Openings: Molto Italiano
A pair of high-profile much-anticipated Italian restaurants were recently added to our vast menubase. Ducca is a swanky "urban Italian eatery" with a lounge area in SoMa's Westin Hotel. The interior has been described as "plush" yet the menu is fairly traditional, complete with an entire category of cicheti.
Also south of Market, albeit a little more south, lies Farina. Situated in an up-and-coming area of the Mission (18th between Valencia and Guerrero), Farina labels itself as a "Focacceria & Cucina Italiana" and has the menu itmes to prove it. However, reviews have been mixed, as diners aren't exactly embracing the prices, which do seem a bit high for the Mission:
We just had dinner and I have to strongly agree with the majority, what a joke !! They would have done just fine maybe in the Castro but Delfina (& Pizzaria) and Range have nothing to worry about...We had the white fish carpaccio, cheese foccacia and a pasta with walnut cream sauce ...It was good, not great and the cost was $50 for those three courses only...For that much money I expected the food to be fantastic and it just wasn't...Nothing was seasonal that we could tell, the bread was good but the foccacia was greasy. With the Bay Area Italian choices of Oliveto, Incanto, Quince, A16 and Delfina- there is no comparison.The jury, naturally, is still out on Farina, but let's just say things ain't looking so hot.
In other news, everyone's favorite culinary academy is offering a shiny new summer menu at Educated Palate (get it?), and Levende's success in the Mission has allowed it to open a second branch in Oakland, appropriately named Levende East.
Finally, Welcome Home has closed and Columbus Ave stalwart Andrew Jaeger's will soon follow suit. It's a tough one, that restaurant business.
