You know they’ve hit a winning formula in a city saturated with restaurants when the new kid on the block has lines out the door every night from the moment it opened three months ago. The new kid in question is SPQR, a back-to-basics Italian eatery recently opened by dynamite city chef duo Nate Appleman and Daniel Holzman. Appleman and Holzman are the brains behind the Marina District’s established favorite A16, and so discerning foodies regarded with interest this new venture that has opened in the gentrified but slightly less pretentious Pacific Heights. The pair must be breathing a sigh of relief, as despite the pressure, they have struck gold again. The secret? Simple Italian fare, quality ingredients and unusual flavor pairings all served amid an unpretentious setting.

SPQR is a firm nod to Roman cuisine (SPQR stands for the Latin phrase “Senate and the Roman People”), and it retains its Roman authenticity by ensuring that the food is the main driver rather than elements such as décor and wine that often do more to detract from the food rather than complement it. At SPQR, this is not the case. The wine list contains a perfect suitor for every menu item, and décor is refreshingly unpretentious, with dark wooden tables and chairs, plain walls with a few Italian advertising posters, and spacious chef’s bar. We sat at this bar, which gave us a firsthand view of the behind-the-scenes magic. As well as the chefs, everyone from our Sommelier to our waitress and hostess was a delight to deal with, making it clear that the staff is truly passionate about their mission to deliver good quality, discerning Italian food.

For starters, we chose three small plates: wild mushrooms and ricotta on bruschetta, a celery and tuna conserva salad, and fried cauliflower with Calabrian chilies. Each plate was so different, making it hard to pick a favorite, but the subtleness of the wild mushrooms set off by the light and fluffy ricotta narrowly won the race; the chili-infused, melt-in-your-mouth creamy cauliflower came a close second.

For entrees, it was pastas all round: spaghetti carbonara, and cannelloni of braised lamb, potato, tomato and pecorino. The pancetta in the carbonara melted like butter into the spaghetti, resulting in a gorgeously smooth taste that was both creamy and salty in equal parts. The only complaint I had was that the pancetta could have been more generously dished out. The lamb in the cannelloni was sublime and literally fell apart once in the mouth, while the tartness of the tomato and pecorino brought out its gamey flavor to perfection.

After all this, we thought we couldn’t possibly fit in anymore, but we soon changed our minds once we saw the dessert menu. Although tempted by delights such as panino with caramelized milk, pears, chocolate and sea salt, and almond-milk granite topped with unsweetened coffee-flavored cream, we finally settled on the luscious chocolate panna cotta with walnut paste and slices of persimmon to add a hint of sweetness. It was a good idea to share, since although delicious, it was extremely rich and possibly too much for one person.

Overall, SPQR takes an uncluttered, unfussy approach to the oft-oversaturated genre of Italian restaurants in the city. If it’s rustic food with original flavors you’re after, this is a solid bet. SPQR is the long-awaited addition to A16, and as people in line each night will tell you, this gem in the heart of San Francisco is definitely worth the wait.

SPQR
1911 Fillmore Street
San Francisco CA 94115
Tel: (415) 771-7779
www.spqrsf.com

-Written by Catherine Parker (cathparker@gmail.com)

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