Panta Rei - San Francisco

E: The night before our half marathon in San Francisco, we set out for an Italian restaurant. Silly me, I didn't even think about making reservations at our intended restaurant. When we arrived, the host informed us that they wouldn't have an open table for at least two hours. So, we walked around the North Beach area for a while looking for another Italian restaurant that wasn't too full. Good luck to us.

We ended up at Panta Rei, on the main drag in North Beach, just a block from Washington Square Park. There were lots of people inside (good sign) and a few parties waiting outside (good sign). After about 20 minutes of waiting, we got our table. The restaurant has a modern vibe to it. Our dining room felt quite cold with white walls, contemporary art and an interesting series of images playing on the television. This definitely isn't type of restaurant where they set out red checkered tableclothes and play Italian folk music.

R: The bruschetta and mozarella appetizer was fresh and light.
E: Everything tastes good with olive oil, salt and fresh basil. I thought the tomatoes were a little cold (in the fridge too long?) but well seasoned.

R: Chicken ravioli sounded like a good, simple dish. When I first tasted it, I thought it had been sitting too long because it wasn't as hot as I would have liked it. The ravioli was a little too al dente for my taste. The chicken filling and tomato sauce were both very good. I wish the portion was larger.E: I tried the linguine with squid ink and clams, mussels and shrimp. The fresh pasta had a wonderful texture. I especially liked the light and flavorful white wine sauce. It was a great complement to the pasta and shellfish.
E: I can't say much about the service at this restaurant. I'm not quite sure if it's just the San Francisco/North Beach way. Perhpas all Saturday nights are hurried and rushed. Or, it could be part of their contemporary atmosphere.

Panta Rei
431 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133