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From Citysearch.com

Comfortable yet upscale, this courtyard Italian restaurant is a Laurel Heights favorite.

The Scene
Walk in past the plant shop and beauty salon to find a pretty little courtyard patio fronting a bustling, low-ceilinged dining room, complete with a pint-sized bar. A clientele of well-heeled city dwellers flock here on sunny days for elegant outdoor dining, and tables fill up fast, even on weekday nights.

The Food
Deep-fried green olives oozing melted mozzarella are worth an extra hour at the gym, as is a chubby portobello mushroom stuffed with chewy, herby sausage bits. Well-made polenta, awash in savory pea-studded gravy, is topped with fatty but succulent short ribs--a better choice for meat eaters than dry grilled lamb over a greasy square of potato gratin. Pasta swirled with pesto and sauteed vegetables is a reliable standard. For dessert, forget the cannoli and go straight for hot honey-glazed doughnuts served with a creamy vanilla gelato shake.

Opentable Reservations

Sociale (say - "SO-SHEE-AH-LAY!") was born in the bistros of Florence and raised here in Presidio heights. Laughter and Italian music are heard floating up from the star-lit, heated patio greeting you from the discreet garden alley below. Leaving the frenetic pace of the city behind, you experience a lighter and decidedly more Italian mood as the irresistible scents of warm pastas, herb-infused meats, and the sweet honey and nut coated sfingi with vanilla bean gelato shake permeate the surrounding space. Bewitching and eclectic wines from Italy and California complement the weekly changing menus that Chef Tia Harrison crafts with joy and delight for our neighborhood friends!

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