Tucked away in the heart of San Francisco’s Russian Hill, Amarena is a cozy Italian restaurant that exudes charm and authenticity. With its warm ambiance, lively vibes and classic dishes, this neighborhood gem stands out as a romantic restaurant worth experiencing more than once. Owned and ran by Milano native Paolo Galli, who also is Executive Chef, Amarena was opened in 2002, just two years after he moved to the city.
Galli grew up being spoiled by his mother’s cooking, and after decades of asking her for cooking advise and learning her recipes, she suddenly passed. This was the catalyst in opening Amarena, meaning sour cherry.
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Pulpo alla griglia
Chelsea Davis
“I am a happy person,” explains Chef/ Owner, Galli. “What I love, and what I am good at too, is making people happy around me. Having a restaurant where I can enjoy feeding guests everyday and putting a smile on their faces with my cuisine couldn’t be a better fit.”
When you walk into Amarena, the welcoming energy is palpable. Whether sitting at the wine bar or at a table, of which you’ll also be surrounded by wine bottles lining the walls, people are are right at home. The wine list is extensive, with most hailing from Italy or California. During happy hour guests can enjoy a 30% off any drink and 30% off any pasta dish from the menu from 5:00 pm to 6:00pm.
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The menu itself also features quite a selection of Italian dishes, some being Galli’s mother’s recipes and others traditional Italian recipes.
Pappardelle al Cinghiale
Armarena
“When I test a new dish, the flavor needs to open up my memories in order to be approved,” continues Galli, who takes pride in keeping his mother’s memory alive through his dishes and restaurant. “For example, with the Polenta Consada, a signature dish featuring polenta with parmigiano, sage and cream sauce, this was a dish that, if I was sad, eating it would cheer me up and my mother knew this.”
The menu offers starters like the Pulpo alla Griglia which is octopus with olives and capers; the Tortino di Melanzane which are baked eggplants with fresh tomato sauce and smoked mozzarella; and the Frittura Mista with lightly battered seafood including calamari and prawns.
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The pastas truly standout at this restaurant. Galli and his culinary team makes the pasta fresh everyday with the best quality of flower and eggs.
“Everything from the ravioli, pappardelle and tagliolini to the gnocchi and lasagna — all made from scratch,” he continues. “You can taste and feel the difference.”
The pasta selection includes highlights like the Ravioli di Zucca with butternut squash topped with salty ricotta cheese in a brown butter and sage sauce; the Paccheri dell Alpino, which is made from tube pasta, smoked prosciutto, sundried tomatoes in a creamy Madeira wine sauce; and the Tagliolini Ai Funghi E Tartufo, made with homemade tagliolini noodle with mushrooms and truffle sauce.
Osso Buco
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Chelsea Davis
Of course they also have the classic red sauce pastas like the rich Pappardelle al Cinghiale made with a wild boar ragu and traditional meat lasagna. The pastas’ texture is perfectly soft, yet chewy, making way for the perfect vessels for the sauces.
“I have families, neighbors and friends continuing to dine with us for over 20 years,” explains Galli who’s been running Amarena for over 22 years. “I’ve seen families forming since the first date, to the kids and then them becoming adults and still coming. I really believe that the consistency of our cuisine and making sure that each dish tastes as delicious as the last time they visited, keep people coming back.”
The restaurant also features a selection of heartier entrees like the fall-off-the-bone Osso Buco with cross-cut veal shanks slowly cooked and braised with vegetables served over a bed of polenta; the Agnello ai Mirtilli, which is grilled racks of lamb served with blueberry sauce and mashed potatos and the Salmone alla Griglia, a roasted wild salmon with tomatoes, olives and capers.
Grilled Lamb
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Chelsea Davis
Save room for desserts that include the Salame al Cioccolato, a decadent regional dessert with nuts from northern Italy made for chocolate lovers; classic tiramisu; vanilla gelato with succulent wild Italian cherries; and panna cotta.
The restaurant recently launched lunch service on the weekends from 11:30-2pm, Saturdays and Sundays. Lunch special’s include 30%off all pasta dishes from the menu.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or discovering Amarena for the first time, this cozy gem in Russian Hill promises a memorable night out. From the lovingly homemade pastas to the heartfelt recipes rooted in family tradition, every dish tells a story of passion and authenticity. It’s a piece of Italy in San Francisco, waiting to be experienced.
Former Wisconsin Badgers running back Isaac Guerendo is in line to serve as the San Francisco 49ers starting running back for at least four weeks.
The news arrives on the heels of injury updates to all-world running back Christian McCaffrey and backup Jordan Mason.
McCaffrey, who suffered a PCL injury during ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Buffalo Bills, will be out for at least six weeks. Mason, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury and will also head to the injury reserve for at least four weeks.
The unfortunate sequence of events for the 49ers running back room opens an opportunity for Guerendo to serve as the starter.
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Against the Bills, Guerendo showcased what he’s capable of with a 19-yard rushing touchdown in the snowy conditions. He finished with five touches for 16 yards and the score. He’s up to 42 carries, 246 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie NFL season in a relatively limited role.
Christian McCaffrey AND Jordan Mason are headed to injured reserve, per Kyle Shanahan.
Isaac Guerendo is now in line to start for San Francisco.
In five years in Madison, Guerendo registered 99 carries, 582 yards and six touchdowns in 27 games. Several injuries and the presence of future NFL draftee Braelon Allen prevented the Clayton, Indiana native from taking off as a Badger.
He did, however, display his potential in his 2023 season with the Louisville Cardinals. The 6-foot-1 playmaker tallied 810 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns before making the jump to the NFL.
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Barring an outside signing, Guerendo will lace up as San Francisco’s starter on Dec. 8 vs. the Chicago Bears. At 5-7 and last in the NFC West, Kyle Shanahan’s group is in desperate need of a win.
The San Francisco Giants have a lot of work to do this winter on multiple fronts. However, with an expected budget that won’t rival the top spenders in Major League Baseball, the Giants might have a tough time signing any of the top players available.
Nearly every big-name free agent is expected to land a multi-year contract with a high AAV.
And then there’s Roki Sasaki.
Sasaki will be posted in the new year and can’t sign a big deal due to international rules. Japanese players have been attracted to the West Coast in recent offseasons, making this a potential pairing.
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That doesn’t mean Sasaki will be like the rest and sign with a California team, but it’s been a selling point for teams on the West Coast.
There’s reason to believe he could want to play in San Francisco, too. The Giants are one of the most prominent brands in Major League Baseball, they seem to want to improve after the front-office moves they made, and Oracle Park is heaven for a pitcher.
Andrew Tredinnick of NorthJersey.com believes it’s a real possibility he ends up in San Francisco. He predicted the right-hander would sign with them over the Los Angeles Dodgers, who some have considered the favorites in the Sasaki sweepstakes.
“The Dodgers already made a splash to bring in Blake Snell, so Sasaki goes to the pitcher’s park to the north in California,” he wrote.
The Giants will have some work to do to persuade him. This free agency isn’t as easy as handing him a $300 million deal and walking away. Sasaki will have every other factor, aside from money, to help him decide.
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There’s optimism when it comes to Oracle Park and it’s something San Francisco needs to sell. If he wants to eventually be paid like one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball, having elite numbers at Oracle would help him with that.
Sasaki is good enough to come in and dominate, no matter where he plays, but his numbers could be drastically different depending on the park.
As of now, it remains uncertain where he’ll go. Grant Brisbee of The Athletic believes the Giants have a chance, although he added that others could have a better chance.
“A better chance than some. A much worse chance than some of the other teams who will pursue him, though. It’s easy to look at this as a Dodgers-Padres battle, but there are plenty of teams that might appeal to him,” he wrote.
Given San Francisco’s budget, he’s the top target this winter. Landing him as an international free agent would require a quality sales job by new president of baseball operations Buster Posey. But it would also be a coup for his new regime in his first offseason running the front office.
This is a list of the Bay Area’s most notable restaurant and bar openings, with new updates published once a week. Did we miss something great? Please, drop us a line.
December 3
NOPA — Geoffrey Lee, the chef behind Handroll Project and Michelin Guide-listed Ju-ni, debuts his next restaurant Hamburger Project on Wednesday, December 4, the San Francisco Standard reports. Located at 808 Divisadero, expect three styles of smash burger, a classic version with American cheese and housemade HP sauce, an Oklahoma-style onion burger with Peppadew peppers, and a Wisconsin butter burger. There are fries, of course, but the menu also gets punched up with the addition of yuzu-Tabasco sauce and a Tsar Nicoulai caviar upgrade.
OAKLAND — After a couple of months serving “Pakistani party food,” Oakland’s Gold Palm will debut the second part of the restaurant — “secret bar” Moonglow — on Wednesday, December 4. Owners Shirin Raza and Daniel Gahr also own nearby hi-fi listening bar, Bar Shiru, so expect a worthy sound system pumping music through the space alongside solid cocktails such as a 50/50 gin martini. Head to Gold Palm and find the door with a golden doorbell for entry; be warned, however, guests are prohibited from taking photos and videos inside.
OAKLAND — New “mezcal and espresso bar” Mixé is now embedded in the former Calavera space in Oakland and opens on Friday, December 6, East Bay Nosh reports. Pronounced “mee-hay,” the name references a group of indigenous people of Oaxaca. Nosh reports that during the restaurant’s first week, they’ll be open for dinner only before expanding to lunch service as of Friday, December 13.
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OAKLAND — Bird-themed bar Little Bird opened in November at 435 13th Street, previously the home of Radio Bar, the Mercury News reports. Expect bold colors for the bar redesign and, surprisingly, a strong pickle selection thanks to Golden State Pickle Works. The new bar comes from Jennifer Seidman, who also owns Acme Bar & Company in Berkeley.
EMERYVILLE — Ramen Hiroshi opened its latest location at the Emeryville Public Market as of Friday, November 15, the E’ville Eye reports. It’s the restaurant’s fifth location in the Bay Area, serving Hakata-style ramen and other items.
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