pretty by the bay

Cross another one off the list of restaurants I need to try before my bun exits her oven. Corey and I recently joined our friends Sharon and Will for a meal at Farina, which focuses on Northern Italian cuisine. I’ve always wanted to try Farina, and was even more intrigued when my friend Francesca – a proud Italian – told me it’s the only place she’ll go for pasta in San Francisco. Everything is made in house, and many ingredients are imported from Italy for a truly authentic experience.

The above photo highlights one of Farina’s most famous dishes: Mandilli di seta al pesto, hand made handkerchief pasta with Genovese basil pesto. This was my first experience with handkerchief pasta, which is exactly as it sounds – long, thin, fabric-like sheets that drape across the plate. It was tender and delicious, a perfect vehicle for Farina’s famous pesto. They only use pine nuts imported from Italy, and the silky texture is unlike any other pesto I’ve tried. It was as if the pine nuts completely disintegrated into the olive oil.

Knowing that this dainty dish would satisfy my tastebuds but leave my stomach yearning for more, Corey and I shared an appetizer – Prosciutto di San Daniele, burrata e focaccina, San Daniele prosciutto served with burrata cheese over lightly fried focaccina.

What is better than a plate of slightly sweet, slighty crispy focaccia? A plate of slightly sweet, slightly crispy focaccia covered with thinly sliced prosciutto and creamy, salty burrata cheese. If you’ve never tried burrata, it can only be described as the most delicate and flavorful mozzarella you will ever taste. It’s usually served cold, but has a slightly gooey consistency reminiscent of melty cheese.

While I overwhelmingly preferred my pasta to Corey’s, I have to give his dish an honorable mention for a) the inclusion of truffles, and b) the intriguing sauce Farina described as a white bolognese.This incorporated several meats into a light, broth-like sauce that was deliciously different from traditional tomato-based bolognese.The gnocchi-like pasta was fairly substantial to stand up to the rich sauce.

I can see why Francesca considers Farina the best Italian restaurant in San Francisco. The food is indeed special, and I’d imagine it’s pretty authentic given the handmade pasta and extensive use of fine Italian ingredients. But if you plan to dine there, let me prepare you for a bit of sticker shock. The food is quite expensive, even for SF. While the quality somewhat justifies the cost, I don’t see myself going back any time soon. It was fun while it lasted, Farina!