BBE Editor's Pick

54 Mint

16 Mint Plaza, San Francisco (SOMA)

Virginia Miller

By Virginia Miller

With the feel of an urban trattoria in Rome married to the lusty culinary spirit of Sicily, 54 Mint is Mint Plaza’s Italian-in-residence. Clean whites and rustic woods invite lingering over wines from a predominantly Italian wine list. Lunch is prime time to take advantage of 54 Mint’s sunny, peaceful patio—a rarity downtown. Cocktails, like the bitter-in-a-good-way aperitif Bonneville (Hendrick’s gin, Cynar artichoke liqueur, red pepper, lime), stimulate the appetite for home-made pastas such as trenette in Trapanese-style pesto dotted with tomato and crunchy with almonds. While the pastas are fine, even better is the tender octopus carpaccio in citrus and olive oil, and juicy, beefy meatballs covered in a sweet pomodoro sauce that are hearty and stand on their own, no spaghetti required.

menu musts

Carpaccio di polipo (octopus carpaccio, citrus extra-virgin olive oil)
Polpette al sugo (house-made meatballs in tomato sauce)
Trenette al trapanese (tomato, almonds, basil)
Crostata de frutta (strawberry rhubarb fruit tart)
view full menu here

sweet seats

Pull up to the bar on a white leather and chrome stool with seasoned Italian regulars and European expats.

chew on this

Though the address is 16 Mint Plaza, 54 Mint was the building’s original address, before Mint Plaza went up behind the Old Mint.

hours

lunch: Mon.–Sat. 11:30 AM–3:30 PM
dinner: Mon.–Thurs. 5:30 PM–10:30 PM; Fri.–Sat. 5:30 PM–11 PM
closed Sunday

price range for lunch items

$7 (flatbread with toppings) to $18 (grilled skirt steak)

16 Mint Plaza (at Jessie St.), San Francisco, CA 94103; 415-543-5100 www.54mint.com $$