Neighborhood: Mission
1199 Valencia St
(between 22nd St & 23rd St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 695-1199
In the Know: I am a firm believer that one should do a minor amount of research prior to going to any dining establishment. If for no other reason than knowing what you are getting yourself into for the night. My research came in the guise of a couple tequila shots with an ex who is a bartender at a restaurant on the same block. (I am sure that I don't have to bring out the needless to say jibber jabber, but I am going to anyways because I like the way it sounds. So, needless to say you start your night off with two tequila shots and a glass of wine before you even sit down for dinner; your in for a great night!) He told me it used to be the Last Supper Club. 
Same owners but new design, new menu, great crowd. Really, what more could a girl ask for? Third round of shots, perhaps?
Same owners but new design, new menu, great crowd. Really, what more could a girl ask for? Third round of shots, perhaps? When I got there the first thing I noticed was the ceiling. Not only does it appear high but the faux coiffured wood ceiling sets an overall warm, almost aged Spanishesque atmosphere. (which is kinda a weird feeling seeing as how it is an Italian restaurant. Though I guess there are some common similarities.) Now I feel they did a great job with the lighting scheme in regards to the layout of the space. It is divided in almost three sections; a long bar extends the length of the wall to the left, a ridiculously large banquette table and equally high 2-tops down the right, and a farely large open space down the center. The designer did not just haphazardly place lighting down the center of the restaurant and call it a day. They placed some delectably goddy chandeliers over the goddy table and some wonderful carbon filament pendent lighting over the bar. All of this mixed with candles really adds to a great vibe. And for an even more intimate setting, up front and in back they have lower 4-tops and 2 tops so you and your boo can hold hands and peer into each others eyes while toasting to your happiness. (see I am not always cynical ;) As far as the artwork, well none of the walls have any. In its stead, there is an exceptionally interesting floral design present. I actually like the lack of art. One would really have to find the right piece to fit the space and unless you are ready to house a full on installation, less is definitely more!
Behind the Bar: As previously mentioned I was already warm and toasty walking in to this place. That warm and toasty escalated to hot and spicy as I ordered a bottle of wine to myself. At the time it seemed ambitious but that is the greatest part of going to a restaurant with a person that doesn't drink. No awkward, who is going to take the last glass of wine at the end of the bottle. No sitting by, watching your date fill his glass almost to the rim just to turn around and dribble a couple drops into your glass while claiming he thought there was a lot more left and would share his with you but he kinda mixed two different kinds of wine together and is pretty sure you wouldn't like it. (deep breath) Sure guy, seeing through glass is still one of those unsolved mysteries science has yet to understand. Thanks chief, for showing us that guys do know everything about what a woman likes on the second date. Your a sain
t and my new savior. Moral of this obviously passive aggressive story is while reviewing under the influence is freak'n awesome (restrictions may apply see terms and conditions for details) retaining that information is always somewhat fuzzy. The cliffs notes version I remember from our server is as follows: due to the height of the ceiling, it really was nice to have that extremely large banquette table down the middle of the restaurant. It acts as a buffer for noise wafting through the air. So while you are spitting your B+ game, would have been an A- but you forgot to wear your lucky bra, the dinners won't secretly snicker behind your back. If the restaurant would have put several short tables, those dinners might have felt as though the people waiting at the bar were all up in their grill (yes, im straight up hood). Plus the server liked the tall tables cause she didn't have to lean down to talk to people. Not only can cause a lot of problems for a really tall server but sometimes the communication at the two different levels can be difficult. This often times forces the server to shout at the customers. That never works out, trust me on this one. I have partaken in my fair share of high pitched conversations and they never work out to my advantage. Damn customers always right rule!
t and my new savior. Moral of this obviously passive aggressive story is while reviewing under the influence is freak'n awesome (restrictions may apply see terms and conditions for details) retaining that information is always somewhat fuzzy. The cliffs notes version I remember from our server is as follows: due to the height of the ceiling, it really was nice to have that extremely large banquette table down the middle of the restaurant. It acts as a buffer for noise wafting through the air. So while you are spitting your B+ game, would have been an A- but you forgot to wear your lucky bra, the dinners won't secretly snicker behind your back. If the restaurant would have put several short tables, those dinners might have felt as though the people waiting at the bar were all up in their grill (yes, im straight up hood). Plus the server liked the tall tables cause she didn't have to lean down to talk to people. Not only can cause a lot of problems for a really tall server but sometimes the communication at the two different levels can be difficult. This often times forces the server to shout at the customers. That never works out, trust me on this one. I have partaken in my fair share of high pitched conversations and they never work out to my advantage. Damn customers always right rule!On a side note: I have to mention the tiling that took place in the bathroom. Whilst I love the look of it, both times I went to the bathroom I found it extremely hard to walk on in stilletos. Yes, I was almost a bottle and a couple shots deep but I believe it was the tile to grout ratio that was the real problem.
Who's Who: This is definitely a spot where locals tell locals to go. The mixture of old, new, borrowed and blue all sat or stood comfortably next to one another. That has to be one of the greatest parts of common tables, you get to do some serious eavesdropping. I highly recommend it for date nights, friend nights, group nights, alone nights, and/or nights that you want to order a bottle of wine to yourself. Thank god to my server that let me re-cork my bottle before things started really heating up!
