Highway to Heaven

Since returning from living abroad in Rome, I have found myself on a never-ending quest to fill the void that is my longing for Italy, by hunting down all things authentically Italian. This quest recently led me to A16 in San Francisco’s Marina district. Located on an up-and-coming stretch of Chestnut Street peppered with its very own Pottery Barns, Williams-Sonoma-type stores, trendy clothing boutiques and the somewhat annoying, Berkin-Bag-toating pregnant mommies with their toddlers and bedazzled Blackberries in toe, A16 adds a certain layer of much-needed spice to the neighborhood, specializing in authentic Southern Italian cuisine – which like its people, is always perfectly spicy.


The restaurant itself appears quiet and understated yet inviting, with its vine-covered, brick façade and simple signage. Inside is more of the same, but with a bustling and personable crowd. The cork floor and wine cellar walls are at once remarkably modern and old-world (just like the food), and the narrow space at the entrance invites you to walk through the restaurant. Though, the smell of the food alone pretty much takes care of that. As you walk past the open kitchen complete with its very own wood-burning oven, you are forced to ponder the culinary fabulousness that awaits you. Though there isn’t much space between you and the business luncher next to you enjoying his meatballs, the atmosphere is always intimate, never crowded. The hustle and bustle picks up as the lunch crowd filters in, but the mood remains relaxed. And as I sat drinking my wine on this particular Thursday afternoon, I felt a familiarity with the place, reminding me of the simultaneous ease and energy of any trattoria I had ever been in.

The covered patio in the back provides a chance to people-watch lucky patrons enjoying their catered wine tastings, while The Cure, Queen, and Bowie (wonderful accompaniments to any meal) mix in with the noises and aromas of the restaurant. The service was the one thing that was wholly un-authentically-Italian, as the waiters at A16 are prompt and polite with just the right amount of attentiveness.

Now the food…oh my, the food. The food is force to be reckoned with. My sister, a fellow Roman sojourner, was my company at this particular A16 lunch. She and I were both lucky enough to spend time in Southern Italy, specifically in the charming city of Naples. I have to admit that I am rather puzzled by the numerous “bad raps” I have heard tossed around so freely when discussing Naples, but suffice it to say, no matter what kind of things you may here about the city, none of it matters when you’re talking about their pizze. Having had the chance to eat at the famed L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele in the heart of Naples, I can honestly say that Nate Appleman’s stateside rendition is the only pizza that has been able to (ahem)…itch that un-itchable scratch, shall we say. In addition to a pizza scarola split between the two of us, my sister ordered A16’s celebrated meatballs, and borrowing a line from Mike Meyers, described them as “like buttah!”


I myself have recently started living Gluten-Free for health reasons, but short of a meal anywhere in France or Italy, A16’s pizza is the one thing I break the rules for. That there says it all. However, it wasn’t difficult for me to order gluten-free options as well, that were just as satisfying. On the gluten-free side of the table, I had the soup of spring vegetables and a simple salad of romaine and chicory, both of which were light and buttery at the same time and went perfectly with my glass of Lazio white. The food at A16 is uncomplicated and simple, yet wholly soul-soothing and delicious, which is what makes authentic Italian cooking so utterly satisfying. Like the Campania highway it’s named after, A16 the restaurant serves as a kind of conduit, bringing the ease and vitality that is so distinctive of Italian cuisine to the American dining experience, which at times can be lacking. At the end of my meal, I found that my stomach and that ever-present void were both contently full…not to mention their lemon ricotta gelato is the stuff dreams are made of.