"Sure, it might not feel like SF needs yet another Italian restaurant. The truth is, Che Fico (pronounced “kay-feeco”) is anything but. It also happens to be one of the hardest tables in the city to land right now. GP went when it first opened, and it continues to live up to the hype, down to its Instagram-friendly design details—a chevron-tile-lined entryway, a fire-engine-red pizza oven, and a boldly wallpapered stairway. Chef David Nayfeld and fellow Eleven Madison Park alum and pastry chef Angela Pinkerton have assembled a menu that’s at once familiar but also masterful, meaning it’s all really good and leans heavily on local California produce. Pastas (orchiette with fennel sausage and broccoli rabe, goat’s milk ricotta gnudi with ramps) are handmade, and the pizzas are oven-charred and finished with Parmigiano Reggiano. Everything is meant to be shared, and dishes pour out of the kitchen as they’re ready, so you should just go for it and order everything that strikes your fancy. For dessert, it’s a toss-up between the olive oil cake with elderflower ice cream and the bittersweet chocolate pudding. Photos: Douglas Friedman and Krescent Carasso."
