"The front window of Sodini’s Green Valley Restaurant in North Beach tells you immediately what it doesn’t have: “No decaf, no reservations, no desserts, and no exceptions.” But what the dinner-only Italian spot does have is solid pasta dishes served in huge portions. Prioritize the linguini seafood, a glossy tangle of noodles slicked in a tomato cream sauce and mixed with enough mussels, shrimp, and calamari to place them all on an endangered species list. If you have room, try any of the soft and squishy gnocchi, too. Just feel free to skip the pizzas, which tend to be soggy. Walking in is typically easy on weekdays—the dark dining room is tightly packed and loud, so if you require a place to slurp in quiet, ask for a seat on their covered parklet." - Patrick Wong
