Press Release

When you want the pleasure of eating every day Italian, grab a table at the tiny "L'Osteria del forno," a North Beach treasure established in 1990 by two Italian women, one from Varese and one from Bologna.

L'Osteria del forno makes the best focaccia and focaccia sandwiches in the city. In addition, look for the roast of the day and their pork, which is braised in milk and served warm with some addictive roasted rosemary potatoes. We suggest taking a look at their menu. Don't even worry about wine. Ask for the house pour or an aperitif from the bar. Try the delicious thin-crust pizza slathered with whole milk mozzarella, tomato sauce and Italian sausage. Since they are open continuously from lunch until at least 10 p.m., they are perfect for off-hour, drop-in dining.

Tucked away in San Francisco's North Beach, L'Osteria del forno emits an old world charm that is as authentic as their traditional Italian menu. In a city filled with sleek restaurants many times showing more flash than substance, this cozy restaurant consistently wins rave reviews and satisfied patrons. The fact that at anytime one of the two owners is present makes L'Osteria del forno not only a rarity, but also a true gem. With a limited number of tables (twelve), the restaurant appeals to intimate gatherings of faithful locals and visitors, the like. Many a romantic evening has been spent at L'Osteria with a bottle of Italian wine and basket of warm home baked focaccia bread. The owners prefer the small, coziness of their space and have avoided the pressure to expand, even though the demand for tables is a constant. The inconvenience of a short wait always is outweighed by the excellent service and special attention each diner receives.

Two Italian women turned their dream of owning a restaurant into a reality. The secret to their success is keeping everything as simple as possible. They're no nonsense, down to earth personalities shape and form just about everything that encompasses running a restaurant. From the menu to the wait staff, there are no airs or egocentric outlays filled with false promises.

Now that you've found us in Cyberspace we'll show you what, how, and where we come from. You know like the movie "Roots". At L'Osteria del forno, we like to keep our customers well informed on the foods and their origins. We have compiled information about all the regions in Italy. You're probably asking yourself why would we go through all of this research and take the time to put it on the web. As I've mentioned, we like our customers well informed, but if the truth were known I needed a good reason to stay home and play on my new computer. So take a deep breath and indulge in this walk through history with us. Better yet, you may want to loosen your belt or even take off your shoes. Just be sure to sit up straight and pay attention! To understand something about Italian cooking, you must first understand that Italy is a very young country, just over a hundred years old. They certainly didn't fratinize with their neighbors nor did they check out what they were eating. So that's why there are distinct types of cooking in the various regions of Italy Well.... okay, there may be other factors that have played a part in this distinction, but I am trying to simplify this.

M-7 © Tue., Oct. 27, 1998