"Near the front door of this North Beach restaurant are the words “No reservations, no decaf, no dessert, no exceptions.” But what this longstanding spot does have are great pasta and small plates. Start with the zingy bruschetta that will make you sweat a little and then get the massive portion of seafood linguine to share—any other pasta dish is a safe bet too. The small dining room gets loud even at half capacity so ask for a seat in the parklet if you want to slurp in quiet." - julia chen 1, patrick wong