Sociale

Sociale is a charming Italian spot tucked away in an alley on Sacramento Street. It’s a real neighborhood gem, the kind of place I like to take my mom for lunch and quiet conversation, or for a romantic dinner with my husband.

I remember the first time I ate here, years ago. As I walked down the dimly lit path, I wondered if a decent restaurant could really exist somewhere beyond the little shops lining the way. But, as soon as I got a glimpse of pretty courtyard patio, I breathed a big sigh of relief and knew it was going to be okay. And it was. Service was professional, the food was memorable – I fondly recall ultra-fresh papardelle pasta and refreshing house made lemonade with mint – and it felt as if I were on a mini Italian getaway.

Every visit since then has been enjoyable. They have a carefully selected, ever-changing wine list primarily consisting of Northern Italian varieties. The menu is divided into the four C’s: commence, continue, concentrate and complement. To start, there are tasty items like lamb meatballs with pancetta and juniper berries, and grilled peach and frisee salad with goat cheese, candied walnuts and dried cherry balsamic vinaigrette.

Next, there are a variety of rich and comforting house made pasta dishes including cinnamon braised wild boar ravioli with brown sage butter for dinner, and papardelle with braised duck, porcini mushrooms, peas and truffle oil for lunch or dinner. If you’re looking for more protein, move on to the next section of the menu and try the brick chicken with pecorino potato tort and glazed baby carrots, or the pan roasted pork chop with apple, endive lemon and thyme. You can order a handful of things on the side like polenta fries with parsley and parmigiano reggiano.

A nice selection of cheeses and house made sweets finish the meal. Vanilla bean panna cotta, flourless chocolate cake with pine nut mousse, and meyer lemon semifreddo are a few.

The key to this cafe is the setting. It’s a very quaint indoor/outdoor place that serves dainty dishes in a quiet setting. Perfect for a date.