The Fiorella team was ahead of the game with what has become a post-pandemic trend, with smaller, more affordable hoods like West Portal and Parkside luring restaurateurs with their less judgy, just-happy-you’re-here residents. Now, Noe Valley — which a couple of years ago got chef Brandon Jew’s Mamahuhu and, as of this spring, spots like Dumpling Kitchen and Todo el Dia — is having its moment. (Full disclosure: I am a partner in Tacolicious, the restaurant group that owns Todo el Dia.)
Chef and co-owner Brandon Gillis, whose partner is Boris Nemchenok, says they chose Noe with intention. “We want to appeal to Monday-night mom and dads who say, ‘I don’t want to cook — fuck it, let’s get the kids and go out.’ And then Friday night rolls around, and the same parents go on a date.” Sure enough, on a recent weeknight, Fiorella’s was packed with parents and kids.
Hot tip: If a regularly scheduled date night is what keeps a marriage kicking, it’ll be that much more successful if it starts with a spritz. Bar manager Daniel Burns went deep into researching the history of the effervescent low-ABV Italian cocktail. There are 12 to choose from, including the Purple Rain ($15), made with lemon juice, prosecco and fresh blueberry amaro. “It’s not sweet. It has a great amount of frizzante — it’s my favorite,” says Gillis.