See Us Eat: Fantastic Italian at Bar Bambino, San Francisco, CA

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fantastic Italian at Bar Bambino, San Francisco, CA

Our friend E, who doesn't like the best tomato soup ever at Jeanty at Jack's, steered us right this time by suggesting Bar Bambino. We got a table without a reservation, pretty much immediately. But I think we were lucky, since the couple who walked in after us were told there'd be an hour and a half wait. The staff was friendly. The food was delicious and while not cheap, certainly not too expensive either. The atmosphere was so lively for a Thursday night you almost forgot we are in the middle of a recession.

Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Fresh Ricotta and Parmasan $9.50
These were incredible. They were light and crispy and opened up to a plentiful and lush filling. The lemon introduced the perfect amount of acidity.

Small Salumi Plate $13
5 types of house-cured salumi, all of which were delicious.

Pappardelle with Braised Rabbit $14.50
The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce had a lot of the tender rabbit in it, which was a pleasant surprise.

Potato Croquettes $5
These were billed as Italian "tater-tots" and they were the only stinker of the night. Although the flavor was nice, they should have been smaller, crispier and served with a dipping sauce of some sort. Still, we ate them all.