Nob Hill Cafe

"If you’ve ever fantasized about becoming a regular at a place where the staff knows your wine preferences, Sunday dinner order, and your dog’s dietary restrictions by heart, Nob Hill Cafe is a great place to start. The candlelit old-school spot near the Fairmont serves the exact brand of classic, cream-laden Italian pastas that you’ll want to inhale on a chilly city night, like solid spaghetti carbonara and heaping portions of penne vodka. It’s walk-in only here, but that shouldn’t stop you from scheduling a monthly standing appointment for family dinners or date nights before a show at The Masonic. You’ll be greeted by name soon enough." - julia chen 1, patrick wong, lani conway

"Classic, cream-laden pasta awaits at this longstanding Nob Hill restaurant. The space is split into two dining rooms overlooking the parade of hop-on-hop-off bus tourists wandering down Taylor Street. Both are filled nightly with dates, families, and regulars who have been coming here for decades. Go for the heaping portion of carbonara or the chicken parm with a bubbly mozzarella crust, and always close out with the scoops of thick ganache and whipped cream for dessert." - julia chen 1, patrick wong

"If you’ve ever fantasized about being a regular at a place where the staff knows your wine preferences, Sunday dinner order, and your dog’s dietary restrictions by heart, Nob Hill Cafe is a great place to start. The candlelit old-school spot near the Fairmont serves the exact brand of classic, cream-laden Italian pastas that you’ll want to inhale on a chilly city night. And once you’ve finished off a heaping portion of solid spaghetti carbonara or penne vodka (cheese sprinkled tableside from a crock pot-sized bowl), follow it up with hefty scoops of ganache with whipped cream for dessert. It’s walk-in only here, but that shouldn’t stop you from scheduling a monthly standing appointment for family dinners or date nights before a show at The Masonic. You’ll be greeted by name soon enough. Food Rundown Penne Bettola The vodka sauce has a light kick without tasting like a fistful of red pepper flakes. A crowd-pleaser for a reason. Spaghetti Alla Carbonara Silky with a pile of pancetta. It could do with a dash of salt, but you won’t be mad about ordering this. Pollo Alla Parmigiana The chicken breast is perfectly cooked and covered in a bubbly crust of mozzarella. The penne pomodoro it’s served over, though, is forgettable. photo credit: Julia Chen Chocolate Ganache More restaurants should serve straight-up scoops of ganache for dessert. The dense balls of not-too-sweet chocolate are paired with whipped cream and strawberries, and is the ideal finisher to a night here." - Julia Chen