Incanto

(415)641-4500
1550 Church St.
(@ Duncan)
San Francisco, CA
(Noe Valley district)

Price: $$$-$$$$
Rating: 10 (Rating & price key)
Last visit: 09/29/06

Specializing in unusual cuts of meat, Incanto is a superb Cal-Ital restaurant. Sarah & I went here for our 4th anniversary and had a wonderful meal. We were seated promptly upon arrival even though we were a little early for our 7pm Friday reservation.

Incanto's interior is understated, with wood tables and terra-cotta-colored walls, a wall of windows along Duncan St., and a short'ish bar on the left. Walking in, you're greeted by curing meats in a counter display.

Our server, Richard, was pretty friendly and very competent. Giving us a few minutes to peruse the menu and extensive (and Italian-only) wine list, he appeared right when we were ready to order.

Incanto is known for their Antipasto Platter ($18), so we started with that. A large platter arrayed with 6 different house-cured meats, pickled squash blossoms and blackened raddichio. I can't recall the names of most of the meats, but all were very good! The bologna was particularly fine, a smooth velvety salami sliced wafer-thin, as was a coarser-ground salami-like concoction. We both appreciated the fact that all 6 of the meats had distinct tastes and textures, and the raddichio and blossoms provided a nice break from meat-dom.

Our waiter, after consulting with the sommelier, suggested a 2001 Montepulciano d'Abruzo Marina Cvetic from Masciarelli ($59). A heady, rich wine with a fruity and earthy nose, it complemented the meats wonderfully and had plenty of body to stand up to our foods' flavors.

For entrees I had the Roasted Lamb Neck ($20) and Sarah ordered the Lobster Mushroom Risotto ($17). Richard was quick to explain, lest we misunderstand, that Lobster Mushroom refers to a type of mushroom, not a combination of seafood and mushrooms, which was appreciated, as we'd assumed it would contain actual lobster.

My lamb neck was a relevation, chunks of amazingly tender meat were no match for gravity and mostly fell right off of the bones with little work for my second fork to do. The surface was charred to perfection, providing a nice textural contrast to the succulent meat. The neck was served atop some lovely broccoli rabe and alongside a delicious creamy polenta. The polenta, although very good, wasn't really necessary, as the lamb was a large cut and I was pretty full by the time I finished it.

Sarah's risotto was cooked perfectly, the rice grains firm, yet moist and full of brothy flavor, and the mushrooms were delicious. I definitely preferred my dish, however, in its meat-alicious glory!

Dessert-time came around and we ordered the Panna Cotta ($7.50) and Chocolate Cardamom Budino ($7.50). After our first bite we both fell silent for a minute. This was by far the best panna cotta either of us have ever had. The texture was silky, smooth, the flavor first mild, then intensifying with a delightful marscapone finish. The herbal infusion was subtle, but noticeable. I gather they always have some sort of panna cotta on the menu with only the herbaceous note changing. The Budino was also excellent, with a deep dark chocolate flavor and just a hint of cardamom.

Along with dessert I enjoyed a flight of dessert wines ($15 for 3 tastes) and Sarah had an excellent glass of extra-dry Drusian NV Prosecco di Valdobbiadene ($7). My flight was interesting, with a very sweet 2005 Moscato d'Asti by Cascinetta Vietti, a good 2000 LBV Port from Fonseca, and the highlight, a fantastic 2004 Nativo by Donna di Coppe, which unlike the other two, was not very sweet, and had a crisp, dry finish.

Service throughout was top-notch, with wine and (complimentary, filtered) water poured with nary a glance from us. Our bill before tip, after tax was $172, including their automatic 5% service charge for the back of the house. All told, Incanto is one of the best restaurants I've been to anywhere, and I love the fact that their meat is as organic, local, and humane as it can be. I'll definitely be back!