A16 and
Delarosa will be forced to admit one more steward of authentic-style Italian pizza into their now not-so-exclusive Marina club when
RistoBar opens later today. As we
reported late last year, owner Gary Rulli had his ceramic-stone eco pizza oven holed up in a Potrero warehouse. It's now fulfilling its original marching orders in RistoBar's kitchen. In early December, Rulli threw in the towel on Emporio Rulli, his spitting image of a grand urban Italian café. RistoBar is his ode to the all-day Italian enoteca, dishing up pizza, pasta, sides, salads, and crudo in a relaxed atmosphere. (Cue communal table and expansive bar.)
Based on the pizza/wine/burger space's hospitality to new entrants since the economy blew, we also have faith that the Marina's collective desire to drink from an Enomatic wine system while slamming Italian small plates will win out over its willingness to gobble fat-laden Italian pastries. (Even Marina-ites reserve those caloric excursions for Tartine). As for the allegations that this one-of-a-kind pizza oven will give it a "leg up" on the others, we're standing by for a Marina pizza face-off.
Opening today at 5 p.m.:
RistoBar 2300 Chestnut (at Scott) 923-6464; normal hours 5-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
