The Oakland Pasta Edit
When Jen told me she was working on an Oakland pasta edition, I knew we were in for a real treat. I grew up in an Italian-American family where we ate pasta every Sunday, and my relatives definitely fit some of the television stereotypes; people would say certain words without all the required syllables (mozzarella for example is just muutzahrell, capicola is gabba-ghoul) and everyone called marinara just “sauce”. Since it’s Sunday, it feels like the right time to send you out into the world for a nice hearty Italian meal. Here’s Jen’s take on the top 5 spots to get pasta in Oakland:
Oakland Pasta Edit
For a while (like, 1.5 years), I was trying to lose “that last five pounds” of baby weight. But then I decided that “meal replacement smoothies” are total bullshit and gave up and just started eating tons of pasta. Because pasta is good. Pasta makes you feel better and kinda like a Soprano. And Oakland has some GREAT pasta. Here are some of my faves.
Mama
Mama, which is on Grand Ave near Lake Merritt, just opened in July. Stellar second or third date spot. It’s intimate, with Instagrammable light fixtures, feel-good floral arrangements, and a vibe that manages to be chic, airy, and laid back all at the same time (hard to pull off). The name is in homage to an actual mama (co-owner Stevie Stacionis’ mom, who immigrated to the U.S from the Abruzzo region) and did hospitality like only Italian mamas do. Her portrait is on the wall.
It’s a tasting menu with only two items per bucket, which, for a decision-fatigued person like myself, is a wondrous gift. And at $29.95 for the whole shebang, it’s very Bay-Area-affordable. I had the garganelli "cacio e pepe" with sweet corn, basil and sun gold tomatoes, which was *Italian chef kiss* and the olive oil cake with pluots, mascarpone, and tarragon, which was also divine. Their menu changes weekly, sometimes daily, so you’re always going to get something fresh.
Another godsend? Their wine menu, which has an illustrated key—perfect for people like me who will forever be incapable of ordering wine with confidence. I dug into the Where the Wild Things Are offerings (wild, natural, raw) and my husband geeked out over the “Baller” section.
It’s clear they know their wine here. Makes sense, because the husband/wife team who opened Mama (Stacioni and Josiah Baldivino) are also behind the tasting room/wine shop Bay Grape just a few doors down, a fun spot in its own right to spend some clock hours. To give you a sense of its Bay Grape’s cool quotient, they were playing Tame Impala on vinyl when I was there. I also spotted a 2 Live Crew cassette tape. Maybe wear high-waisted jeans. Bay Grape and then Mama is a great 1-2 date night combo.
Belotti Ristorante e Bottega
Belotti (on College Ave in Rockridge) is one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. Reservations can be tough (it’s consistently on “best of” lists), but it’s worth it. Chef/co-owner Michele Belotti was born and raised in a small town northeast of Milan, and honed his cooking chops at several Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Italy. The result is some of the most perfect pasta I’ve ever tasted (and I’ve been to Italy). The fare is “traditional Italian with a modern touch,” and their entire menu is excellent (I’ve tried nearly everything—what baby weight?). But my favorites are the meatier options—specifically the casoncelli (Belotti’s mom’s lombardian-style stuffed pasta with beef, prosciutto and pork shoulder), and the tagliatelle marinated in wild boar sugo. Just do yourself a favor and go here.
For those who can’t wait for a reservation, fantastic news. You can still try Belotti’s pasta at Belotti Bottega, it’s new(ish) storefront and quick service restaurant on Piedmont Ave. There, you can get fresh lasagna, pappardelle, agnolotti, gnocchi, tagliatelle, as well as a variable "pasta of the day" to go. Hello, elevated night in. Or you can eat one of their prepared dishes on the spot.
Lo Coco’s
The tonier foodies among us may not be down with Lo Coco’s (it’s carpeted), but if you’re craving fatty, big-portioned, no-frills Italian-American pasta in a place where you can get marinara all over your face and not feel bad about it, this is the spot. My twin toddlers shoveled their fettuccine alfredo like it was the end of the world. Go hungry, leave uncomfortably full.
A16
Fun fact: Rockridge’s A16 (SF transplant) gets its name from the highway that runs from Napoli to Bari. They’re known for their authentic Pizza Napolitana, but their rustic pastas are excellent as well. The move is to go to their apertivo hour (5-6:30 pm nightly) and do as the Italians do, “opening the palate” before dinner with drinks and finger food. The apertivo menu features cocktails (gotta get a negroni), Italian beers, and Southern Italian wines accompanied by complimentary stuzzichino (Italian for “nibbles”) like salumi, cheese, and nuts. Then stay on for pizza and pasta.
Pizzaiolo
Another mainstay in my life. We maybe order pizza from Pizzaiolo (they are on Caviar!) once a week and I maybe eat an entire pie. My husband told me never to admit that but I just did. So, dining here is magic. It’s comfortable, it’s rustic, there’s a woodfire oven in the middle of the dining room, and the clientele is always cool in a way that’s interesting and not annoying. Lots of casual, messy buns that just work (why can I never do that hairstyle?). Anyway, outside of their pizzas, I highly recommend their rigatoni alla bolognese and tagliatelle with chanterelle mushrooms. Also! They have an awesome back patio, which is open May through October. In the summer, they even show movies out there. ET is on tap for August 29th.
So, what else should we try? What’s your favorite Oakland pasta joint? Let us know!
Prefer liquid carbs? Take a look here for wine to try.