It was a slightly chilly winter evening. The woman I was meeting had a lust for Italian food and the atmosphere of Sociale seemed perfect. We met at the corner of Sacramento and Arguello and hurriedly walked towards the restaurant. She had never been there before, so when I quickly whisked her into the alley like walk way to the covered, heater laden Piazza that served as the outside dining area in front of the restaurant I could see the look in her eye fill with excitement. It isn't often that a dining interlude is filled with such intrigue.
But, Sociale offers that ambiance before you enter the somewhat modernized dining room. Although expecting to find hidden, rustic, old world Italian cafe, your eyes are graced with a bit of playful, elegant, Pacific Heights neighborhood chic.
We asked for a table in the corner and were accommodated without any hesitation. I had longed for this night for sometime. I dreamt of it, often, before I went to sleep.
The thought of the deep fried olives, the same dish that I tasted here three years earlier, and had made my standard appetizer before diner, were as crisp on the outside and as succulent on the inside as I had remembered. They haunt me on occasion as I sleep.
But nothing compares to the Chicken cooked by brick. It is one of the best I have had in The City. Sociale also has a very interesting wine list and the desserts are spectacular.
It is the perfect evening to bring a woman for dinner. Especially, your wife.
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