Aperto Restaurant

Tried a couple other highly yelp rated brunch options in the area but lines were long and service was slow. Saw a big brunch sign at this place and it was Oh So Delicious!!!!
I got the eggs benedicts with a huckleberry pancake side and it was truly a divine dining experience! Good food, fast friendly service!
Will definitely come here first when I'm in this area next ;D

I've heard this place was good for dinner, so I came here for brunch today (really because Plow had a 3-hour wait). The service and the food were both subpar.

There was no wait when we arrived at around 11:45AM on a Sunday. They only had 2 servers, which made the service time really slow. It took quite a while just to get our order in. We also had to ask for water a couple of times before it was brought to us. Not the server's fault; the restaurant was just short-staffed.

Our brunch came with complimentary chocolate mini muffins. They were OK at best; sort of dry and a bit bland. The brunch menu is very small, and also not really "Italian" at all. Just your run of the mill diner-style brunch items (e.g., scrambled eggs and bacon), nothing exotic, unique, or special.

I ordered the milk-braised pork hash; it wasn't very good. I wouldn't recommend it, nor would I come back. There was too much onions in the dish, making each bite very crunchy. The poached eggs were good (well-made), but the braised pork was nothing special.

Overall, the food was very "meh," bland, and mediocre at best. I would not recommend this place for brunch. The restaurant was also very loud in an unpleasant way (as in, I think the music was turned up too loud, since there weren't that many patrons and the restaurant wasn't very big). Not a great ambiance for talking with friends.

Very delicious spread of fresh pasta selections. Great app of ceasar salad, warm olives, corn chowder. Pastas were excellent with chicken sausage, linguini with clams, and a wonderful chocolate soufflé for dessert.

Staff efficient and friendly. Line outside seated as quickly as possible but we were allowed to linger and enjoy our evening.

Great dining experience

I knew their dinner game was strong when they hooked me up with sweet corn ravioli baptized in rose sauce. The dessert gave my mauf the biggest OG ever (check out my pic).

And then we dropped by for brunch.

I had the huevos rancheros. Look, if you grew up on this delicacy, you have standards for what is epic and what is basura (trash). Their version? Epic, my friends. The healthy version tho (tortillas aren't fried). The black beans, so good.

Def gonna repeat.

Situation
- Lunch on a Tuesday with co-workers
- Ordered the Pork Loin and Burrata as appetizers
- Ordered the Tagliolini Pepati

Pros
- The Tagliolini Pepati was pretty good
- The Pork Loin was tasty and tender
- My co-worker's enjoyed their Salmon dish and the Chicken Panini dish

Cons
- The seat by the window, will it has a good view, can be uncomfortable.
- The Burrata was a bit bland

My boyfriend and I were drawn to Aperto because we could get a reservation day-of for a Saturday night AND were able to get a Groupon that was $30 for $50 worth of food. I also had 20% of any Groupon over $20 so it really came out to $24/$50 worth of food. Pretty nifty, I know. Regardless, the combination of all of these factors should have sent us running in the other direction but us, being optimists, just thought that universe was conspiring in our favor.

We arrived to Aperto and were sat promptly. The space is homey and feels like a real neighborhood spot. We were given fresh bread which was pretty good. Like other reviewers, I wish it had been served warm but that is a really minor complaint. Anyways, we had to use up our Groupon so we ended up ordering a fair amount of food. Aperto has a small menu but they also have nightly specials for every course so we had no issues. We ate:

-Brussels Sprouts (CONTORT SPECIAL): These came roasted with Bacon. I personally thought they were pretty salty and wasn't too happy. My boyfriend liked them enough though, and attributed the saltiness to the bacon. I am not convinced.

-Duck Confit Linguini (PASTA SPECIAL): This was so bland. The only thing that gave it flavor were the sour cherries. The portion was pretty good but honestly, I got bored after 3 bites.

-Orichette with Sausage (STANDARD MENU): I enjoyed this better than the Duck Confit Linguini but only because it actually had flavor. Nothing special here.

-Warm Chocolate Souffle (STANDARD MENU): The one thing I really enjoyed. You have to order this at the beginning of your meal since it takes 25 minutes to make but it was really good. NOTE: They don't tell you that there is a separate dessert menu so we thought this was the only dessert they had. It was only after we had finished our main courses that we realized we could have ordered something else. We definitely do not regret the souffle but we would have liked to have made a more "informed" decision.

Now, the food wasn't great but whatever, I have had worse. The worst part, by far, was the RUDE service. First off, I ordered the Duck Confit Linguini above but instead of calling it that, I said "Duck Pasta". The waiter LITERALLY snickered at me. And then when he brought the pasta over he said "Here is the DUCK PASTA, miss" wearing a shit-eating grin. Look, I am sorry that I didn't use fancy nomenclature but don't give me attitude and pretend like I am trashy.

Furthermore, when we gave them our Groupon, our waiter said something like "Of course you do." SERIOUSLY? I don't know if it is because we are both in our early 20s while our fellow diners were all over 40 or what but this was unacceptable. We are paying good money like everyone else and neither of us would have any qualms coming back to pay full price and tip well if this were a GOOD meal. Both of us were extremely polite the whole time and besides us obviously looking young, nothing here should have warranted this treatment. If you don't want to use Groupon, then don't. Do not make us feel like filth because we used something you provided.

Overall, I left this restaurant really angry with how we were treated. The food was lackluster, the service was offensive. I don't care if the prices in general are reasonable, I can get better food and service for the same amount, if not less, elsewhere in this city.

Having lived in the city for so long, it makes me feel bad to think about the many pockets of SF I've yet to explore. And by "explore", I mean "eat through". So, in my efforts to correct that, I figured I would start with 18th St., which is already home to my favorite brunch spot (Plow). And after hearing so many good things about them from friends, I figured Aperto would be a fantastic place to start!

Even though they aren't huge, Aperto puts out a lot (hehe). The ever changing menu, filled with local and seasonal ingredients, is both extensive and delicious. My friend and I honestly had so much trouble narrowing down what to get, we eliminated a few choices and still somehow ended up with THREE starters:

-- ZUPPA (Soup of the Day) - Cauliflower Puree with Micro Arugula...$7
(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aperto-restaurant-san-francisco-3?select=5oq0SEE_GL02Kp28vsV20Q#_QA5_a28ro-YLklnIz3__g)
Unlike our server at Butterfly, our server here was kind enough to actually split our soup into two bowls. There wasn't a lot to the dish, but I actually liked the simple and subtle flavors.

-- HANDCRAFTED BURRATA with Persimmon Marmeliata, and Grilled Country Bread...$11
(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aperto-restaurant-san-francisco-3?select=5oq0SEE_GL02Kp28vsV20Q#tzJCEb_odXbHuz3--E2eTg)
If you didn't know, there's a rule (in my book) that burrata can never be bad. However, it was the marmeliata that made this dish shine, adding a sweetness that complemented the burrata's creaminess really well.

-- ROASTED PORK BELLY with Black Beluga Lentils, Watercress, and Saba...$11
(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aperto-restaurant-san-francisco-3?select=5oq0SEE_GL02Kp28vsV20Q#HVhhRr1R6JukPbBySlU2eA)
The lentils were good (and boy was there a lot), but we were all about trying the pork belly. While the cut was nice, the meat didn't seem as luscious as it could have been. It still tasted good, just not amazing like how we had hoped.

-- TAGLIOLINI "PEPATI" - Garlic, Smoked Bacon, Jalapeno, Roasted Tomato Sauce, Arugula, Butter, Pecorino, Grana Cheeses...$15 (Full Order)
(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aperto-restaurant-san-francisco-3?select=5oq0SEE_GL02Kp28vsV20Q#gwYdhbtrRLfNMn2vJsn2xw)
Although I would've been fine with less of the jalapenos and tomatoes, I thought the dish was great. Not only was the pasta cooked perfectly, but the layers of flavors were awesome - a little smokey, a little salty, a little spicy, a lot of tasty.

-- BONELESS BEEF SHORT RIBS Braised in Red Wine with Butter Beans, Chantrelles, Cipollini, Rapini and Jus...$18
(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/aperto-restaurant-san-francisco-3?select=5oq0SEE_GL02Kp28vsV20Q#aFPyX4VwxV0enWcJYMl7Rw)
Our least notable dish, though better than the one we had at Butterfly not long ago. The meat was literally fall apart tender, but the flavors didn't stand out like the tagliolini's. Still a decent dish, but not spectacular compared to our other ones.

While we liked all of our starters, the unfortunate side of the three (as well as the awesome basket of complimentary focaccia bread) was not having any room for dessert. Not always a big deal, mind you, but it was in this case - our neighboring table's chocolate soufflé looked/smelled so good! Darn that food envy.

Although they're somewhat overshadowed by their more well-known (and popular) 18th St. brethren (Chez Maman and Chez Papa Bistrot), Aperto is pretty solid in its own right. Busy but not chaotic, charming yet lively, and delicious but not too pricey. All that, plus attainable reservations and relatively easy parking, makes for a great choice for brunch or dinner. As well as a potential date spot in the future. ;)

Gosh, I'm not sure why I don't dine at Aperto more often. Oh yeah...it's because they crowd people like it was the immigration checkpoint on Ellis Island circa 1897. I must have forgotten that tidbit when I took Jamie W. here for dinner last Friday. I didn't have the foresight to make a reservation, so the owner hemmed and hawed trying to eke out a table for two for us. I was about to tell him that we'd come back some other time when he gave us a table right next to the hutch where I could feel the vibration every time they pulled the drawer out to get more flatware and napkins.

I was cantilevered into the bench unable to get out in case of a fire since the tables next to us were quickly filled. Good thing the menu was quite appetizing and the waitress quite pleasing. The plate of sliced focaccia and bowl of oil were placed at our table in no time. We ordered the $11 Crab Cakes to share and then the $8 Caesar Salad (see photos). While the white bean and roasted pepper salad was a nice touch to the crab cakes, I have to admit it was the salad that stood out of the two with the romaine hearts crispy with only a light dousing of the dressing.

The crisped focaccia slice with melted Parmesan cheese provided a nice contrast. Pasta was the order of the evening. Jamie went for the heartier dish, the $14 Tagliolini "Pepati", which was bathing in a jalapeno roast tomato sauce and arugula butter and peppered with bits of garlic, smoked bacon and pecorino cheese (see photo). Quite tasty, though I really liked my order, the $15 Fettucine with Chicken Liver, which was mixed with batutto, garlic, tomato, sage, and manchego cheese in a mushroom broth (see photo).

I'm a sucker for liver done well, so it was quite a potpourri of savory flavors on one plate. We ended the dinner with a satisfying homespun dessert, the $6.50 Apple Crisp with Raspberry Coulis and Vanilla Gelato (see photo). It almost took the jaws of life to get me off the bench since there was barely any room to slither out of our space. Glad we came back even if it did feel a bit like eating in an elevator.

FOOD - 4 stars...stellar pasta plates, interesting mix of fresh ingredients
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...way cramped in there
SERVICE - 3.5 stars...waitress was nice and attentive, owner a bit unctuous at times
TOTAL - 4 stars...worth a return visit though I have to remember to rub myself with Vaseline in order to get out of there more easily

I love coming to this nothing pretentious, what you see is what you get neighborhood gem. Just a very good local spot where you can find good Italian standards as well as some unusual specials like delicious soft shell crabs. It is a small restaurant in the neighborhood where Chez Papa, Chez Maman,Goat Hill Pizza, Pera, Sunflower that make this Potrero Hill's Restaurant among many restaurants in what people refer to this area as Restaurant Row.

I have only been here for dinner, though I would love to try the food for brunch. What makes this little place stand out is their delicious food that is reliably good from visit to visit, and a nice seasonal menu. Check out their specials from time to time they have organic lamb shanks to short ribs which their meats are succulent and perfectly seasoned. The dishes I enjoy the most:
Appetizers:
Acadia Blue Mussels in a sharp savory broth of tomat, garlic and arugula $11

Handcrafted Burrata with roasted asparagus in balsamic agrodolce with the balanced slightly salty milky flavors $10

Main Course:
Taglioni "pepati" with garlic, smoked bacon, jalapeno, roasted tomato sauce, arugula, butter, pecorino & grana cheeses is a powerful pasta dish, rich in flavors, robust and lively $15

Fettucine with wild mushrooms, pancetta, white wine and butter is light and refreshing mild flavors $16

Frutti di mare Risotto rich and flavorful texture $17

Dessert:
Chocolate Souffle served with whipped cream and Italian wet nuts in syrup which you should order ahead since it takes 20 minutes to make is absolutely divine. $7

I keep coming back for more! Aside from the amazing food, service is great!

A Gem in Potrero Hill.

I live in the East Bay, but I use any excuse to have brunch in San Francisco. This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to have a friend with a car. We were going to have brunch at Plow after a night of partying, but the 40 minute wait was a definite no-no. We journeyed a block or two away, only to find this gem!

Nothing can beat freshly squeezed orange juice and complimentary pineapple cornmeal muffins to start off the meal.

I had the most delicious eggs benedicts, which were done in a very specialized way: prosciutto on foccacia and perfectly poached eggs with drool worthy hollandaise sauce. The eggs benedict was accompanied with a small, but tastey side of fruit and home fries. I ate every single morsel on my plate. I could have died right then. I'm a very light eater in the morning, but this meal managed to create a hunger that was soon satiated after a thirstful yet perfectly balanced consumption.

So if you're looking for a nice brunch place without the wait, but will delicious food to rival others, Aperto Restaurant will definitely hit the spot!