54 Mint Plz

Doesn't Recommend

guidobob

Joined 5 years ago

Inedible, Horrible Food. Stay Away !!. We were downstairs, 10 couples, for a celebration dinner. We had preselected three starter and entree course choices. The octopus appetizer was overcooked and not edible. The house meatballs were nothing special, and the salad was decent. Now, for the Rigatoni Carbonara, what a Joke, it made Olive Garden look Gourmet, It was the saddest pasta dish I have seen or tasted in 25+ years. The fresh fish of the day was just O.K. and the Lamb dish was a disaster. I do not understand what occurred here, but if this place is in business 12 months from now, then San Francisco is not the dining mecca I remember it to be? I guess I am spoiled by Venticello. Ps. We went on to Sonoma the next day and our meal at: El Dorado Kitchen was excellent!!

Doesn't Recommend

lguerriero

Joined 3 years ago

Great Food, Good Atmosphere, Bad Service. Well first I would like to say that it's just confusing to name a restaurant 54 Mint when the address is actually 14 Mint.

This quaint restaurant, hidden in a dark alley had very good food; however, the gnocchi and tiramasu were not the best I've ever had. I've found better of both in North Beach. I would like to say that one benefit of this place is you can avoid the annoyance of sleezy servers like those at Steps of Rome, but the server was mildly creepy.

The biggest problem with this restaurant was that they only had one server on a Saturday night. Service was SO slow, we had to pour our own wine and it took 30 minute after our entire party had arrived for them to take our orders. After taking forever to serve us, they rushed us out the door as soon as we had paid. They actually asked us to leave.

All in all the food was good but I don't recommend this place for first dates or if you have any time restrictions.

Recommends

Patrick Heig

Joined 5 years ago

Authentic Italian, charming hosts and rustic-chic atmosphere. The powder white walls, gray marble, and gleaming subway tiles at this Italian restaurant form a minimalist backdrop for old-world touches like jars of sea salt, earthenware jugs imported from Umbria and artisanal foods, giving it modern-yet-rustic, homey-yet-hip New York feel. The food is simple, ancient-recipe Italian (think house-made, hand-rolled organic pastas prepared al dente; juicy sea bass baked under a pile of sea salt and dressed simply with lemon and olive oil; and tender, paper-thin octopus Carpaccio). Many of the ingredients are literally old--20-year-old balsamic vinegar, 3-year-aged parmesan, Iberian jamon cured for over a year--and all are exceptionally good. Speaking of aged, in a city where many of the top restaurants are run by tattooed 28-year-olds, there's something reassuring about the seasoned crew of jovial, salt-and-pepper-haired Italians who run this place. Service isn't precise, but the warmth of the hosts provides a familial feel that's more rewarding than fine-dining anyway.