Welcome to Ristorante Fior d'Italia's Weblog!

The Fior d'Italia's weblog is one way we keep our history rolling on.
From 1886 to the future and beyond.

America's oldest Italian restaurant proudly resides at the also historic San Remo Hotel at 2237 Mason St. in San Francisco -- in the heart of North Beach but close to Fisherman's Wharf. You can't get any more San Francisco than that.

We hope you enjoy this journal of recent and upcoming events, happy / funny / sentimental things that customers experienced while dining with us, snippets from our history, and a list of customers' comments. And also recipes representing the Northern Italian cuisine we delight in serving our guests.

Our news ranges from seasonal menu offerings to the latest baptism or retirement party or celebrity visit. When you click a category you'll be ushered into the Fior archives.

Enjoy!


Per il Mondo Piccolo - Little People Menu

February 1st, 2008

pinocchio.png

Here is our new menu ($13.00) for our little guests:

Glass of Soda or Milk
Choice of: **Pasta: Tortellini in Cream Sauce/Penne or Linguini in Butter or Tomato Sauce**
**Cheese Pizza**
**2 Little Hamburgers with Roasted Potatoes**
**Chicken Fingers**

Additional meatball with pasta $5.00

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Benvenuti!

January 20th, 2008

Il Cenacolo, the men’s club devoted to Italian culture, has held its weekly meetings here for decades — with only one interruption — our disastrous fire of February 15, 2004. We subsequently moved from our Washington Square premises. Our esteemed Il Cenacolo customers found a temporary refuge elsewhere but now we welcome them back. Il Cenacolo’s mission…

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Special Romantic Dinner

January 18th, 2008

VALENTINES DAY 2009
AT FIOR D’ITALIA

This year award winning Chef Gianni Audieri and his staff are offering a wonderful five course Italian feast for your pleasure on Valentines Day. Bring your sweetheart and enjoy the best of Italian dining here in romantic
San Francisco.

The meal will include a glass of Champagne and will…

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Bad news for Restaurants

January 17th, 2008

Bad News!
We had a victory but now we have to fight on. The issue will be devastating to the restaurant industry if we don’t win in the end. The following is a report from the San Francisco Chronicle by Bob Egelko on 1/10/08.

A federal appeals court gave San Francisco the green light Wednesday…

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Valentine’s Day Special Menu

January 16th, 2008

hearts.jpg
Per Cominciare – To Start
Un Bicchiere di Champagne
A Glass of Champagne

Antipasto - Appetizer
Polpette di Granzevola con Salsa di Gamberi
Crab Cake with Shrimp Sauce

Zuppa - Soup
Crema di Carciofi
Cream of Artichoke

Intermezzo

Sorbetto
Sorbet

Per il Pranzo - Entrée Choice of:
Medaglione di Vitello Salsa Marsala
Medallion of Veal with Marsala Sauce
or
Capesante…

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Special Romantic Dinner

January 12th, 2008

VALENTINES DAY 2008
AT FIOR D’ITALIA

This year award-winning Chef Gianni Audieri and his staff are offering a wonderful five-course Italian feast for your pleasure on St. Valentine’s Day. Bring your sweetheart and enjoy the best of Italian dining here in romantic San Francisco.

The meal will include a glass of Champagne and will cost…

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Chief of Police, Heather Fong, had her Christmas Party at the Fior- again!

January 10th, 2008

We were thrilled to have Chief of Police Heather Fong with us again for her anual Christmas gathering. She and 60 of her guests were hosted in our Tuscany Room, and were served an open buffet of appetizers and our delicious house pasta. Chief Fong looked quite happy and was kind enough to smile to…

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A win for business!

January 9th, 2008

A win for business!

San Francisco tried to pass an illegal “tax/mandate” on business by making all businesses in the city pay for health care not only for their employees but others whom the city determined needed the coverage.

The cost of the program, even for employers who already had health care benefits for their…

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The First Customer Letter of 2008

January 8th, 2008

One of customers who ate at the Fior on January 4 wrote us the following letter:

I have eaten in many Italian restaurants throughout Canada, the US and Italy. I have never, until this day, eaten a meat sauce that instantly brought me to my mother’s kitchen! Exactly how my mother makes it - Now…

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Special 10% Discount for Lasorda Wines

January 7th, 2008

This has been confusing to some of our guests, so we would like to clarify what the Lasorda Wine banner on homepage (www.fior.com) is for. When you go on our website and click the Lasorda Wine banner, it will direct you to the Casa Torelli Imports/Lasorda Wine purchase site. You will get a 10% discount…

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Happy Customer

January 4th, 2008

I recently visited San Francisco and one night I was google map-searching restaurants near my hotel, came across the Fior d’italia and figured if it’s been around this long, it must be good. So my friend and I decided to come and I’m so glad we did because my meal was DELICIOUS! Grazie!

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The Privitera’s

January 4th, 2008

We wanted to thank you during this time of the year for that very special dinner/evening when my husband brought me to San Francisco for the 1st time in my life during the Labor Day Holiday. We have your autographed book on our coffee table, tell everyone about your restaurant and “back east” style and…

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Live From The Field

January 4th, 2008

I first came to Fior in 1981 while in town for a convention and on every subsequent trip to San Francisco. Then years later when I lived in Sacramento I made regular trips to eat at Fior d’ Italia.
My favoirte dish was the Fettuccini di Mama, till it was taken off the menu. Even…

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Another Pleased Customer

December 14th, 2007

We were happy to host the Christmas party of Marsh, one of the world’s leading insurance broker companies, on December 13, 2007. As we only did our job again, we were thrilled to receive the following letter the next day:
Hello Elif,
I just wanted to pass along how pleased everyone was with Fior D’Italia.…

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Christmas Pranzo Menu

December 5th, 2007

Fior d’Italia’s Christmas Pranzo Menu
Award winning Chef Gianni Audieri and his staff are offering the following through the Holiday Season. The Pranzo meal is a great way to celebrate the holidays with some wonderful Italian cuisine from America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant.

Crespelle con Granzevola
**Crepe filled with Crab Meat with Cheese and Butter Sauce**…

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San Francisco Service Charge

December 4th, 2007

Recently customer Barry Wester wrote to us with this comment:

“We recently enjoyed a very good meal at your restaurant, but were surprised that you have a surcharge added to the bill. Why is this?”

Barry, we don’t like it either!

Over the past year the City and County of San Francisco have imposed charges…

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Yes, We’re Open.

December 2nd, 2007

If you wonder whether we are open for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day — the answer is yes!

It’s always yes.

Since 1886, the Fior d’Italia has been open every day (except for the occasional earthquake or fire. But you can hardy blame us, can you?)

But if you wonder…

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EBay for Dining

December 2nd, 2007

We trade stocks. We trade futures and commodities and we even indulge in online auctions.

Now a new innovation in the free-market brings trading to restaurant table reservations. Table Pronto, www.tablepronto.com, allows anybody to buy and sell restaurant reservations online.

Some critics see this as an opportunity for scalpers to take advantage of diners.

But…

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La Befana

December 1st, 2007

When you enter the Fior d’Italia this Christmas you will see an imposing but jolly figure to greet you — the familiar Santa Claus, St. Nicholas or Father Christmas. But you know, dear customers, St. Nick is not any Italian elf.

Oh no. In Italy at this time of the year they celebrate the figure…

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Tommy Lasorda’s Favorite Restaurants

December 1st, 2007

tommylasorda.jpgFrom the blog, Tommy Lasorda’s World: My Favorite Restaurants

Having managed the Dodgers for 20 years, I have had the chance to travel these great United States extensively. I have been enriched because I have met many great people, and have been fortunate to have eaten in the greatest restaurants in the country. Many Americans…

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Michael Medved broadcasts from Fior d’Italia

December 1st, 2007

Want to have some “conservative” fun in liberal San Francisco? Start your holiday season “right”. You’re invited to a special lunch and live radio broadcast with nationally renown radio personality, Michael Medved, at Fior d’Italia– America’s Oldest Italian Restaurant. The lunch and three hour remote broadcast is Monday, December 10 from noon to 3pm.

Fior…

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Holidays at the Fior d’ Italia

December 1st, 2007

The Holidays are here and Fior d’ Italia is busy and the staff is definitely in the spirit. The restaurant is open regular hours everyday and Chef Gianni has a special Holiday Pronzo Meal, with or without wine pairings, through New Year. Bookings have been strong for our private rooms and some days are already…

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THE CHASE SCENE

October 5th, 2007

Richard Kelly and his guests experienced a ride to the Fior d’Italia straight out of the movie Speed.

Richard, wife Karen and friend Charlotte Saleebey had their bellman flag down a cab from the Marriott on Columbus Avenue. It was obvious at once that the man from the Asian subcontinent spoke very little English. But…

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MOMS RISING FOR FUN

October 5th, 2007

Alicia and her birthday hat

Alicia Uecker knew something was up but wasn’t quite sure what. When her 12 female friends also from Ripon (San Joaquin Valley ) drove her to San Francisco for her 40th birthday in August nothing clued her in on the surprise awaiting her. It happened their journey coincided with the day when the Raiders and…

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UNORTHODOX!

October 5th, 2007

Jim Francisco of Sacramento is a sales rep for insulation provider NCFI Polyurethanes, a company that employs the services of independent contractors. But none of them had ever met each other. So on September 21, Jim invited 25 of these important professionals for dinner at the Fior d’Italia.

“I wanted them to get together to…

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