Café San Pietro: First Date Mecca

Restaurants, like people, have different personalities. Some restaurants are fun and casual, others are haughty and pretentious. There are restaurants that are struggling with their identity and restaurants that coast on historically good reputations but have basically stopped trying.

is a casual, approachable restaurant. Its personality is welcoming and not flashy (I actually walked by it on my first pass). The storefront is unassuming and marked by a few tables set up for outdoor dining.

Café San Pietro is a BYOB but they serve alcohol on Fridays and Saturdays as well. I began with a glass of chianti which was fruit forward, smooth and easy to drink. The bread service was satisfactory, if a touch dry. 

We started with the caprese salad, the house salad and a straciatella. This Italian egg-drop soup was thick and hearty, with rich chicken broth and curds of cooked egg. It was seasoned aggressively—which I liked, but my dining companion found salty.

The house salad had a subtle sweet and creamy vinaigrette tossed with strips of romaine, arugula, radicchio and tomato wedges. It was a decent salad—well balanced, and didn’t require any added salt or pepper.

The caprese salad had half moons of thick fresh mozzarella atop tomato rounds with some chopped basil. There was a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. It was good, but improved greatly with some balsamic vinegar and more salt and pepper. This is one of my favorite salads to enjoy in the summer.

For our entrees we had the fettuccini San Pietro, the penne alla vodka and the tuna special. The “medium rare” tuna we ordered arrived more cooked than expected but the onion balsamic reduction was a wonderful sauce for the fish. Slightly sweet with some savory notes from the cooked onion, the reduction had a glossy finish and great body. The side of carrots and green beans also paired well with the sauce since both vegetables go well with balsamic vinegar and onions.

The penne alla vodka arrived as a brimming bowl of pasta with chunks of salmon in a creamy tomato sauce. The penne was cooked a perfect al dente. The sauce improved with each bite so what seemed just ok in the beginning was completely addicting by the end. The sauce tasted of tomato, heavy cream and just a splash of vodka. The only downside to the dish was the overcooked salmon. Though generous in volume, the salmon was cooked until the pieces were chewy.

The fettuccini San Pietro was overflowing with shellfish. The mountain of mussels and clams on top of a huge portion of pasta made my companion’s eyes get as big as saucers. Our server brought over a bowl for empty shells without our asking which was nice. The shellfish was a touch overcooked and the broth was mostly clam juice but the dish wasn’t bad. I would say it was a rougher version of what I’m used to. The broth could have been mellowed out with some white wine or butter (or both).

The service was quite friendly and cooperative. At leasat three different people came to bring our food, check in on us, answer our questions and refill our water glasses. I could tell who our main server was, but it was nice to see such a team effort on a busy night. The staff is on the younger side and mostly female.

The décor is casually elegant, with cloth napkins, wooden tables, plenty of plants, dusty rose colored walls and a light mustard tiled floor. The dining area has a lively atmosphere and there are families and all sorts of couples in the mix. The outdoor dining area in the back is a small wooden deck with a scattering of tables. Though I usually prefer dining outdoors, at Café San Pietro I prefer the indoor area. There is a pleasant and welcoming energy inside. The affordable menu, the atmosphere and the option to bring your own wine make this place ideal for a first date for a young couple.