes and great pizzas. This is the original in a microchain. A small patio offers outdoor eating, but the bright interior is just as appealing.

Windy City Chicago Style Pizza
35 Bovet Rd.
San Mateo, CA
650/591-9457
Rating: *
Small chain with decent thick crust pizza. Order takeout and you'll find your pizzas swimming in grease by the time you get home. Eat it there.