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When chef David Nayfeld opened Che Fico in April, it was San Francisco’s most anticipated restaurant of the year. Nayfeld, who mined his Jewish-Italian heritage to open the second-story taverna on Divisadero Street, along with chef du cuisine, Evan Allumbaugh, of Flour + Water fame, was re-inventing California-Italian: He made pizza using sourdough yeast starters, and pastas, whether crafted completely by hand or by machine in-house, using different flours, hydration levels and offbeat ingredients, like chocolate.
Eight months later, Che Fico (pronounced keh-fee-koh) has drawn comparisons to Zuni Cafe and Delfina and is still the most sought-after table in town. On a recent chilly Saturday night, more than 50 people without reservations formed a line outside the doors of the 100-seat eatery. Perhaps they saw Gwyneth Paltrow and Anderson Cooper gushing on Instagram or they simply know a neighborhood-defining restaurant when they see one. Here’s our experience.
THE VIBE: Che Fico means “what a fig” in Italian. It’s slang for cool or awesome, and this former auto body shop certainly is. Re-imagined by designer Jon de la Cruz, the interior is vibrant and sexy, with fig-covered wallpaper and pops of red, from the tile floors and dried peppers dangling from the raftered, skylit ceiling to the red, glass-encased salumi room. Music is loud, service is swift yet friendly and the wait between primi and secondi can be long. Best get comfortable.
THE FOOD: Sensational. Start with Supplì ($5), an oblong beauty of fried risotto with a gooey fontina and fresh tomato center. It’s like arancini, but delicate and not the least bit greasy. If, like us, you fancy offal once a year, make it the Grilled Chopped Duck Liver ($14), which arrives on a cobalt blue plate with slivers of purple daikon and little saucers of pickled shallots cupping black and white sesame seeds. It’s a stunning and elevated take on traditional Jewish fare.
From the pastas, Guittard Cocoa Garganelle ($28) was a favorite. Chocolate lent richness and savory depth to snappy, hand-pinched tubes of pasta layered with rich, braised guinea hen, balanced by preserved Meyer lemon. Pizzas are inventive and carefully crafted, from the San Francisco Margherita DOC ($20) to the marinara-and-ricotta-salata Ode to Judy Rodgers ($18), the famous Zuni cafe chef.
The standout was Zuckerman Family Farms Honeynut Squash ($20), which hit every flavor profile: Sweet from squash, salty from soft, Crescenza cheese, sour from balsamic vinegar and bitter from braised chicories. Want to conquer potato fatigue? Dig into a side of Roasted Sunchokes ($9), the nutty nobs made impossibly decadent with brown butter, hazelnut, aged Parmigiano and Meyer lemon. Che Fico’s buzz is well-deserved; the food and ambiance — and the struggle to get in — are equally memorable.
DON’T MISS: The cocktails. Named for and centered around fruit and herbs, these dozen drinks ($14 each) feature a base of rum, whiskey or gin. The amaro-and-rum Strawberry, made with smoked Tomatero Farm strawberries, lime and salt, was impressively balanced. Leave room for dessert: Pastry chef Angela Pinkerton’s rustic desserts are exceptional.
DETAILS: Reservations are strongly advised; they open 30 days in advance of the calendar date every evening at midnight. Open from 5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 838 Divisadero St., San Francisco; www.chefico.com
