San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Now open in the new year
Pizza, Spanish cuisine and tiki skulls highlight January debuts
Pizzeria Delfina has opened the doors to its new downtown San Francisco location, marking the restaurant’s fifth Bay Area outpost overall, and third in the San Francisco proper.
It was somewhat of a quiet debut for one of San Francisco’s most beloved pie outfits. During the first midday service at 688 Mission St., there was no Pizzeria Delfina signage on the exterior of the building showing that it was open to the public, yet every table in the 46-seat dining room was occupied, as were the most of the 14 spots at the counter.
And while margherita pizzas and bowls of Delfina’s signature spaghetti pomodoro flew out of the kitchen, the restaurant’s front door was propped open. Eventually the sidewalk will be home to an additional 22 seats.
The menu at the new Pizzeria Delfina largely mirrors those of the other spots, anchored by Neapolitan-inspired pizzas. The most notable visual aesthetic of the brand’s new pizzeria is artist Shawn Bullen’s mural of San Francisco, which adorns the wall on the left side of the dining room. The whimsical piece, with its hues of teal and burnt orange, incorporates a few familiar San Francisco landmarks including the Golden Gate Bridge.
Pizzeria Delfina has opened three locations in the Bay Area since 2013. The first outside of the city debuted in Burlingame in 2013. Then came Palo Alto’s location in 2014.
688 Mission St., at Third, San Francisco; As of Jan. 7, hours will be Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
— Justin Phillips
Abrazo, Russian Hill’s new Spanish and Mediterranean restaurant, has officially opened its doors in the former Zarzuela space at 2000 Hyde St.
It’s a project led by chef Michael Pawlik, who for 12 years ran the kitchen of nearby Frascati. He’s joined in the venture by co-owner (and girlfriend) Amanda Banks Barker.
Abrazo’s post-Christmas debut was preceded by a weeklong “soft opening” phase where Pawlik ironed out the finer details of the menu. The result is an amalgamation of Spanish flavors, like croquetas and paella de marisco (seafood paella), with broader Mediterranean influences. Think chicory salads with red bell peppers, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes and red wine vinaigrette.
Although Abrazo is a fresh presence in Russian Hill’s food scene, the building itself at the corner of Hyde and Union streets is familiar to diners in the neighborhood.
For more than two decades, it was home to Zarzuela, the beloved Spanish restaurant that closed in November. When Pawlik took the space over in the fall, he said he wanted to keep part of Zarzuela alive in the new business.
“My thought process with the menu is to pay homage to what they built at Zarzuela over those 24 years,” Pawlik said.
Over the last month, Pawlik and his team have made notable changes to the restaurant’s aesthetic. The dining room is now light gray with blueish hues accented by wood beams stained a dark walnut. Pawlik planned to have Abrazo open before the holidays, but permitting complications slowed the process.
Private dining, with seating for up to 20, is available in the back of the restaurant. And a four-seat wine bar was added to the main dining space.
“I feel confident about what we’ve created,” Pawlik said. “Sure, every new opening has hiccups, but I’m proud of what we’ve made.”
2000 Hyde St., at Union, San Francisco; Mon.-Sat. 5:3010 p.m., Sun. 5:30-9 p.m.
— J.P.