Charming New Italian Restaurant Ofena Opens Near Stonestown Galleria | Eater SF

"Located in the former Lakeside Cafe at 2529 Ocean Avenue, I found Ofena to be a family-focused Italian restaurant opened by restaurateur Tan Truong with executive chef Tim Humphrey to help activate the neighborhood and give locals a comfortable place to dine slowly and feel pampered. Humphrey, who drew on personal ties to the town of Ofena in Italy and his mother's handwriting for the restaurant, crafted a menu of comforting classics and seasonal dishes: carrozza (a nod to mozzarella sticks' origins) served with a spicy marinara; an heirloom-squash giardiniera folded with onion mostarda and ricotta salata; spaghetti alla chitarra with an overnight beef sugo, Italian sausage, and meatballs; and a reimagined bistecca Fiorentina served as pork with a fennel-seed gremolata and charred lemon, with contorni options like soft polenta with truffle mascarpone or grilled broccolini. Desserts by Cathleen Li of Oui Oui Macaron include a nontraditional chocolate tiramisu, a spumoni sundae made with Double Eight Dairy buffalo milk, and a seasonal strawberry-and-cream cannoli. Beverage director Michael McCardle contributes inventive cocktails such as the Capri 33 (a clarified sheep’s-milk punch with heirloom melons, grappa, basil, and aged white balsamic) and the C is for Cookie (Mr. Black, mint cordial, cold brew, and Speculoos cookie whipped cream), alongside approachable Italian and California wines that emphasize female winemakers and beer options. On opening weekend the room felt like the neighborhood's new living room—locals spotting friends at the bar, buying glasses for acquaintances, and settling into the warm, community-gathering atmosphere the team set out to create." - Dianne de Guzman