Posts by support@viewranking.com

My friend Jake ordered takeout Italian food from a restaurant in North Beach. By the time he got it home – a 15-minute drive – the pasta was a congealed blob stuck to the container. The breading on his chicken parmesan was soggy from steam. The salad was wilted in its own dressing. “This is…

My friend Tom was planning his company’s annual party and called Italian restaurants in the Financial District asking about catering. Most offered “catering packages” that were basically their regular menu items delivered in aluminum pans. One place literally said “we’ll box up whatever you want from the menu and bring it over.” No coordination. No…

My friend Lisa was thrilled when she found an Italian restaurant in North Beach advertising “beautiful outdoor dining.” What she got was three plastic tables shoved onto the sidewalk next to a bus stop, with traffic noise so loud she couldn’t hear her date, and exhaust fumes flavoring every bite. “This isn’t outdoor Italian dining,”…

My friend Sarah has a rescue dog she adores and refuses to leave home alone for long dinners. She tried taking him to Italian restaurants advertising “pet-friendly patio” seating. At most places, the staff grudgingly allowed her dog but provided no water bowl, kept walking past nervously, and made comments about the dog needing to…

My friend Jake planned a date night at this “romantic” Italian restaurant in North Beach that everyone recommended. What he got was a cramped table inches from other couples, music so loud they had to shout, and service that rushed them through courses because they needed the table back in 90 minutes. “This was the…

My friend Tom needed to host important clients for business lunch and started calling Italian restaurants in the Financial District. Most places either couldn’t accommodate his timeline – “We can get you in and out in 45 minutes but the food will be rushed” – or didn’t understand business lunch requirements – “Sure, we’ll seat…

My friend Rachel works in SOMA and has tried happy hour at probably fifteen Italian restaurants downtown. Most offer the same sad lineup – $5 house wine that tastes like vinegar, $6 well drinks that burn your throat, and “discounted appetizers” that are frozen mozzarella sticks and wings. Nothing Italian about it except the restaurant…

My friend Jake works downtown and has tried lunch at probably twenty Italian restaurants in the Financial District. Most offer “lunch specials” that are just smaller portions of dinner menu items at slightly lower prices. Or worse, day-old pasta reheated and served quickly. Nothing actually designed for lunch. No thought about what people want midday…

My friend Tom was planning his company’s holiday dinner and called around to Italian restaurants in North Beach asking about private dining. Most places offered “a section of the dining room separated by curtains” or “tables pushed together in the corner.” No actual private space. No customized menu. No dedicated service. Just regular restaurant operations…

My cousin hosted his college roommates for dinner at some Italian restaurant in the Marina last year, and the whole thing felt awkward. Everyone ordered their own plate, ate separately, and the vibe was more like eating lunch at separate desks than having dinner with friends. Then someone suggested they try family-style at Soma Restaurant…