The chicken liver spiedini ($7) are even better: Three meaty livers come grilled and skewered atop thinly sliced grilled bread topped with a potent garlicky gremolata and sweet marsala sauce that focus the iron-y richness of the livers. Lumaconi pasta ($17) studded with smoky speck, bitter puntarelle, and lemon-y breadcrumbs is a solid choice as well. It verges on too salty, but the creamy sauce keeps the toothsome pasta in balance.

The "secret" meatballs are made from a trio of beef, pork, and cured guanciale. Photo: Kate Williams

Yet if there’s one dish that has inspired more simultaneous praise and consternation, it’s the "secret" meatballs ($12). Not listed on the menu, but cheerfully introduced by servers, the trio of earthy, guanciale-laced beef and pork meatballs served in a wine-forward tomato sauce are indicative of Tosca’s ethos. Like the rest of the dishes on the menu, the meatballs are expertly prepared—one cannot even think the words “dry” or “tough” in their presence—but, at $4 per meatball, they verge on extravagantly expensive. (Tosca has actually lowered the price on the special; at opening the meatballs were $15.) For a dish of peasant origins, the cost is laughable.

I suppose you’re paying for more than just the meatballs. Tosca’s renovation has affected more than just the kitchen. Everything in the restaurant is polished, from the espresso machine to the red leather boots to the bartenders’ crisp white coats. The room feels like a time warp; Tosca effortlessly evokes a mid-century ethos of aspiration. Service is sunny, sharp, and attentive, even when dining in the crowded bar area (a wait for a table at 5pm on a Sunday was close to 2 hours). It is as if Bloomfield managed to conjure the best of New York service and meld it with the utter casualness of San Francisco.

Even with great service, I find it hard to justify a full, multicourse meal at Tosca, at least until I’ve got a tech-sized salary. But I find no problem in dropping in for a drink, a few meatballs, and a roasted vegetable or two. I might just have to go out for a slice of pizza afterwards.

Information:
Tosca Cafe
Address: Map
242 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
Facebook: Tosca Cafe
Twitter: @ToscaCafeSF

April BloomfieldApril Bloomfield

Tosca Cafe: The Revamped North Beach Classic Serves Excellent Italian Fare, For a Price