{"id":2435,"date":"2016-01-04T17:36:27","date_gmt":"2016-01-05T00:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jodijacksonshollywood.tv\/?p=2435"},"modified":"2016-02-09T17:57:18","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T00:57:18","slug":"sotto-mare-dinner-december-21-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jodijacksonshollywood.tv\/sotto-mare-dinner-december-21-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Sotto Mare \u2013 Dinner December 21, 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seafood is to Italians what Yorkshire pudding is to Brits, its just something you can\u2019t live without. Some prepare it and the result is like an out of body experience, you just have to pinch yourself to make sure you\u2019re not dreaming and that this food is real. This is what will happen to you when you try owner Rich Azzolino unique and wonderful fare. A staple for most in North Beach, but this So Cal Gal never ever had seafood this good. Italian or not this restaurant really hit all the high notes.<\/p>\n

Christmas time at Sotto Mare is a big event. There are stockings on the wall for each employee and every customer that comes in wishes Rich a Merry Christmas. He has Christmas at his aunts every year with 35 family members and everyone doing their special dish. Rich calls his aunt Ha Ha because he couldn\u2019t pronounce her name as a kid. He also told me that he really looks forward to spending time with is family.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I tried:<\/p>\n

Oyster on half shell; West Coast and East Coast, both wonderful little delicacy\u2019s that melt I your mouth.<\/p>\n

Cracked Crab, there is a problem with Bay Area crab, dangerous toxin closed California crab season. California health officials finding high levels of Domoic acid in crab meat; because Pacific Ocean waters are staying warm, crab remains poisonous, so Washington State crab was served, but nonetheless it was amazing!<\/p>\n

Benita\u2019s Baccala, this is a must have appetizer in Italy as well as the world. They reconstitute dehydrated Baccala fish frozen in Italy and add some great sweet tomatoes and other ingredients and make a remarkable dish.<\/p>\n

Our Best Chowder, with bacon, really delicious, rich and creamy and chalk full of fresh whole clams. Each soup is cooked to order and the clams are fantastic.<\/p>\n

Mussel\/Clam Steamers, there is a very nice lemon garlic sauce and the shell fish is so fresh you feel like it came out of the water that day.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBest Damn Crab Cioppino\u201d with seafood ~ enough for two! They have a greet reputation and mostly because of this dish. Rich\u2019s grandmother taught him how to make this in 3 different tries, each time with new things to add. When he asked his Nona why she did not give him the full recipe the first time she said he would have never remembered it. (Recipe is included in the review.)<\/p>\n

Sea Scallop Saut\u00e8, wild caught. The scallops are cooked with lots of full good flavor, but it\u2019s really the sauce that kept me coming back for more.<\/p>\n

Grilled Sand Dabs, fillets. These little flats gems are perfectly grilled; there are no microwaves at this fine establishment. A true keeper.<\/p>\n

Risotto with seafood, chef\u2019s choice. This is a very delicate dish, with very small pieces of seafood and a light sauce. I would definitely order this next time.<\/p>\n

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon with white sauce. This is the surprise dish of the night. The salmon is smoked and you just don\u2019t expect that from a fettuccine dish. I loved this dish with a capitol L.<\/p>\n

Here are the wines I tried:<\/p>\n

House vino – Bianco and Rosso, both house wines were very drinkable, and went well with all the fish dishes served.<\/p>\n

Chardonnay, Santa Barbara. This is a fruit forward buttery Chardonnay that went great with the Cracked Crab and the oysters.<\/p>\n

Montepulciano, Italy. Like any good Italian red wine you want to enjoy with meat or red sauces full of tomatoes. This wine was delightful with the Cioppino.<\/p>\n

Zinfandel, Sonoma. I liked this great full-bodied wine with the Sand Dabs and the Bacalla, each with it\u2019s own unique flavors that worked well with this one of my favorite wines.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t serve dessert; they claim that they don\u2019t want to give you diabetes or other diseases that you can get from dessert. Instead they want you to enjoy their fish and that\u2019s all. They even give you a note telling you where to go to get dessert if you would like it.<\/p>\n

Owner Rich Azzolino can tell so many fun stories, each with its own punch line. Born and raised in North Beach, he says he is the only family restaurant owner born and raised in North Beach, continuing the tradition of home cooking. Sotto Mare opened in 2003. Rich says he enjoys running a restaurant too much to stop, he says, \u201cSotto Mare is always loud, and there are always celebratory diners, if I stop having a good time you won\u2019t find me here.\u201d He only serves food that is in season, that\u2019s his motto, he doesn\u2019t worry about the rest. Some of the fresh fish is caught by the Farallon Islands and their pasta and olive oil are imported from Italy.<\/p>\n

The d\u00e9cor is fun and frivolous, there is so much to look at. A lot of the wall decorations are sent to him from his repeat customers from all over the world. Lots of very big catches are also adorning their walls.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a Family affair at Sotto Mare, his wife Laura and daughter Ria work at the restaurant as well, except for his son who has his own vocation and stayed out of his Dad\u2019s business. Laura is the hostess, he says, \u201cbest hostess I ever had\u201d. Married for 40 years, he says, \u201cShe is a really good person.\u201d Sunday is their feet up night and Tuesday is their date night. Giving back is also part of Rich\u2019s philosophy, Jan. 9th he has a crab event, feeding 600 to 700 people.<\/p>\n

A little history about Sotto Mare: Dante Benedetti was a patriarch of North Beach. Throughout the years and up until his death in 2005, Mr. Benedetti was very well known for helping those in need. He took care of old folks, baseball teams and anyone else that needed his help. Gigi Fiorucci, Sotti Mare previous owner, knew Mr. Benedetti from his childhood and throughout his life. The building that Soto Mare now occupies was once owned by Mr. Benedetti and is currently a low income housing on it\u2019s upper levels, The \u201cPensione Dante Benedetti Hotel\u2019. Gigi Fiorucci was described by The Chronicle\u2019s Herb Caen as a \u201cveteran restaurateur\u201d … roughly 30 years ago.
\nSotto Mare was Fiorucci\u2019s 13th San Francisco restaurant, and he said it will be his last. Oddly enough, the location was also home to his first restaurant \u2014 he opened the Montclair at that very same North Beach address decades ago. Since then, he has maintained a pattern of operating a restaurant for five years or so, then closing it to travel for two years, and then doing it all again in a new spot. \u201cOnce it\u2019s in your blood every day it never leaves. It\u2019s so much fun to be with the people that to me, it is the best job in the world,\u201d he says. \u201cIt makes you feel good just to say hello to people, be nice to them and make them happy \u2014 it\u2019s what it\u2019s all about.\u201d Rich keeps all of this wonderful tradition very much alive at Sotto Mare. This is the kind of restaurant that will have you coming back for more every time you\u2019re in San Francisco, trust me I know!!<\/p>\n

Sotto Mare Ciopinno Recipe
\nserves 4-6
\nIngredients
\n1\u20444 cup olive oil
\n1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
\n8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
\n3 cups fish stock
\n1 1\u20442 cups whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed
\n10 leaves basil
\n1 lb. cod, cut into 2\u2033 chunks
\n1 lb. cleaned calamari, bodies cut into 1\u20442\u2033-wide rings
\n12 oz. medium shrimp, deveined
\n12 oz. bay scallops
\n16 clams, cleaned
\n16 mussels, cleaned
\n2 (2-lb.) Dungeness crabs or snow crab legs, halved
\nKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
\nInstructions
\nHeat oil in an 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chile flakes and garlic; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes, and basil; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cod, calamari, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and crabs, cover with lid, and cook until seafood is cooked through, about 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper.<\/p>\n

Sotto Mare Oysteria and Seafood
\n552 Green Street
\nSan Francisco, CA.
\nhttp:\/\/www.sottomaresf.com<\/p>\n

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