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Get Across Town ... Americano

Written by Susan Dyer Reynolds, Northside Editor

Saturday, 30 April 2005

The new Hotel Vitale, a modern luxury hotel situated along the reinvigorated Embarcadero, features rooms with panoramic views, an easy walk to the Ferry Building and a penthouse spa where even your pooch can get a massage. Any hotel that pampers pets is my kind of place – hotels that don’t allow pets are like men who don’t like cats ... I don’t trust them. Along with offering an oasis to busy urbanites and their pets, the hotel is home to one of San Francisco’s hottest new restaurants, Americano, with a menu designed by prolific restaurateur Pascal Rigo. The setting is as impressive as the hotel itself, featuring antique pine and leather accents that evoke the feel of an exclusive hunting lodge. In a touch of whimsy, life-sized portraits of immigrants who’ve made their mark on San Francisco line the ceiling. The enhanced digital photographs – each museum-lit and in a gilded frame – reminded me of childhood visits to Disneyland’s Haunted House in a fun, eerie way, and I kept looking up to see if their eyes were moving. The menu utilizes fresh ingredients from the nearby Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Marketplace and focuses on northern California-influenced Italian cuisine. Standouts include a simple but spectacular green garlic broth with grilled peasant bread, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and a perfectly runny poached egg, and braised pork “bollito misto” that is comprised of tender country ribs and unctuous mouthwatering pork belly. Once you taste this dish you’ll wonder why pork belly is wasted making bacon – the meat is incredibly moist while the outside crackles under the broiler to produce a sort of gourmet pork rind. The thin crust of the baker’s pies smacks of Rigo’s influence – flaky and buttery, it’s more the consistency of a French tart than a pizza crust. We selected the roasted wild mushroom pie, topped with mozzarella, black trumpet and hedgehog mushrooms, sage, and shaved black truffles, which was heavenly and slightly addictive. For dessert, don’t miss the fried zeppole, Italian puffs reminiscent of beignets coated with orange sugar and served warm with chocolate/pistachio dipping sauce. An outdoor patio enhanced by an aromatherapy garden will be available for drinks and dining this summer. Americano: 8 Mission at the Hotel Vitale. (415) 278-3700.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 12 January 2008 )