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HISTORY
Rocco's
Cafe on
Folsom Street
offers the
flavor of
Italy with
a taste
of tradition.
As the story
goes, in
1920 a young
Italian
man named
Rocco Coscarelli
immigrated
from Italy.
For years
he worked
in the North
Beach institution,
Fior d'Italia.
Eventually
he saved
enough to
pursue his
American
dream: along
with his
wife, Constatina,
he opened
his own
restaurant
on Mission
and Geneva
called Rocco's
Fine Food,
and a family
tradition
was born.
The Coscarelli's
philosophy
was to treat
the customer
like family.
In fact,
Rocco would
actually
invite customers
from the
restaurant
to come
eat at his
home. For
more than
20 years,
Rocco ran
a successful
business;
the key
ingredients
were quality,
quantity,
and personality.
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Don's
cooking can best be described
as authentic, home-style
Italian food. The key is
"no surprises."
The menu is a list of staples
like Linguini with Clams
in Marinara Sauce ($11.95),
Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato,
Basil and Garlic ($10.95),
and Grilled Polenta with
Sauteed Vegetables ($8.95).
When asked what his specialty
is, Don replies "everything
is special." Don believes
that everything on the menu
should be truly good, or
"why else is it there."
The food and decor at Rocco's
Cafe brings the feeling
of old North Beach to the
South Beach area. It's easy
to see a major part of Don's
"Joy of Cooking"
is the rapport with the
customers. The open kitchen
enables him to have a view
of the entire room, talk
to the customers while he
cooks and tease the wait
staff. Watching Don cook
is always a treat. Flames
from the burners dance in
anticipation of their duty.
If you observe him long
enough, you'll see there
is no skimping. He never
measures anything. Each
dish is an original cooked
with individual attention.
The Calamari sauteed over
Linguini ($13.95) is not
sauteed in oil--to the contrary
there is no oil. Don cooks
the calamari strictly from
the heat and natural juices
constantly flipping the
calamari until he douses
it in wine to create the
flavor. The Chicken Marsala
($13.95) is smothered under
tons of mushrooms, fresh
tomatoes, Marsala wine and
a little half and half.
Everything is fresh; the
only thing pre-cooked are
the sauces. If you order
Eggplant ($11.25) it's cut
from the eggplant on order
and placed directly into
the pan. Want a Hamburger?
They make it on the spot.
No pre-done patties here,
and they are never weighed.
Specials are seasonal like
Crab Cioppino ($15.95) and
traditional winter comfort
food like Rabbit and Polenta
($14.95).
New
customers are often surprised
when they order a piece
of pie and it doesn't look
picture-perfect. The reason
is all the Desserts are
homemade by Don's mother
Leanora. She picks the fruit
from trees in her backyard
and bakes them daily, never
adding any preservatives.
You can never tell what
the Pie Du Jour will be
because it simply depends
on what Leanora feels like
making or what is in season
in her backyard - be it
peaches, apple, or fresh
blackberries. She also makes
a killer Boston Cream Pie,
Chocolate Cream Pie and
Lemon Chiffon ($3.95). So
if the pie crumbles, it's
because there are no fillers.
Don't fret. It's just like
Mom used to make and for
some of us it's better than
Mom could have ever dared
to make.
So if you are looking for
good Italian food, a lively
atmosphere, quick service
and large portions, Rocco's
Cafe is the place.
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