The Beginning: Dining @ Delarosa

I have always wanted to start a food blog. More as a journal if you will, documenting the foods I've feasted upon from comfort cuisines to Michelin meals. This blog will also feature meals that my wife and I have made, showing that fresh food tastes great, is fast to prepare, and will not break the bank; things that would be appreciated by any college student and, well, hopefully anyone. After all, not only does fresh food taste much better, it is much better for your body than frozen food too.

Our recent trip to San Francisco provided an excellent excuse to begin such a blogging endeavor. They say when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Well when in SF, eat as the locals do! And because SF is such a melting pot of nationalities and cultures, you must sample the whole wide range of foods available.

Immediately after landing in SF, we decided to go on the hunt for some great Italian food. Introducing Delarosa, a Roman style pizzeria (Roman style pizza = thin, crisp crusts). It was packed on a Thursday night with a buzzing atmosphere. Seating is predominantly communal, something common in SF and a trend emerging in Utah. We opted for a dinner on the patio in the crisp cool air but under a heat lamp that kept us warm though it made the lighting for pictures a little tricky.

Ordering food for two is always a struggle. On the one hand, we want to try EVERYTHING on the menu. Yet, on the other hand, there is no way the two of us can eat everything we want to try. Such is the Principle of Diminishing Marginal Utility. Despite this restaurant being famous for its pizza, we decided to go tapas style. For antipasti, we ordered aburrata bruschetta (although the antipasti came after shortly after our pasta arrived...but we will let that slide). The bread was perfectly toasted and charred, expertly seasoned. Then came the flavour of sweet-salted butter. Next the soothing, gentle texture and flavour of the burrata that is made from mozzarella and cream, making the cheese particularly creamy and delightsome. But wait. Just when you thought that was the end of the journey, the honey lifted the dish to a different level before the hazelnuts provided an extra crunch and a subtle earthiness to balance out the sweetness of the honey. Delectable. Maryn and I talked about how we might recreate this bruschetta that we so enjoyed. Well a ball of fresh burrata cheese costs about $20 (at least in Utah). We'll probably find a substitute us being humble college students and all. We are definitely going to try our hands at it one day though. This light and refreshing appetizer will be a welcomed addition on our menu.

Next up, pasta. We ordered maccheroncini with chicken parmigiana. FYI, chicken parmigiana = chicken parmesan. Boring you might say? Well, WRONG. There is a reason why this classic remains on the menu of countless restaurants across America. That being said, I had not tasted a blow-your-mind-and-your-tastebuds-to-heaven chicken parm till I sampled Delarosa's. The problem with most chicken parmesans? The sauce - canned, too salty, loaded with preservatives, watery. The chicken - dry, the breading falling off the meat because it has been swimming in the overly-generous serving of sauce. The pasta - excessive. Well Delarosa got it right here. Sauce - colour of the sauce was light and vibrant and you could identify the individual ingredients in the sauce. Chicken - moist and marvellous and the breading was superb. Pasta - freshly made maccheroncini cooked al dente. Perfect ratio of cheese to chicken to sauce to pasta. Quality > quantity. But even then, this portion of chicken parmigiana filled us up great.

There is a reason why the world loves Italian food. Fresh, simple, and light. Delarosa does Italian food well. If I were staying in SF, Delarosa would for sure be one of my favourite places to eat.

#Italian #pizza #SF