Milan-born chef Adriano Paganini, 33, had a passion for pasta and the desire to bring some of Italy's tastiest dishes to the masses. He opened the first branch of Pasta Pomodoro on Chestnut Street, in the Marina District in 1994 -- since then, Pasta Pomodoro has become a small, but vibrant, chain with a about 15 restaurants in the Bay Area (seven in San Francisco).
Pasta Pomodoro doesn't look or feel like a chain. The staff is warm and welcoming, and genuinely cares about the freshness of the ingredients and making customers feel like they're in a neighborhood spot.
Out of 15 pasta dishes to choose from, some good bets are the cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta with chunks of roast chicken, cream sauce, cremini mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes; a tangy penne puttanesca, with capers, olives, anchovies, and chili flakes; or the frutti di mare, a dish of spaghetti with mussels, scallops, calamari, roasted garlic, tomatoes and white wine.
For starters, the spinach salad with peppered walnuts, ricotta salata, pancetta, and red onions, in a mildly sweet dressing, is a stand-out. There's also a tortellini soup, with sliced, braised beef and spinach in a savory meat broth; and the classic caprese with fresh mozzarella.
Their sandwiches come on grilled sourdough, with soup or salad. Fillings include homemade sausage meatballs, grilled chicken with fontina, and portobello mushroom with grilled eggplant.
Desserts are simple and good: tiramisu; semifreddo (a wedge-shaped cappuccino ice cream cake with almonds and chocolate sauce); panna cotta, a velvety vanilla bean custard served over red berries and marinated in lemon and grappa; and ricotta and mascarpone cheesecake with toasted pine nuts and a berry puree.
Savvy
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hundreds of no-cost and low-cost pleasures that include concerts, plays,
museum exhibitions and tours throughout all five boroughs......more
Swissotel Chicago Hotel compares well with the 209 hotels in the city. An
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Overlooking Lake Michigan Swissotel Chicago can be found at 323 E. Wacker
Dr. Quaint and comfortable guestrooms .... more
