This weekend I headed over to Noe Valley to take a peek at LA NEBBIA, the new enoteca, prosciutteria, and lasagneria from Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan of nearby local favorite La Ciccia. The room has a contemporary and clean look, with some fun overhead lights that look like octopi (one of the best dishes at La Ciccia, ha). Even though there are a lot of hard surfaces, Conti was quick to point out the special noise-reducing ceiling they have installed. He said the place was designed to be unpretentious and fun. There is room for 44 guests total, with 12-13 seats at the counter, plus there’s a communal table and two- and four-top tables. There are also plans for outdoor seating on the spacious sidewalk.
The thing that caught my eye is the large and gleaming double-deck oven, which the kitchen will be using to make pizzas and lasagne. Conti said there will be a traditional pizza on the menu (a margherita), but is excited about offering some different kinds, like one with speck, fresh mozzarella, D.O.P. Gorgonzola, and lemon zest ($15), and another with squid ink, fresh mozzarella, anchovies, sultanas, and pine nuts ($15). You can peek at the preliminary menu here.
Let’s talk about the lasagne, shall we? Uh-huh. There will be three kinds to start: a traditional one with ragù and béchamel; another with ricotta, pesto, and escarole; and an inventive one that Conti said is like a seafood puttanesca ($13-$15). Yes, get in my belly, all three of you.
Conti said not to expect a hard-line and traditionalist Italian approach to dishes—he wanted the food to have the flexibility to include inspiration from other areas. Most importantly, it all has to pair with wine! He is joined in the kitchen by Victor Harvey (previously the chef de cuisine at Padrecito, and prior to that, he was at Slanted Door) and Valerio Martorelli (he was a sous at Farina in 2010, and just came back from Italy).
There is also a fantastic selection of prosciutto, from San Daniele to Parma to domestic picks from La Quercia, and some jamón Ibérico too. Collect all 10! Also on the piggy tip: porchetta should be coming soon. Fresh cheeses range from burrata to stracciatella, all with special accompaniments.
Which brings us to the very important topic of the wine! Conti explained the wines come from the foggy regions of Italy (“la nebbia” means fog in Italian), so expect selections from the Veneto to Piemonte to Montalcino. There will be about 30 by the glass, and 20 sparkling wines or so on the list. Many of the wines are natural and from small producers with an eye on sustainability, and all will be food-friendly.
La Nebbia is soft opening on Thursday December 12th from 5pm-8pm, and will then start daily service that Friday. Hours will be Sun, Tue-Thu 5:30pm-10:30pm, and until 11pm Fri-Sat, closed Monday. 1781 Church St. at 30th St., 415-874-9924.
La Nebbia. Photo: © tablehopper.com.
