GIALINA - Tried and True

I went to a book signing for my blogger mentor, Dianne Jacob, Saturday August 21, at Omnivore Books in Noe Valley in San Francisco. The book, Will Write For Food, is the second edition, which contains the new, meaty chapter on food blogging. As the event wrapped, I asked the bookshop owner, Celia, where my friend and I might eat in the neighborhood. Without hesitation she said, "Gialina! And try the salads!" O.k!

They didn't know Four Eyes was coming, so one of the waitresses told us it'd be a 10 minute wait, or would we like to sit at the bar. Then another woman, a manager, intervened and ushered us two to a table for four--well done.. As I settled into my chair in the well lighted, airy space, I noticed a lot of smiling, well behaved children, and a lot of smiling adults -- eating salads. O.k., I get it. Salad.


The music was a little edgy and a little loud. To maintain momentum in the kitchen, no doubt. When I looked at the menu, however, the music ceased to be a problem for me. Salads and  pizza in unusual combinations. In Will Write For Food Dianne Jacob outlines some of the 'rules' for restaurant reviewing, and I took one to heart this day -- try something you don't like. I don't like beets. So, for starters I had the beet salad with green goddess dressing.

I closed my eyes and winced as I brought the fork to my mouth and then.... The beets were incredible! A little kid would love these, thought the big kid. They tasted somewhat pickled, but the sweet still predominated, and they were firm and meaty against the crunch of the fresh lettuce. The dressing was a perfectly measured compliment. I followed this with the mini meatballs, which were authentically Sicilian in fragrance and taste, with just a hint of fennel through the marinara and aged asiago and parmesan. And five of them were just enough; cut in half and savored, I was practically done, except to taste my friend's pancetta pie with a farmer's egg and her stuffed squash blossoms.

Here was the STAR! ***** The squash blossom stuffed with ricotta cheese on a bed of cherry tomatoes. Five '0s' on the Four Eyes rating scale. Whoooooa! This was amazing. No oil sodden frying here. No. It was one light, melt - in- your - mouth, delicate mass of creamy goodness.  And the aioli provided just that nano second of pucker. If I was a professional restaurant reviewer, I would return often to order just this dish and check on the kitchen's consistency. My guess is that it never disappoints. 


We didn't have room, but the table next to us had their to-go boxes ready and were launching into a dessert pizza, which was so cute I suddenly realized why all these children were smiling. Because if they ate their beets they'd get a chocolate pizza, with ice cream, for dessert! I get it! What a strategy, what staging setting these kids up! Wouldn't it you? Look!

Gialina pizzeria

2842 Diamond Street

San Francisco, CA 94131

(415) 239-8500

gialina.com