“The sign at Il Pollaio is like a Cubist 1980s video game design. Obviously, the restaurant opened in 1982. Not so obvious, they never made the blunder many establishments do of remodeling for the sake of remodeling. Fashions ebb and flow; that which is cool is timeless. I think Ralph Lauren said that. Michael Bauer, former SF Chronicle food critic said good things about this place. The staff at Il Pollaio wear t-shirts with Bauer's quote printed on them. I can't really remember the details of the encomiums, but it's not a bad article. You should read it. The Chronicle will allow you to look at a limited number of their pieces online. In the age of social media, the world has lost the professional dilettante. For all his faults, I wish Bauer would still do reviews. Perhaps he wasn't the most exploratory critic, or the best writer, but he's preferable to his successor, Soleil Ho. Not only is Soleil a hack, but a crusading hack, a hack on a mission. Back to Il Pollaio... It was founded by a man from a Calabrian man. That is, a Calabrian by was of Argentina. With his chickens, he merged his two backgrounds. The chickens are spatchcocked and grilled (over gas). Cooking a splayed animal over fire represents the Argentine. Giving the bird a rub with garlic, herbs and spices before grilling represents the Italian. It is honest, no frills cooking. The crispy skin is imbued with the flavor of the fire. The seasonings - olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme - add savory depth. Perfectly cooked, somehow, even the white meat is moist. The waiter gave me a plastic squeeze bottle filled with chunky, brick red sauce. It is the kind of sauce you find at Italian or Greek restaurants where the Mexican cooks have been given their freedom. That means more capsaicin. It is also the most affordable meal in North Beach. You can get a half chicken here for $16. In a neighborhood that sells spaghetti pomodoro for $23 a bowl, that is a bargain.“
“OMG we’ve been dreaming of their milanesa sandwich for years and we just discovered that this location makes them fresh to order! Allow 15-20mins but trust it’s worth the wait ? hands down one of the best milanesas! Grab some empanadas while you wait- we had the mushroom and carne empanadas and they were delicious. Going to grab some empanadas to go as they can be reheated later and enjoyed ? if you haven’t tried Javi’s this is your sign that you must ?“
“Small spot in the Salesforce travel plaza. Wide selection of meat, veggie, vegan empanadas that are heated up on ordering. There's a selection of salads, soups and a couple of desserts. Everything we tried was great and tasted very good. The guy behind the counter was great. Turned out to be super convenient for a snack on a Sunday evening and I'll be stopping by at other times too.“
Argentine • $
“Very good meat pocket. I had their espinacas $7 (spinach, bacon cheese.) It was delicious! It was served warm and without a wait. The ladies at the counter recommended this one. This was my first time here and had no idea what to order. Her commendation was spot on. Good job crew at El Porteno!“
“Delicious empanadas! Fillings are always flavorful and the crust is so buttery and flakey. My favorite is the mushroom one. Don't forget to add a side of chimichurri, probably the best tasting kind I've had. It is really expensive though. Each empanada basically comes out to $7 and the chimichurri is $1.50 for such a small amount.“
“The place is nice and quite common within the area, the people who serve are very friendly and the coffees are very delicious. Taking out the empanadas they have, I didn't see many other Argentine things, I expected more bakery related to Argentina but there wasn't much.“