FRIDAY FIVE
Up until the 1906 earthquake, the North Beach we know now was just a beach acting as a landfill. The natural disaster paved the way for a new shoreline with new land to be inhabited. That’s when Italian immigrants found a home here, bringing their influence that still exists in the architecture and delicious Italian food.
The neighborhood is still dotted with both new and storied eateries. And while some of them still serve some of the best Italian food in the city, it’s not the only area where you can find a good bowl of pasta. Of course, pasta is delicious in all its forms, but spaghetti-and-meatballs is a classic and timeless dish that, despite its simplicity, can be specialized in a variety of ways. If you’re craving this comfort food, we suggest the following spots in San Francisco.
1. Italian Homemade Company
This Italian eatery in North Beach lives by one very important mantra: “Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Certainly the chefs at Italian Homemade Company know a thing or two about magic, as their pasta dishes veer into the realm of magical. This quick-service restaurant (you order at the counter) got its start in 2014 and is run by husband and wife co-owners Mattia Cosmi and Alice Romagnoli. Today, it has three locations across the Bay Area in addition to the one in North Beach: Cow Hollow, Berkeley and Hayes Valley, its newest one. Here you can choose your desired pasta—for example, fettucine, tagliatelle, and papperdelle à la your favorite sauce—allowing yourself to get a little creative with the usual spaghetti-and-meatballs dish. However, if that is what you’re after, consider choosing either tagliatelle or pappardelle and the meatball sauce for $14.
716 Columbus Avenue (North Beach)| italianhomemadecompany.com
2. Barzotto
Located in the heart of the Mission, Barzotto is another quick-service Italian eatery that hit the food scene in 2016, and lines have been forming out the door ever since. Chef Michelle Minori (previously at the helm at Flour + Water and a former Top Chef contestant) is the brains behind the menu, which includes six pasta choices and a curated selection of salads, main courses and ice cream for dessert. The pasta is the true star—especially the classic spaghetti-and-meatballs dish, made with extra-long noodles as well as pork and turkey meatballs.
1270 Valencia Street (Mission)| barzotto.com
3. Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack
The name says it all. This Bernal Heights eatery is quite literally a spaghetti shack and a little slice of heaven for San Franciscans who really love the dish. Emily Kaplan opened the shack in 2000 when she was 24, pregnant and when tiny spaces in Bernal Heights were still reasonably affordable. Her love for spaghetti has kept people lining up ever since. The shanty ambiance alone is worth a visit. Its vibe is reminiscent of an old, grungy San Francisco, with strings of Christmas lights hanging next to cracked vinyl booths (hence the shack-like, low-key atmosphere). The menu, which changes each season, is hand-drawn by Kaplan too. Spaghetti and meatballs here have no frills, which, ironically, makes it more charming in today’s frill-filled city. For $16.75, a customer can get a huge serving of spaghetti and three big meatballs, which are 100 percent beef, topped with parsley and cheese.
3230 Mission Street (Bernal Heights)| emmysspaghettishack.com
4. Delfina
Known around the Bay for its pizza, Delfina is also famous among regulars for its delicious spaghetti dish. While this one does not come with meatballs, carnivores won’t necessarily feel as if this dish is incomplete, because it’s just as good without. The spaghetti is served with plum tomatoes, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and pepperoncini and is the restaurant’s most popular dish. Delfina has been around for nearly 21 years and has three locations in San Francisco: its original location in the Mission, Pacific Heights and downtown. Customers can chow down on Delfina’s spaghetti for $16.
3621 18th Street (Mission) | pizzeriadelfina.com
5. Starbelly
Starbelly, located in the Castro, is known for its wide range of comfort food, such as pizza, steak and burgers, but spaghetti remains one of their most beloved dishes. The food at this eatery has been appropriately described as “Cal-Italian food.” This is certainly reflected in their spaghetti dish. Here spaghetti is topped with bacon, jalapeños, tomato sauce and basil for $15. No meatballs are included, but the bacon makes for a great substitute. Starbelly has been dishing up its spaghetti since 2009 and is run by Deborah Blum and Adriano Paganini, the brains behind the Mission pizza spot Beretta.
3583 16th Street (Castro)| starbellysf.com
