Now open on Mission Street is Annie and Craig Stoll’s PIZZERIA DELFINA DOWNTOWN in the former A.G. Ferrari space. I went by for a Sunday lunch, and it was busy with downtown shoppers, in spite of the monsoon-like weather conditions. There’s no stopping people from getting their pizza, am I right?
The space has 46 seats, divided between a dining area and another that feels more like a wine bar (with bright Pizzeria Delfina yellow seats)—and there are 14 seats at a counter too. Outdoor seating will have room for 22, we just need some nice weather to return. Envelope A+D is behind the design, which feels airy, simple, and clean, with white tile, California black walnut, concrete, modern lighting, and a fun mural by Shawn Bullen, which offers a playful spin on the classic Bay of Naples mural you see in all Neapolitan pizzerias, except this is about SF.
The menu includes their classic antipasti, like the chilled tripe (the best!), plus seasonal vegetables, and a few salads (the menu is updated weekly on Wednesdays), and then you can take your pick between red and white pies, 13 in all. We opted for one of each, and both were some of my favorite pasta dishes as pizza: carbonara (with guanciale, egg, pecorino, scallions, black pepper) and amatriciana (guanciale, chile, tomato, pecorino, black pepper)—both were $19 each. The pies had a fantastic and flavorful crust: so thin and crisp in the middle, with the perfect balance of bite and chew.
We also tried one of chef de cuisine Madison Montoto’s pasta dishes: burnt flour orecchiette, with broccoli rabe pesto, fennel sausage, and the rustic addition of ceci beans—what a hearty and delicious dish ($19). You can also opt for their meatballs, chicken alla diavola, and there was a special of mussel fettunta ($22).
Save room for dessert since they have Double 8 Dairy soft-serve (the California Street location just started serving it too!), which is made with creamy buffalo milk. I went for a swirl of fior di latte and chocolate ($6) and it was a dream.
The wine list is pretty extensive—you have a bunch of choices by the glass (both Italian and Californian) from wine director Sally Kim, and be sure to look at the two special wines for Pizzeria Delfina from Scribe and De Conciliis. There are seven beers on tap, and some non-alcoholic options as well. Hours are now Mon-Sun 11:30am-10pm and Sun 11:30am-9pm. 688 Mission St. at 3rd St., 415-286-9426.
Open today is ~SOUVLA~’s fourth location (the first opened in 2014). They are now in the Marina and it’s their most beautiful location yet, with a 16-foot ceiling, a recessed entrance allowing for a mix of indoor and covered/heated outdoor seating, a standing communal bar, a 400-square-foot dining room anchored around an eight spit Rotisol rotisserie with vintage brass and copper accents, a plant installation by Talc Studio, and black-and-white portraits from Greece. There’s a to-go window for easy pick-up as well, which they know will come in handy when people are heading to Crissy Field, and with all the Caviar delivery they will have in the neighborhood.
You know the menu well: rotisserie-roasted, quality meats, wrapped in warm, fluffy pita bread or in seasonal salads with Greek yogurt sauces, and Greek frozen yogurt for dessert. Open daily 11am-10pm. 2272 Chestnut St. at Scott.
One more expansion: it looks like THE LITTLE CHIHUAHUA is opening in the former Myconos on Polk Street (current locations include the Lower Haight, Mission, and Noe Valley). Hoodline says to look for a springtime opening. 1431 Polk St. at California.
The new Pizzeria Delfina Downtown. Photo: Elena Graham.
