Incanto (Church St @ Duncan, Noe Valley, SF)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Four of us visited Incanto Thursday night and were impressed with the professional service and the precision of the kitchen. There was attention to detail from the waitstaff (my husband had refused Parmesan when it was offered by our server; the head waiter came over within seconds to see if there had been an oversight) to the kitchen (the carrot cubes in my husband's pork ragu sauce were brunoise; my whole fish was completely boned before roasting). Wine service was excellent, both recommendations and the timing of refills. Incanto offers, free, decanters of house-filtered water, either still or sparkling. These were replaced whenever they got low, as was bread and butter. The plates, very well executed Italian with local accents, were simple and superb: meats and fish very well prepared, pastas handmade, accompaniments of local heirloom tomatoes and, I believe, roof-grown greens and herbs. Among the very carefully prepared dishes we enjoyed were a simple green salad of house grown greens, heirloom tomatoes with fresh mozerella, an antipasto platter showcasing some very fine meats, a whole bonzoni, a chitarra spaghetti with sole, pork ragu over "nona's handkerchief" pasta, a perfectly cooked pousin with melting eggplant and roasted red onions.

I have no sweet tooth, but the desserts at this place really shine. Of the ones we tried, my husband said that the vanilla bean panna cotta with saba, strawberries and cracked Tellicherry pepper was the best version he had ever had. One person had the "backyard Santa Rosa plum Italian ice with balsamic drizzle over broken polenta cookies" which was served in a soup plate and said it was fabulous. Two of us had the stone fruit panzanella with extra-virgin olive oiil zabaglione: it was unbelievable! A soup-plate of sweet peaches and nectarines, cubes of oven-toasted bread, huge spoon of just-sweet-enough zabaglione of lovely texture and a haunting flavor. There was both a small and expanded cheese course available also.

This is one of those rare dining rooms where you feel that every single employee has enormous pride in how he performs his job. I hope they can keep it up, because it was a joy.

FYI 3 courses with wine and service was $70 a person. Oh, and we never knew our waiter's name!

[a geek]

Had a truly interesting first meal at Incanto yesterday. I had become interested in the restaurant after viewing a demo by the chef at the Ferry Plaza - he stated his emphasis was on simple preparations of quality ingredients. The salad he made at the Ferry Plaza was phoenominal (fava bean, strawberry, wild arugula, balsamic, and pecorino romano- actually being served at the restaurant as of now).

Started with beef hearts. They were cooked medium rare, sliced thinly, and served over golden beets. Delicious and well done.

Followed that with the roasted poussin. This was mindblowingly good- the skin was well salted, crispy, and delicious.

Dessert was excellent. One was simply a bowl of early season Brooks cherries (need a few more weeks to sweeten IMO). The other was pineapple, roasted vanilla beans, and some crouton-like breads in a sweet sauce. Enjoyed both.

I like the approach on wine- small numbers of great wines were offered, and the recommendations from the staff are excellent for pairings.

Anyhow, highly recommend a visit if you're in the neighborhood. On a Sunday night, there was a short wait until about 7:30 pm. There is also a first come first serve bar serving the full menu which offers a great view into the kitchen.

[ohmyganache]

How does it compare to Delfina?

[JAZ]

I've eaten at Incanto several times and Delfina only once, so that should be taken into consideration, but I'd say the service at Incanto was much better, the atmosphere more relaxing, and the food comparable. The restaurant is quieter and less hectic seeming.

All of Incanto's wines (not an extensive list, though) are avaliable by the glass and in a two-ounce pour, which is nice if you're dining alone, or want to switch wines with courses.

[a geek]

I'd agree. I also only visited Delfina once. I found the food lackluster, which seems to be contrary to popular opinion, so perhaps I should give it a try again.

Incanto seemed more neighborhoody as well, which to me is a plus. I like sincere recommendations on food/wine.

[eje]

I'd also agree with all the posts above about Incanto.

I've had a few meals there since it opened and always had great food and friendly service. I will certainly be back.

Price-wise, I guess it is pretty close to Delfina.

The menu strikes me as being a bit more traditionally Italian than Delfina's Cal/Franco/Italian hybrid.

Boy, the upcoming special dinners at Incanto sure look tasty!

http://www.incanto.biz/information.html

Nose to Tail, anyone?

[JAZ]

The Head to Tail dinner doesn't surprise me, given Incanto's penchant for including offal in their regular menu. They often have a starter with beef heart, and the last time I went they also had a beef tongue and potato salad, and sweetbread-stuffed ravioli. I was tempted to try the ravioli, but I ended up unable to resist the grilled poussin with braised dandilion greens and guanciale.

[crosparantoux]

Well, I've got to eat at Incanto: those letters on their website!

A Dante scholar in the kitchen?!?

[melkor]

Having been to Incanto for dinner again wednesday night, I'm now certain that they are serving the best rustic Italian food in the city a spot that Delfina long held in my mind - I’m amazed that this place isn’t harder to get into. They have a vastly better wine program than Delfina - a well-priced list full of interesting wines that pair well with the food and are served in proper glassware. Like many restaurants in this style the pastas are stronger than the mains, but that is more because the pastas are exceptional rather than the mains being in some way flawed. Overall, the food is similar in quality to Delfina, although the desserts are markedly better at Incanto. Service is both professional and very friendly and the space, while not overly romantic, is very comfortable. They have a couple of tables out front under heaters, but it gets fairly cold out there so unless it’s a warm night I’d suggest eating inside. The menu changes too often for these recommendations to be terribly useful, but if you see either the fried padrones peppers on the menu or the strozzapretti pasta, order them. This is very much a place to go with friends, order half the menu and share everything.

[JAZ]

I’m amazed that this place isn’t harder to get into.

Shhh! It's my neighborhood favorite, and although I really want it to prosper, I also want to be able to drop in a find a seat whenever I want.

They have a vastly better wine program than Delfina - a well-priced list full of interesting wines that pair well with the food and are served in proper glassware.

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One of the things I really like about Incanto is the way the wines are chosen to match the food. I almost always sit at the bar, and if the wine director is there, I always ask for a recommendation on which wine to get, because I'm not very familiar with Italian wines. Sometimes he has a definitive answer ("This is the wine to get") and sometimes he has a couple of ideas, but he's never steered me wrong.

The other nice thing about the wines is that the glasses come with a sleeve around the base that has the wine info printed on it. So if you drink something you like, you can take the sleeve home instead of having to try to remember it or jot it down on the back of a napkin.

[Malik]

I’m amazed that this place isn’t harder to get into.

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Shhh! It's my neighborhood favorite, and although I really want it to prosper, I also want to be able to drop in a find a seat whenever I want.

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Definitely one of the perks of Incanto is that one can actually get in there with little notice. The prices are a notch above Delfina, which may be part of the reason why it's not as busy. And they tend not to schedule reservations as close together as a lot of other restaurants.

They have a vastly better wine program than Delfina - a well-priced list full of interesting wines that pair well with the food and are served in proper glassware.

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One of the things I really like about Incanto is the way the wines are chosen to match the food. I almost always sit at the bar, and if the wine director is there, I always ask for a recommendation on which wine to get, because I'm not very familiar with Italian wines. Sometimes he has a definitive answer ("This is the wine to get") and sometimes he has a couple of ideas, but he's never steered me wrong.

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I totally agree with you on Ed (the wine director)'s advice. One of the reason I like Incanto better of late is that I think he's a vast improvement over the Italian sommelier they had before, who was more interested in upselling than in recommending the right wine. I've never been unhappy with a bottle of wine that Ed has recommended.

The other nice thing about the wines is that the glasses come with a sleeve around the base that has the wine info printed on it. So if you drink something you like, you can take the sleeve home instead of having to try to remember it or jot it down on the back of a napkin.

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That's indeed a really nice touch, I'm surprised more restaurants haven't caught on to this. Heck, I've never even seen this in a wine bar, where such a system should be mandatory.

[Jason Perlow]

Had a great meal with Melkor and msmelkor this week at Incanto -- fantastic fresh pastas, and the chef is a genius with pork and all the weird bits that come with it.

I plan to come back to this one quite a bit whenever I am in town.

[eje]

First I have to confess my wife TiVos the martha show. I think it is a similar impulse to being unable to keep your tongue away from a broken tooth or cold sore.

In any case, last night she yelled down to me to come look as she was cruising through the inane celebrity chatter and musical guests.

Believe it or not, Mr. Chris Cosentino appeared and made pomegranate marinated game hens with sauteed treviso and cipolini onions. He also apparently broke Martha's mortar and pestle when he was prepping for his segment and showed off his stove tattoo.

If yer interested, it is the one with Trisha Yearwood.

[a geek]

Had another good though not great meal at Incanto last night. I started with a braised duck and date ravioli in a duck broth which could have used a bit more zip in my opinion. I adore dates but couldn't make out enough of the taste. The duck broth was absolutely delicious.

For my main I tried pork braised in milk with what seemed like polenta. The pork was spoon-friendly tender and perfect for a cooler night. I think I might have enjoyed something other than the polenta/starch that was served with it.

To finish I tried the olive oil gelato with a bit of salt - 3 absolutely delicious scoops of heaven with just the right amount of salt on top. A richer preparation of what Picco Pizzeria is doing with soft serve (HIGHLY recommend a trip to Picco).

I'll return, but probably in a few months when spring and/or summer produce is available.

[ulterior epicure]

To finish I tried the olive oil gelato with a bit of salt - 3 absolutely delicious scoops of heaven with just the right amount of salt on top. 

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This alone has convinced me to visit!

I've experienced olive oil gelato once before - and it was sublime. I had it at one of Batali's many lower-end joints: Otto Pizzeria and Enoteca near Washington Square (NYC). Somehow, with his, the large crunchy ice crystals were incorporated into the gelato!

U.E.

[buckZiner]

Incanto is easily one of the best restaurants in SF. I live in Sonoma and I get there at least once a month. The service is awesome with out being pretentious. The food is always solid. All this with out those pesky tourists, crowds and lines.

[ulterior epicure]

... All this with out those pesky tourists, crowds and lines.

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Not if you guys keep talking about it! Now that you've let the only person that matters (me) in on this restaurant, we can all hush up!!

Just kidding, that's not very eGullet of me...

I do hope to get out there soon! I looked up their website and they seem very affordable!!

U.E.

[CheNiPenso]

I’m amazed that this place isn’t harder to get into.

Shhh! It's my neighborhood favorite, and although I really want it to prosper, I also want to be able to drop in a find a seat whenever I want.

Ditto -- up until 1.5 years ago, I lived around the corner from Delfina. When they opened, the owners effused over local business, assured that we'd have a table whenever we wanted, yada yada yada ... until the reviews hit, and we couldn't get in for love or money. On the rare occasions I've returned, I've found the food perfectly respectable, but not worth the wait.

Now, we live in Noe Valley, and Incanto has become a regular haunt for us. It's not uncommon for us to sidle up to the bar and have some wine with a salad and app or even a full meal, tho we have never had difficulty snagging a table. I support the other comments on this thread -- the service, food and wine selection are hard to beat, at least in a neighborhood joint.

As for its relative popularity apropros Delfina, I think location has a lot to do with it, plus Delfina seems to have a serious PR machine working for them. I'm pleased to hear that Incanto is getting the attention it deserves. As long as I still get a table.

[docsconz]

I had the pleasure of meeting Melkor and some of his friends at Incanto a couple of weeks ago when I was in S.F. for a Medical meeting. I took the Muni out to the Noe Valley from my hotel in Embarcadero, which was a fun, although somewhat harrowing experience as it was very difficult to determine when to get off:laugh:

Because I was a little uncertain I left a lot of time and actually got there early enough to sit at the bar for awhile. The place is charming to say the least. I certainly wouldn't mind having it in my neighborhood. I managed to pass the time with a nice prosecco.

When melkor and friends arrived we were shown to a nice four-top table, wherre we decided to order a number of items and share. Of course I took photos. While post-production programs can do wonders with low light, unfortunately they cannot do anything for a shaky hand Nevertheless, I managed to come away with a few presentable photos.We started with some olives and a few other items.

This is house cured wild boar prosciutto done by Chef Chris Cosentino himself. I was fortunate in that only one other person at the table was able to eat it. It was silky and very nicely cured.

Artichoke & spring onion frito with Aioli. this was nicely fried comfort food.

Little gem lettuce with anchovy, sieved egg & Parmesan. This salad was tasty and satisfying.

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Mint. This may have been my favorite course of the night. The flavors were all fresh, clean and very refreshing. This dish held the essence of spring.

We also had Tripe and Clams with Green Garlic and Chillies, but alas this is one that the photo didn't come out so well. This was good with a very soppable sauce.

We had several pasta dishes including pappardelle with chiodini & black trumpet mushrooms, Ravioli of Ricotta & broccoli di ciccio, and assorted shapes with duck testicles and coxcombs made especially for us by Chef Cosentino. Unfortunately none of those photos were sharp either. I did get a decent photo of our other pasta dish though

Spaghettini with bottarga, lemon, chilli & garlic. All the pastas were good, although the pappardelle were my only disappointment of the evening as my mouth found a little grit that made eating it mildly unpleasant. The testicles and coxcombs were an interesting experience and actually rather tasty. Chef Cosentino has a reputation for offal that I see is deserved.

Mains included a wonderful whole branzino & wild fennel in cartoccio with herb salad and

Poussin fra diavolo with shaved fennel & Dandelion greens. The poussin was cooked perfectly and had a good, but not overpowering bite to it.

The bay leaf panna cotta with candied kumquats was one of the better desserts I had on my trip.

This was an excellent dinner and best of all a fine value. It has the warm feel of a neighborhood eatery that would not be out of place in Europe.

[robert40]

I certainly wouldn't mind having it in my neighborhood.

I second that! But all is not lost Doc because we still have Steve's Place.

Great food and company. I'm envious! Keep it coming Doc.

[ludja]

...

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Mint. This may have been my favorite course of the night. The flavors were all fresh, clean and very refreshing. This dish held the essence of spring.

...

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Nice report. The asparagus salad does look and sound wonderful. Was the shaved asparagus raw do you think? If you were trying to reproduce this at home, what would you try?

(This sounds like a wonderful Easter dinner course...)

[docsconz]

...

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Mint. This may have been my favorite course of the night. The flavors were all fresh, clean and very refreshing. This dish held the essence of spring.

...

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Nice report. The asparagus salad does look and sound wonderful. Was the shaved asparagus raw do you think? If you were trying to reproduce this at home, what would you try?

(This sounds like a wonderful Easter dinner course...)

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my guess is that it was shaved then quickly blanched, tossed in EVOO with mint and salt. Simple but delicious. I will try it as well.

[ulterior epicure]

... tossed in EVOO...

LOL!! doc - watching a bit of Rachel Ray, are we?

Just kidding. Great report on Incanto. I'm really afraid that after reading all of your reviews, I'll be tempted to prolong my stay in the Bay area on an upcoming visit!

u.e.

[docsconz]

... tossed in EVOO...

LOL!! doc - watching a bit of Rachel Ray, are we?

Just kidding. Great report on Incanto. I'm really afraid that after reading all of your reviews, I'll be tempted to prolong my stay in the Bay area on an upcoming visit!

u.e.

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Maybe it's a geographic thing as Rachel is basically a neighbor of mine.

[JAZ]

Nice report.  The asparagus salad does look and sound wonderful.  Was the shaved asparagus raw do you think?  If you were trying to reproduce this at home, what would you try?

(This sounds like a wonderful Easter dinner course...)

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I had dinner last week at Incanto, and this dish was still on the menu. Although I didn't try it (too many other things, including a great artichoke soup) I sat at the bar and watched the salad guy make lots of them. If the asparagus was blanched, it was done whole and, I think, only briefly. (I assumed it was raw, but if Doc thinks it was blanched, he'd know.) Anyway, the cook took a small handful of whole asparagus stalks (green and white) and sliced them lengthwise on the big deli slicer, then tossed with the vinaigrette.