There’s so much talk on the opening of new pizza places – but nothing can compare to that of the under-rated North Beach establishment, Tommaso’s, home of San Francisco’s first wood-burning oven.
The restaurant itself is like descending into a cave of old-style Italian. Ceramic carafes of wine, tall wooden booths, run by generations of one family, it’s warm and yeasty from the pasta and pizza dough. Coppola wrote parts of the Godfather here.
To top off the excellence that is Tommaso’s is their October special: Quattro Fungi. Yes, that’s crimini, porcini, portobello and button mushrooms all on one pizza. And the porcini mushroom with bechamel lasagna is so mind-fuck amazing that I can’t even describe.
This is my favorite month because of this special: as a broke college student, I would find the budget to splurge, I would make family come visit so they would take me and pay, and as an unemployed person, I would rather eat their Quattro Fungi pizza with their sauce of perfection and crust of the gods then have electricity.
It’s not that Tommaso’s is un-affordable. But you have such a great experience here, you unintentionally get a few appetizers, a large pizza, some lasagna and more wine then needed. So the money is well spent. You also save because afterward you will roll home and lie on the couch for a day or two, all the while cursing your love for the world.
The Quattro Fungi special goes from now until October 31st. What a perfect place to go this weekend if you’re in the area for Fleet Week and/or the Italian Heritage Parade.
When: Fungi special until the 31st
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 5:00pm to 10:30pm, Sunday 4:00pm to 9:30pm, Closed Mondays
Address: 1042 Kearny Street (between Broadway & Pacific)
