Sodini's Trattoria

"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

"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

"From Sodini's Green Valley in San Francisco to Dante & Luigi's in Philly, chefs developed dishes that were unknown in the old country." - ByPaul Freedman