L'osteria Del Forno

04/12/11

Delicious simple Italian food

by foodie0802 at Citysearch

just LOVE this place! If you are looking for simple, delicious Italian food, this is the place to go. We heard good reviews about this place so my husband and I decided to give it a try. We almost missed the place because it is tiny but OMG you feel like you are in Italy!! It feels like visiting your relatives (even though you are not Italian :-) and seat a table with family-cooked, very tasty Italian dishes! The owner told me that they cook everything in their oven.

Now, we go with our daughter because she loves the thin crust pizza; which is very convenient because you can order pizza by the slice for small stomachs :-) My favorite dish is the polenta with gorgonzola - to die for! And my husband (a meat guy) is in love with their pork roast.

We've tried other Italian restaurants in North Beach, more expensive and the food was no better...

09/12/10

Owner is a B.....

by sheriekoch at Citysearch

Owner is a B...... My husband and I couldn't decide on a main dish to share, so the waitress offered some "marinara" sauce on the side. It was delicious, but we didn't realize it was made from "gold". When I asked for some more, the owner bawled me out like she was my mother. She also charged us $5 for the 4 T. of "marinara" that the waitress had brought us. Unbelievable!! She turned what was a wonderful meal into a BAD experience. I will never go there again, and I am telling consierge never to recommend it to anyone.

11/04/09

Worst meal I have ever had in San Francisco

by LyndaJ at Citysearch

The wait staff was surly and appeared quite bothered to wait on customers. The pasta Bolognese made me wish for a frozen dinner, a frozen dinner offers more food too! If you only accept cash, perhaps they should make note of that prior to presenting the check. They do have a sense of humor, they thought they deserved a 20% tip! Stay away!

• Pros: location
• Cons: service and food

10/04/09

A taste experience not to be missed

by davidB at Citysearch

They make such a perfect thin-crusted pizza that since I first discovered them 15 years ago I've had a hard time bringing myself to tour the menu. Due to the tiny kitchen size, they can't get city approval for any cooking devices but the pizza oven, and their entire repertoire is a function of that odd constraint. They do amazing things with au gratin and roasted vegetables.

The wine list is put together by a schizophrenic. Right now (late 09) I'd recommend the 06 LaGrein from Hofstatter.

Warning: if you want basil on your Margherita, you have to ask. I park in Chinatown and walk 4 blocks.

• Pros: they do a lot with so little
• Cons: parking, wine

11/03/08

Can't Beat this Food for the Money

by SusanRS at Citysearch

Afraid that their being listed in Zagat might have changed things, we went back to our favorite Italian food restaurant not knowing what we'd find. Everything is as it was when we left it - the food, the wine and the prices are all exactly like we remembered. Great food, especially great prices and brisk, but accommodating service. If you like Olive Garden, don't take up space in this restaurant, please! This is so much more than a chain restaurant could ever be. Obscure and delicious menu items make the dining experience unforgettable. We loved the Belgian endive wrapped in Speck, roasted. The roasted beef appetizer with porcini mushrooms was a perfect starter. But we're still talking about the superb milk roasted pork! Simply awesome.

• Pros: Great food at great prices.
• Cons: Tiny space.