Appetite: Newbies Delarosa and Frances make the grade

Pub date January 6, 2010
SectionPixel Vision

By Virginia Miller of www.theperfectspotsf.com.

EARLY TAKES ON THE LATEST RESTAURANT OPENINGS, Part Two
Continued from last week… I made initial visits in the first week or two of opening to give you an early take on these new, buzzed-about spots. Of course, more visits to come, realizing each needs time to settle in and claim their identity on our dense culinary map.

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Beef speidini at Delarosa. Photos by Virginia Miller

Delarosa keeps up in the Marina
Delarosa recently opened in the Marina from the Beretta and Starbelly & folks, with heavy menu similarities, fine cocktails reminiscent of the former, draft beers like the latter. Having been many a time to both, I expected a "been there/done that" experience, which is only sort of accurate.

The shiny white and orange of the space was a bit sterile for me, and the Marina location ensures I probably won’t get there too often. But I’d recommend it to anyone who lives nearby or in the ‘hood. Service couldn’t be sweeter – I noticed they went above and beyond to address a couple minor concerns from nearby guests, giving free food and ensuring goodwill all around. Being open all day is a huge plus, and as a cocktail fanatic, I find theirs keep up (they do a mean Rye Flip: rye, whole egg, sugar, freshly grated nutmeg).