Pizza still draws a city crowd
Pizza was on the tip of everyone’s tongue eight years ago, around the same time that the last of a series of restaurants closed at 100 Brannan St., on the corner of the Embarcadero.
At the time, Beretta had just opened in the Mission, pairing cocktails and pizza, a trend that would soon sweep the city at other places like Zero Zero and Delarosa.
I even started a regular blog feature, highlighting a different pie each week. In the subsequent years, the pizza craze peaked. So this fall’s opening of Caputo at 100 Brannan feels like walking into a time capsule. Pizza is at the core of the menu, and despite the saturation, there’s always room for another great pizza. And Caputo delivers.
The 160-seat restaurant is owned by Sam Ramadan and Shah Bahreyni, who are also partners in Boca Tavern and Boca Pizzeria in Marin. Bahreyni is certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napolitana, a group that has strict standards as to how pies are produced, and his training is apparent from the first bite of the chewy, steamy crust pocked with black blisters from the wood-fired oven. The pizza has that elusive texture that is both crisp and breadlike, sturdy enough to stand up to the simple toppings.
The margherita ($16) is classic, and the funghi ($19) made great use of roasted local mushrooms, dotted with fresh thyme and both fontina and taleggio cheeses.
Pizza is only a small part of the menu that includes at least a dozen antipasti, five salads, four pastas and three main
courses grilled over almond wood.
Caputo produces the type of Italian food that may not be memorable, but is pleasingly palatable to a wide variety of tastes. That may be a reason why on every visit, even early in the week, the place was full.
There’s something comforting about the food produced by Ramadan and chef de cuisine Carrie Ann Lopez, whether it’s the exemplary meatballs buried in a thick San Marzano tomato sauce and served with thick slabs of grilled bread, or Chuck’s mac-and-cheese ($12), given distinction with blue cheese.
I appreciated the idea of braised lamb tongue ($13), but it didn’t fare as well as other items because it was mushy, almost blubbery, though the warm garbanzo beans with tomatoes, roasted almonds, cumin and mint-tahini vinaigrette were excellent.
At times the menu veers into Middle Eastern flavors, such as a tagliatelle dish with lamb shoulder sugo ($19) spiced with ras el hanout and topped with whipped sheep’s feta. The bold flavoring seemed a little out of character with other dishes like squid-ink spaghetti ($19) with rock shrimp subtly enhanced by white wine, garlic, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. The flavor of the raviolo ($19) with an organic egg, Grana Padano cheese and truffle butter was really good, though the pasta itself tasted underdone and starchy.
In the yellowfish crudo ($16), thick slices of raw fish were paired with pear, mint, aleppo pepper and coriander salt. While the expected Caesar ($13) was passable, the beet salad successfully highlighted whole red and golden beets arranged around frisee, a shower of toasted hazelnuts and Robiolina cheese, practically as light as whipped cream.
The three main courses were led by an excellent steak sliced over mashed potatoes so buttery they would make Joel Robuchon jealous — it was the best dish of the night. On other visits the steak was replaced by grilled lamb loin ($33). While not memorable, other entrees were pleasant enough: a roasted half chicken ($24) on a bed of lentils with roasted peppers, grilled apples and a natural juice sauce with a powerful thyme essence, or a whole branzino ($29) with warm farro, almonds, arugula and a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
When it comes to dessert I cannot pass up the butterscotch budino ($9), cool and creamy with wafers of almond biscotti, and chocolate terrine ($9) with whipped chestnut puree.
In keeping with the casual neighborhood feel, the wine list is compact, featuring eight wines on draft and more than 20 by the glass. Caputo also has a full liquor license and makes well-executed cocktails.
The staff makes efforts to embrace a neighborly feel, led by veteran manager Cheri Perlite, who was well known at both Lark Creek Steak and Cupola in the Westfield Centre. (Anyone who can impart warmth in a mall restaurant obviously has a lot going for her.) Unfortunately, in the attempt to be helpful some servers can become annoying by checking back too often or reciting menu highlights ad nauseam.
The sprawling space — formerly home to a litany of restaurants, like the Slanted Door, Embarko, Pickled Ginger, Live Fire, La Suite, Sutra and a few I’m sure I forgot — has been given a totally different look, thanks to Michael Brennan, who has designed more than 40 restaurants including Jardinière and Zero Zero. He’s transformed the space with light wood floors, dark wood plank ceilings and refined quasi-industrial elements.
In the years that the space has sat dark, nearly a decade, much has changed in the neighborhood. Located on the corner of Brannan and the Embarcadero, the city has built up around it. With a happy hour menu that includes excellent meatballs ($7) and tuna tartare ($10), the adjoining lounge may well become a chosen gathering place for those who live or work in the area.
Even though it’s only a couple months old, it’s clear that Caputo has tapped into this neighborhood, giving diners what they want. Not the least of which is the pizza.