Pasta Bene
88 Hardie Place
(at Kearny St)
San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 989-2222
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
204 reviews
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
"This is the best Italian food I've had in San Francisco. If you're like me and avoid the Boyardee gauntlet on Columbus Ave., walk over the…" read more »
53 Reviews for Pasta Bene
When I walked in, I thought this place was great. After I tried the pasta, it was really disappointing. The pasta benne was really not that great. It lacked flavor. And the sauce is better w/ angel hair. Everything is either w/ linguine or fettucine. I think they can really do better since they charge $10 plus for each plat eof pasta. Fuzio only costs $12 and the quality is much better.
eh...it was good and service was good. but not AMAZING. i mean it's just warm pasta with parm cheese.
Umm.. Why on earth are we walking to the back of this alley...
Oh. look at that..there's a sign (and a dumpster).. Oh- Hey- it's a restaurant.. Yeaaaaah..
(walks through door)
And SOLD!
What a cute little lunch spot in the middle of the Financial District! The locals know where they can eat well for cheap b/c this place was pretty busy. It was a bit more dressed up than most other lunch spots with it's white linen table clothes, but the prices are totally comparable with any other sit down in the area.
Our table of 8 was seated immediately by extremely accommodating staff. not so much a bat of an eye. Lots of great looking pastas, salads, and sandwiches on the menu. They also had about four rotating specials, which was cool b/c lunch places normally don't have a lot of specials.
I went with the Farhad's salad- mixed greens, tomato, granny smith apples, walnuts, and goat cheese in a light tasty vinaigrette. I also had 1/2 a turkey sandwich, which came on hearty, crusty bread with plenty of roasted veg. It was very good and the portions were large.
You have the option of either sitting down and waiting for someone to help you with your order, or ordering from the front yourself- which I thought was pretty cool. Oh, and beer and wine are available.
Do yourself a favor here and come by for lunch when you're in town. You will not be disappointed. Great, friendly, speedy service..
Oh, and If you get the strawberries and homemade whip cream for dessert, lemme know.. I might have to try this on my next trip!
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I went here with my friend for lunch today. I really want to like this place, I really do. Its family owned, and the owner was very accommodating and nice. Its the type of place you want to walk away saying "thank you so much for a great meal", while conversing to the owner.
I ordered the Salmon + Linguini, in a spicy alfredo sauce. I was suprised to be delivered a dish with linguini in an alfredo sauce, with lox on top (the type you get in your bagel in the morning). It was O-K, nothing to come back and crave for, but I wasnt impressed. I didnt have the stomach to try the chicken parmigiana, which maybe I'll try next time.
My friend got the Salmon + Fettutini in a tomato-pesto sauce. She liked it, but this, again, was nothing to get excited over. I will definately try again, maybe second time around will be better.
great lunch spot, nice atmosphere, and not super expensive, the one thing that really stands out is the fetticine with bacon and peas. The owner is really cool.
WASH AWAY YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION
**FIRST AND FOREMOST**
I like to thank the owner of this place. One time my coworkers and I came here to eat during lunch and it was pouring rain outside. Although we work a block and a half away we were a$s'd out of an umbrella. We were standing outside of the restaurant and some of my coworkers ran back to the office leaving my other friend and i whimpering about our hair being messed up. The owner came out and handed us a big umbrella to use and said "Take it, return it when you come back." SO SWEET.
I didn't know what to think when I first saw Pasta Bene. It's in an alley, in the back of the alley but there seems to be a good handful of people eating there. After trying this place my co-workers and I would return once a month or anytime we are craving for some good Italian. Love this little Italian Restaurant in the Financial District. It's tucked away back in the alley corner of the place where I sometimes drive in and park my car to make it on time for work. And it seems like everytime I drove into work, i see it, crave it, and we end up eating there for lunch.
I always order the Chicken Parmigina! SO delicious and I always have a little left over for an afternoon snack/early dinner.
Well, I must admit that I didn't know what to make of this place at first. I walked by the alley way that houses it a few weeks ago with a co-worker and we both did the collective, "Ummmm, no" and kept on walking. Today, another co-worker and I decided to grab some grub and I was craving some marinara and cheese lovin with a few carbs and thanks to him, I now know that love can be found in an alley.
(Not THAT kinda love, ya pervs!)
We walked in and it wasn't at all what I expected and I'm still at a slight loss for words on how to really capture the essence of the place via the written word, but it's kinda like an upscale cafeteria-y feel meets a nicer version of an Orange County hotel restaurant with some Pottery Barn thrown in for good measure.
As for the food, I went with the Chicken Parm with the side salad and a glass of SF's finest tap...water. The parm totally hit the spot and I liked the side of pasta as well. The breading is slightly lighter than most typical chicken parms, but I liked that and I don't have that heavy, oh my god, I just ate a big carb heavy Eye-talian meal feeling this afternoon which is a nice bonus.
I would definitely come back here for a cheap lunch and a chance to overhear men is suits say, "I'm gonna get in there and prime the pump if ya know what I'm sayin!" Hmmm, maybe it is alley lovin, what?
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Pasta Bene is not really sure whether it wants to be a cafeteria or a sit down restaurant; I think they'll take your order whichever way you like. Just stand there and look confused and someone will seat you and offer to take your orders from the table if you don't feel like holding a tray.
They make a pretty tasty chicken ravioli, which is perfect for me since I'm off the wine and cake diet I mentioned a few weeks ago and I'm doing a 'things drenched in butter and cream' program now. Ask me about it sometime.
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Was looking for a cheap place that sells Italian food for lunch. Looked over Belden Place but couldn't bring myself to pay a lot of money for pasta.
Found Pasta Bene on Yelp! My friend and I went here. It seems that they sort of did away w/ the cafeteria tray experience because the nice waiter sat us down and handed us the menus.
I ordered the Chicken Parmigina and my friend had the chicken marsala. Both came w/ a yummy house salad. The portions were more than enough. Had the strawberries and cream for dessert. My friend ordered the tiramisu. Dessert was great too.
Service was fast and efficient.
Minus one star for the unisex bathroom. When I went in, I saw the toilet cover down. I flipped it open and was met with a bowl full of urine. Pressing the handle to flush didn't work either. I had to bypass the bathroom until I got back to work. Yuck, PB, please fix your bathroom.
Otherwise, it was a wonderful experience!
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Pasta Bene is one of the financial districts best kept lunchtime secrets.... Well, maybe its not a secret. This place is always busy. Sometimes you will even have to stand in line, so yeah I guess scratch that secretive part.
Due to its back alley location this place only caters to the business lunch crowd and not open past 3pm.... Which is unfortunate because they would probably do well with a dinner crowd.
Its really hidden down the alley way off the beaten path, so its presence is not obvious but you'll find it by the smell. Somewhere within a few block radius you can smell the garlic guiding you and just follow that.... Lucky for me I work in the building next door right next to the little smoking enclave in the alleyway. No, I don't smoke but half my office does and I hate missing out on conversations so I take smoke breaks too. I have an important job though, I hold the matches and tell good stories. I never run out of stories.
Anyway, back to the restaurant. It has large windows so its always sunny in here, has nice high ceilings and sort feels like you're having lunch in your favorite Italian aunts kitchen.... no, I'm not Italian but was just trying to give you a visual. Its warm, inviting and smells really good...... my favorite things to get for lunch are the grilled salmon or the grilled chicken. Perfecto! We also ordered a few different pastas from here for matties birthday lunch a few months ago and everything is made fresh. Then because the owner of this restaurant occasionally takes smokes breaks with us, or loans us matches when I've forgotten to bring them down he always gives us tons of their fresh made bread. He loves us. Of course.
One of my top recommendations for lunch in the financial district. That is if you can find it... just follow your nose.
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Like other people said, this place is located at the end of an dead-end alley. My coworker brought me there, or else I would never have found this place! This place offers cafeteria-like dining service where you order your food at the counter, take a number, and they'll bring it to you. The place, however, is pretty much set up like a restaurant with table cloth, and nice seats. The pasta is tasty every time I come here. This place is just something different, and offer very good price for their food.
My all time favorate is the Gamberetto, Shrimp Linguine served with a creamy tomato based sauce for $10 and comes with soup/salad. I love their spinach soup, so creamy and tasty! I never finish the pasta, they give you a lot!
My girlfriend tried their Tortellini Bolognese special, and it was very herby. I think they put a lot of italian parsley or something in there. I didn't like it that much, but it's just me....
Also, the dessert looks mighty tasty, but I just never have room in my tums to get dessert.... My tums is always full with Gamberetto!
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This is some hangover food right here. These people know that we all live it up a little too much on the weeknights from time to time, and they are here for the sole purpose of greasing our vodka-soaked bellies and bringing us back to life. And at value prices!
If you find yourself contemplating locking your office door, crawling under your desk, and never seeking daylight again, just get yourself together and head to Pasta Bene. This is one cream and oil heavy menu. If you're Ed M, they may make you wait a lot longer than your friends had to wait. But if you were out til 3 a.m. and had to be at work at 9 and now you want to die, it will probably be worth it. Even the soup here is greasy.
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Instead of "pasta good" it should be called "pasta good enough." Chicken Parmigiano was just okay.
The first thing that struck me when arriving here was "Gosh, do I really have to walk into a dead end alley and go around the dumpster to enter this place?" It looked so odd that I actually walked around the corner to see if they had a front entrance.
Once I realized that indeed I would have to inhale a mixture of exhaust from the parking lot across the street and dumpsterific trash to get to this lunch spot I sucked it up, held my breath and ran for it.
I ran straight into a quaint table clothed restaurant which, oddly, requires you to go to a counter and order cafeteria style. It seemed wrong to me to put a plastic tray on a cloth table covering so my lovely lunch companion Matt Mills rolled his eyes at me, called me high maintenance and, like a true gentleman, took my tray away.
VERY quickly our food arrived. I could barely find the ravioli under the super dense creamy sauce it was swimming in. The menu said it was a spinach cream sauce, but unless they used some sort of invisible spinach I never did find any in the overabundance of sauce.
The pasta was cooked to the proper al dente consistency and the sauce, though there was enough of it to drown a small child, was tasty.
If you eat here do yourself a favor and pick a simple pasta with a light sauce, which does not have more than 3 ingredients. Perhaps this way they will not forget one of the main ingredients listed.
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Seldom looked into this dead end street but today my friend took me here. You look at the notice on the window and would think it was for renovation from outside but it was actually Today's Specials!
So you walk a bit downward into the table-clothed with white sheets restaurant. Simple but homey feeling. Service is very basic, you order at the counter and then they deliver the food. Had the special crab ravioli and it was pretty good! It was quite cold inside and I wonder if they never turned the heat on... so wear your sweater if you have to eat here!
This place makes me happy. The guy who runs the place is super sweet and always makes me feel welcome. I always get the Pasta Bene (cause I'm plain like that) and it never fails to make the rest of my day better. It's super satisfying and delicious. Oh! Always go for the salad because the soup is usually flavorless... Other than that it's a great place to eat if you're in the area!
It's closed up!
Had my friends meet me there, but my friend reported that it was all closed up, as in gone for good. This was 4/15/2008. If someone sends me a photo of it operating and says my friend was mistaken, I'll gladly remove this review.
But we ended up going to the mall and having crepes at Melt.
UPDATE: Someone says it's there, but didn't provide any evidence. If you have a picture of the place, comment on this so I can remove this review!
Food gets five stars however, I'm giving it 4 stars for the location. Located right by what looks like a parking lot and a dumpster. No view. I didn't know if it was a restaurant or a cafeteria. I started to get a seat and then saw the little lady at the counter waving for us to come to her and order. She then gave us one of those brown trays and told us to get a seat. Hmmmmm that's weird.... trays on cloth tables. Literally there was nothing on the table but white table clothes. Then out came our food in less than 5 minutes! I had the chicken marsala which came with a side of fettucine, a salad and bread. Total cost: $12.95 It was really good. The chicken was huge and I could barely finish. I am patting my stomach right now in content. My friend ordered the Marco Pollo and loved it. We liked it so much we took their catering menu back to the office.
Great value for the price. I had the gnocchi dish with soup and bread for about $11. A rare find in this neighborhood! The staff were friendly, the place was spacious (arrive early for seating during lunch), it was a nice relaxed feeling atmosphere and doesn't feel like a cafeteria. I came here with a coworker and we both loved what we ordered! I don't understand the negative comments about having to walk down an alley and past dumpsters.. why is that a big deal?
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I usually think of Pasta Bene when the weather is cold/rainy/dark.....but I went for the first time today when it was actually sunny and fairly warm.
The restaurant wasn't as crowded as usual, but the food was good. For about $10 (I think there was some change added to the bill), you can get soup/salad, bread, pasta/sandwich/big salad/entree.
I have always gotten pasta which is saucy and cooked well. I want to go back and get the chicken marsala. Every time I see someone with it I get "entree" envy.
Its sister restaurant Popolo is more $$ and not as tasty. Why is that? Broiled King salmon over fettucini alfredo for under $13? Including salad or soup and bread? It's a deal!
This place is a madhouse at noon. But, thins out miraculously by 1pm.
Great find in a hidden alley in the Financial District. I read about this place on Yelp and was curious to check it out. I was surprised to see how fancy it was inside but that it was also a walk up counter. I had the chicken parmisian and it was excellent. The food was cheap and the atmosphere was nice and I would definitely check it out again.
Decent lunch fare. Ok selection of sandwiches, pastas, salads, soup and their daily specials. The restaurant is nice, spacious, airy and clean. I came here with a girl friend/old co-worker so that we could catch up on each others lives and gossip. If anything, this place is a good spot to talk, not too loud or overcrowded.
I ordered the veggie sandwich. It came with a salad. There was complimentary bread and you can take as much Parmesan cheese as you like. My friend order the penne pasta with meat balls.
I must say that my veggie sandwich was just ok. The bread was kind of hard. It had poppy seeds on it, which I'm not a big fan. Why? Because, only later in the day, do you realize that you've been walking around half the day smiling and chatting with a big black poppy seed stuck between you teeth! Ugh! So annoying! Anyways, the sandwich consisted of grilled zucchini, eggplant, peppers, tomato and lettuce. It appeared to have some red sauce on it. I think it could have been better, maybe softer bread, maybe some cheese, but it was decent. I don't know if my friend enjoyed her lunch but I think she did. Good indication: there was nothing left on her plate.
I think the next time I come here, I am gonna stick with the pasta. I've had their pasta dishes before, and I think that is where they excel. I guess that's why they are called "pasta bene" right? Pasta good!
Total: $22.00, 2 lunch entrees + tip
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I didn't find this place to be all that. maybe i've been spoiled by Pasta Paradiso, maybe i'm having a complainy day. With my usual lunch buddy, tried this place for a working day lunch. Looked appealing as its tucked away in an alley, with a wavy-gravy sign.
In a white-tablecloth setting, i felt that the cafeteria-style order-in-line and take-a-tray process cheapened the experience, being as unnecessary as it was(only a handful of diners, not enough to call a small crowd). The side salad was premade, with take-your-own sliced cold bread in an uncovered basket by the register. I ordered the linguine with chicken and artichokes, my friend ordered a dish of pasta with a red sauce.
The lighting in this place can be a bit brighter(or darker), seemed a tad depressing with high ceilings, few other diners and dim lighting--(i think atmostphere and location-wise the place would be more suitable for a laidback coffee/tea/reading/hideout cafe). The food arrived, my plate of linguine seemed ample, though my partner's dish looked lacking in size(compared to the dishes of pasta paradiso). I was expecting yummy flavorful fresh pasta, but was disappointed. The dish was bland even as I tried to flavor it up w/ salt and pepper(and this I rarely do)..so much for the thought of succulent, grilled/roasted artichokes(only a couple of canned, bland oily chunks). The chicken was stiff and pasta doused with oil, did not taste fresh(no chewy al-dente goodness there). Felt bad for my lunch buddy who went for seconds on the bread to make up for the small ration of pasta.
so nay, I can't really agree with the other reviews here.. For the calories in pasta, it'd better be worth it! The experience was lackluster. I'd suggest pasta paradiso instead(one on spear, new one opening on kearny).
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I just had lunch by myself at Pasta Bene. My lovely lunch buddy, Uttara had to eat with her in-laws, so I decided to venture into uncharted waters by myself. I will be dragging her back with me tomorrow.
Can I just say that I love alleys? At the end of a short alley off Kearny, this little Italian eatery is thriving, and for good reason. Tasty, fresh pasta, friendly service, decent prices, and a soothing, inviting interior.
I'll try not to overlap too much with the other reviews and just offer some advice: know the protocol. Walk in and to the right, get your tray, order mid counter, proceed to the left, take some bread and butter and cheese, pay the cashier, find a table, put your soup or salad on the table, leaving your number card on the tray, and enjoy. Someone will bring you your entre within a few minutes and take away the tray. Maybe it seems like common sense to most, but I kept wondering, "Where do I go next?"
Favorite features: 1. They don't look at you funny when you take a lot of bread and butter. 2. Their cream of mushroom soup actually is really yummy, despite what cream of mushroom soup is supposed to taste like. 3. The pasta comes fast, hot and soaked in sauce (I like having an abundance to sop up with bread). 4. High ceilings.
Update (3/39/07): I just had lunch at Pasta Bene and everything was so salty that nothing was finished. The cream of mushroom soup, the chicken parm, the linguine and even the gorgonzola salad were so heavily salted that I began to wonder if my taste buds were damaged, but Lauren S. was there to confirm my suspicion. Lay off the salt. Please.
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Whenever I start feeling cold and lonely in our medieval cave of an office, it is the Bene Time. Very friendly and polite service. And very very very good food. And as soon as I open my take out box, the light turns brighter and warmer around me... and coworkers start flocking nearby from the other side of the office to eyeball my food. If anyone gets too close to my castle, ahem, sorry, cube, the battle trumpets go on and ...
[Went off to day dream about medieval battle]
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When the weather gets cold I crave pasta. Good pasta.
A chill place to sit down, relax a little and enjoy a great italian lunch with a friend in the middle of the work day. The great thing is I don't feel rushed, like a lot of lunch places, where it's super noisy and people keep looking at their watches, counting the ticking minutes before they have to head back to lunch. People at Pasta Bene actually sit down, enjoy food and conversation. It makes the workday a lot more pleasant. :o)
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YUM! Fresh, in house made pasta. Served quickly enough so you're not tardy getting back to work. Not enough of a draw for you? How about linen lined tables, in a simple and airy dcor, at the end of a quiet alley.
This place is such a great little neigh-undiscovered treasure that I almost don't want to review it because I don't want more people crowding the place. But if you're having a hard time trying to find a new place to eat in FiDi, you have to run to this place.
The Chicken Marsala was a bit average (dry chicken breast is always a no-no) and the sauce could have been reduced more (but I actually really enjoyed the full flavor of the liquor). The pasta side was wonderful --- one of the best I've had in the Bay. The salad was passable, but my wife's cream of mushroom was phenomenal (warning: garlic lovers only).
Expect to spend no more than $15 bucks for lunch including tip. Considering the quality of the food, this is a bargain.
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Solid Italian place in a tucked-away alleyway. When you go into a hidden place and find it full of people that's usually a good sign.
I had the penne and chicken and it was pretty good. Decent prices for Italian. Worth checking out if you're in the area. I rolled up here with a crew from SOMA and its close enough to walk to from Mission St. in 5-10 mins.
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Good pasta at a pretty okay price. $10-11 for a big plate of pasta you probably won't be able to finish (unless you are me) and soup or salad + bread. I haven't found the lunch rush hour to be too bad there. I've been twice and both times I was very pleased.
The pasta sauces are really yummy. I've had the Gamberetto and the Chicken Marsala, and sampled everyone elses. :) I'd say probably one of my favorite lunch places in Financial District.
I hesitate from giving it the full 5 stars because the owner who works the counter is kind of mean.
I'm all about the carbs baby! This place looks like a nice restaurant (actual table cloths, good food) but is very affordable. For $8-10 you get a plate of pasta and it comes with a cup of soup or a side salad. You order at the counter and get served at your table. There is no way you'd ever see this place if you didn't know where to look because it's in an alley off Kearney. Definite downtown lunch staple when you want a bona fide meal.
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We came here after winning our motion in court. This was a celebratory lunch, and I got to choose the place. The lead attorney just wanted it somewhere near the office. Yelp helped me decide.
They had some pasta drying behind the counter, suggesting that they make their own pasta here. I had penne, which was very soft and better than the kind I buy at Costco. My roomate has made pasta before, and self-made pasta is always exponentially better than store-bought. And my taste buds told me that the pasta I had was made on site. However, I don't have a very discriminating palette, so I may be wrong. Either way it was delicious.
Pasta Bene is such a nice little find. Sampled the Gambretto - fettuchini with shrimp & mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce with herbs. It was perfectly done. Salad wasnt all that, but i wasnt in the mood for soup- it looked awfully rich. I would have passed out at my desk from digestion fatigue if i had two servings fo cream. Nice place to go with co-workers or alone. Entrees range from 8.00-10.00 and I had enough leftover to take home for lunch the next day.
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Good, cheap food. The chicken marsala is great. Be forewarned that this place is only open for lunch during the weekdays! Lunch includes your choice of soup or salad.
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Wow. So I feel like I just took a mini trip to Europe on my lunch break. Not bad! I don't know quite why this felt so unique to me-maybe because I'm used to eating at the food court in Crocker Galleria-but something about the location on a tucked away alley, the cream colored walls, the high ceilings, the mellow classical music...it was very stunning! I also encountered a lot of eateries of this same style when I lived in Europe-places that lack the formal, fine-dinning vibe, but serve food of that same exact caliber without fail. High class, high quality joints, basically, without the status factor...simple as that.
I went up to the counter in the back and ordered a creamy linguine dish, and they let me sub salmon for prosciutto, which I really appreciated (I am QUEEN of asking for subs in restaurants, since I am a pescatarian). Some places accommodate me really reluctantly, but at Pasta Bene, the guy taking my order (who I presume to be the owner or manager...super Italian and super nice) was thrilled to fix the dish with salmon with me! He even asked me if I wanted any additional subs or changes.
They have a buffet-style bread, butter, parmesan cheese and ice water set-up (i.e., as in as much as you want), and then they give you a side salad, complete with perfect tomatoes! A server then brought my pasta out to me at my table, and it was amazing...like my dream pasta dish, really...linguine, peas, sauted mushrooms, and salmon with a light cream sauce (the sauce could have used a bit more salt and garlic maybe? but I'm a big garlic whore.) The salmon was to die for...perfectly grilled to the point where it just flaked apart so tenderly. Very impressed with the whole meal, overall.
The price was steeper than what I am used to over at Crocker Galleria, needless to say, but I really enjoyed the experience. Anything that is reminiscent of my Euro lifestyle, I will certainly shell out a bit more dough than usual! And if you tend to prefer big meals, this will be your kind of place...I personally left with a doggie-bag, but I'm sure a lot of folks are fans or complete lunches that properly fuel them up for the afternoon...this place will do just that.
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Something about really good Italian that you just can't contest. This place is very non-descript little spot downtown with nice white tablecloths and a deceptively casual lunch environment. I got the Pasta Bolongnese special with salad, bread and an ice tea for about $11. Not bad considering how full I am right now. This is a great spot to have lunch and chat without feeling rushed. And, can I just say, I like going down the stairs and having the big windows pour in sunlight in on my lunch from above...
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Hidden in a stubby alley off Kearny is a great lunchtime pasta joint called Pasta Bene. For about $10, you can get some good pasta, a decent size salad and some bread too. They have daily specials (I like the penne sausage in a cream sauce) and sandwiches as well. Although you order at the register, you get to sit in a nice airy room with tall ceilings and white clothed tables. Pasta Bene is a new favorite for my lunch time FIDI/SOMA rotation.
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A little oasis of calm in the FiDi. I dig that it's in the back of an alley to which you can escape for an hour at lunch. Lots of selection - I'll definitely be back!
Special thanks to the men of Yelp(Michael, Nish & Neil) for this find!
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A perfect inspection card!! And, its in an alley. I like alleys.
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I really like this pasta place and here's why:
1. good pasta. best place to go hands down when you're craving pasta of any kind.
2. when you order pasta they give you a salad or soup, as much bread and butter as you want, and a glass of water, all included
3. the set-up is super efficient and easy - you get a tray, put your stuff on and walk toward the cash register.
4. they bring your pasta very fast and right to your table.
5. it's affordable
6. it's close to my work
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