Elisa H.
Yelp
When I was Marina/ Cow Hollow young lady without a car and a small budget in the early 90's, we lived on Steiner and Union. My roommate and I would celebrate payday or date nights by having dinner at either Pane e Vino ( next door to us) or by trekking up Fillmore, Tretorn shoes on with out suits to dine at the counter here. Although I haven't been to Jackson Fillmore in at least 25 years, I dream about the complimentary bruschetta and the stuffed artichoke appetizer ( more on this later). This tiny restaurant is the same as it was in the 90's and as special as I remember. I am surprised by a few bad reviews which do not seem to take into account that this is a neighborhood trattoria and should be judged as such- convivial atmosphere, small close tables,tiny kitchen, churning out classic Italian dishes like those one would find in the city of Rome.
I loved introducing my youngest son to my favorite neighborhood restaurant from way back. We ordered the artichoke and fried mozzarella to start. The artichoke was almost as perfect as I remember, although slightly marred by a temperature issue. I love artichokes (chilled with creamy lemon aioli, straight from the steamer with melted butter, but this artichoke stuffed with toasted bread, prosciutto, butter and herbs and roasted is such an elevated vegetable and it has been impossible to replicate. If there was a flaw in dinner tonight, it was that the artichoke had spent some time in the fridge after being steamed and prior to being roasted or broiled. The stuffing and outer leaves were almost too hot to touch, but the center ( they do such a good job here of taking out all the prickles and exposing the heart ) was chilled). Maybe it is supposed to be this way now- Artichoke two ways? I actually convinced myself to appreciate the contrast. My son had fried mozzarella and said mozzarella sticks are forever ruined for him. I had the prawn special pasta- elegant in it's simplicity of garlic, anchovies and olive oil. Always pay attention to the specials written on the board, when dining here. They are often w different take
on a classic dish. My son loved his hearty, cheesy,
tortellini al forno. The 70s classic music enhanced the ambiance. Service was warm and attentive! This is not Michelin Star dining, this is not a chain restaurant.. It is your neighborhood local trattoria, should you be lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful residential neighborhoods in the world. You can go home again: