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Provided by Citysearch
0 stars
Posted by LisaV833 on 05/18/2009
Nasty owners/managers.
Giovanni, who i was told is the owner, completely bad mouthed us in Italian thinking we didn't understand what he was saying.
I also heard him call one of the hostesses a Bi### and misstreating another employee.
I think miserable people who treat others like this don't deserve my business or yours no matter how good the food might be.
what an a##!
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Provided by Citysearch
Great gnocci & sausage ravioli
Posted by wavewriter on 09/04/2008
My Italian-American boyfriend & I went here on a whim one afternoon for a late lunch because Cafe Sport wasn't open yet. We were drawn in by the atmosphere, a glance at the menu & available sidewalk seating. I don't usually just walk in to a place like this, but we were pleasantly surprised. Started with the calamari. The marinara sauce was delectably spiced, the calamar lightly breaded, not greasy. We ordered the gnocci with gorgonzola cream sauce (me) & the sausage-stuffed raviolis with mushroom sauce (my bf). Both pastas came with a salad starter. Once we realized that the salad mixta was not dressed (a bit odd), added our own balsamic vinegar & olive oil, & lots of salt & pepper, it was quite nice. We also had bread to dip in the BV and EVOO.
The gnocci were really nice. They were light & virtually melted in my mouth. My BF, when he tried them, said they were "almost as good as his nonas" - high praise indeed. His raviolis were actually the better of the two. I don't usually eat meat, but I might make an exception for this. The aroma wafting off his plate told me immediately that they would be good. The mushroom sauce combined with the perfectly seasoned sausage stuffing were to die for. The pasta itself was, I believe, a tomato pasta, which my BF usually does not go for, but he enjoyed this one just fine and he is a very picky eater, Overall a lovely meal, on a lovely day in the city.
As far as drinks go, I asked the very attentive (but not overly so) waiter for a recommendation and he proffered a lovely Sauvignon Blanc, which complimented the gnocci perfectly. A glass of Pinot to finish & he bill came to $97, including tip.
My main criticism is that the bread was dry and tasteless and, for me, good bread is a MUST (hence the 4 stars instead of 5). I didn't even go inside the restaurant, so I have nothing to say about the interior atmosphere. Bottom line, this place is worth trying & I will return.
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Provided by Citysearch
take away the italian flag from this restaurant
Posted by toninoilbello on 08/21/2008
I am italian from Siena and i write for an important italian news paper called "Il Messaggero"di Roma,i use to go in the restaurants or wine bars to see how those people in the foreing countries use to lie about the italian kitchen and the mediterranean diet,well i have never seen in my life a restaurant worst then this trattoria pinocchio,from when we have came in on the 15 of august for lunch at 12,30 and the owner was sleepping on the chair outside the patio for the pasta prepared before and then just boiled again few minutes after our order and the little ants walking under our table,closer the door ,and don't forget the wines italian unkown labels at too hight or too low temperature,don't ask me about the bread,and to finish when the owner has realized that we were from italy he has said that we can also pay by cash and lower price,is this waht you can give to your citizen for italian restaurant?
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Provided by Citysearch
Terrible Food. Only went for Peroni on Tap. Good People Watching.
Posted by goodfellaNW on 08/16/2008
First off, the food. Terrible. Typical NYC / SF Little Italy Tourist Trap. Don't go here for food. It is only Italian by name and by the host / wait staff that either are Italian or do a fine job pretending to be Italian.
Peroni. Great Peroni on Tap served in nice glassware. Great for a warm (or non-foggy) day.
People Watching. This is North Beach after all, so you can't really get this wrong. But, it is located in a great spot in North Beach and if you get an outside table on Columbus, you are in for a treat, for some good ol' SF crazies.
But, it is only worth 2 stars because as far as an Italian restaurant goes, terrible. Well, if you would give your local Olive Garden 3 stars, then this place deserves 4. But, i give O.G. 1, so this place gets 2.
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I dined here a few nights ago ...
Posted by Tmax_Rider on 08/01/2008
I dined here a few nights ago with a couple friends from out of town. We sat outside on the Columbus st part of the restaurant, watching the many tourists and vehicles go by. The pizzas and drinks were great, very easy to share one between two people. The waiters seemed very busy with all the guest so we weren't checked on every five minutes, which was fine by me since i prefer the company of my friends. It was a great experience and I'm sure i'll come back for more.
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The Real Deal!!!
Posted by lunabella99 on 07/30/2008
If you’re looking for the real deal, delicious, homemade, authentic Italian food, look no further than Trattoria Pinocchio! I have had many friends and family refer me to Trattoria Pinocchio and I finally went for the first time a couple months ago and it's now my favorite Italian restaurant by far! I live down the peninsula about 40 minutes south, but it's definitely worth the drive! I now refer everyone I talk to, to this fabulous restaurant. Not only is the food out of this world delicious, but the decor is beautiful Tuscan inspired and ambiance is fun and inviting! The prices are reasonable as well...especially for the quality of the food. Let me tell you I have eaten at many other Italian restaurants in North Beach over the years with comparable prices and by far Trattoria Pinocchio takes the cake...or should I say tiramisu...which by the way they make homemade and it is extraordinary! My favorite dish is the home made Italian sausage ravioli with the porcini cream sauce...yum!!!
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AMAZING
Posted by schrockie on 07/29/2008
I stumbled upon this place three years ago and will make any excuse to go back. The restaurant is flat out beautiful. there's indoor and heated outdoor seating, a variety of italian music playing in the background, not to mention to full bar and big screen tv to watch some REAL football. I was surprised that a lot of the pastas are made at the restaurant and thoroughly impressed with their fluffy potato gnocchi. Their veal lasagna had me thinking about my mom's cooking, homemade and full of love. Also they have a special menu that changes every two weeks or so. The waiters are always friendly, polite, and most usually foreign eye candy as well ;) Their wine list is huge, and while it can be intimidating, the wait staff is more than happy to help you in selecting the perfect wine to suit your meal, whether that be a premium pasta dish, a specialty pizza, or even a tender veal dish. There's something for everyone and hopefully you're lucky enough to hear the owner sing Italian ballads.
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Provided by Citysearch
Italian staples executed perfectly
Posted by tlorenz on 07/06/2008
Even though this place can be tourist filled, that shouldn't take anything away from the fact that the atmosphere is great, it's clean, and the food is satisfying and delicious. I came here with the family and had a huge bowl of spaghetti puttanesca, which had the anchovy flavor I was looking for, and the service was extremely proactive. About a year later I was here during the evening on a date, and the ambiance was great: we were seated inside by the front window which overlooked columbus, candles on the table and everything. The server was italian and charming and the food (we both had ravioli) was rich and savory. I plan on taking my next group of tourist friends here.
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so so at best
Posted by vectorbob on 06/12/2008
Sat inside as it was too cold to sit out. Had Caesar's salad to start. It was good but not outstanding. Had linguine with clams and mussels, asked them to make it with spaghetti rather than linguine. My wife had the Osso Bucco.
My linguini arrived (not spaghetti as I asked) it was nothing more than OK. There was hardly any pasta and the clam/ mussel sauce was somewhat bland (more garlic!!!)
My wife's Osso Bucco was good not great. After a bottle of wine and no dessert $100.
Won't go back, there are too many others that have to be better.
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Provided by Citysearch
Cute restaurant
Posted by miriam110 on 04/26/2008
My girlfriend and I went to this restaurant and fell in love. Its a cute little place with an authentic italian feel to it. Most employees there are italian even our server who also could not understand our order but it was more amusing than bothersome. We conversed with the manager who came to make sure we got the drink we wanted. The cooks sing to themselves as they prepare the food, which is AWSOME by the way. I had chicken parmesan which was very moist and delicious while my girlfriend had the gnocci, which she said was tasty as well. The drinks were interesting and they also served us a complementary drink at the end. The bill came to around $50 and it was well worth it.
