REVIEW B y S u s a n H a t h a w a y NEW HOT SPOT DELFINA TAKES NEAPOLITAN PIZZA AND MORE TO SUBLIME HEIGHTS WITH ENTICING, SEASONAL INGREDIENTS 90 South Bay Accent T here’s nothing wrong with haute cuisine— and there’s more of it than ever in the region—but Bay Area residents can also be attracted to the idea of not dressing up, not spending hours at the table and not taking out a bridge loan to pay the bill. Craig and Anne Stoll of the ever-expanding Delfina empire understand this concept better than anyone, and their newest Pizzeria Delfina location on downtown Palo Alto’s sizzling new restaurant row on Emerson Street was mobbed from the day it opened in April. Even though high-end pizzerias seem to be the concept du jour among new restaurants of late, the Palo Alto Delfina soars above the others when it comes to attracting customers. With two Italian restaurants—the original Delfina in San Francisco’s Mission District is as popular as ever—and now their fourth pizzeria, the Stolls have a solid formula involving super-fresh, simple Italian food offered in a very casual environment. The chord it has struck keeps on resonating. It doesn’t hurt that the Palo Alto location has perhaps the most glorious al fresco dining in town—on a spacious, greenery-bedecked patio that had been the raison d’être of the ho-hum beer joint and before that, the so-so French bistro previously located in this spot. Plus, this is the first Delfina with a full liquor license, so inventive cocktails are also available. After a rocky start in the service arena, the newest Delfina is now humming along, churning out an always-changing menu that accompanies the Neapolitan-style pizzas with alluring antipasti, delicious veggie dishes, outstanding salads and a quartet of entrées. Patrons are raving about the creamgushing burrata starter with arugula and crostini. Another good house dish is chewy, crunchy tripe amped up with lemon, chile oil and salt. Sadly, they tend to run out of the divine special starters, like fork-tender local sand dabs or fried fava beans in the pod. This is veggie heaven, with a stronger produce focus than other Delfina locations. Salads include must-order standards like the “tricolore” (the red, green and white colors of the Italian flag) in which bitter greens are doused in tart citrus and covered with creamy shaves of cheese. The vegetable extravaganza goes on in irresistible dishes like eggplant caponata, layering the soft veggie with sweet onions PHOTO COURTESY OF PIZZERIA DELFINA T h e D i s h o n H o t L o c a l E a t e r i e s
South Bay Accent - Oct/Nov 2014
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