La Ciccia

"If we could be on a first name basis with any restaurant in this guide, it would be La Ciccia. It’s a small neighborhood spot in Noe Valley with Sardinian food that surpasses almost anything that some of the bigger, fancier places around the city charge way more for. We’d cross six neighborhoods just for the fusilli with uni or the spicy baby octopus stew." - julia chen 1, lani conway

"The pastas at this Sardinian restaurant in Noe Valley lean heavily on seafood, from squid ink fettuccine to fusilli with grated tuna hearts. You could throw the names of every dish in a salad spinner, pull one out at random, and easily end up with something fantastic. If you’re plagued with indecision, go for the spaghetti—simplicity at its finest with just spicy olive oil, garlic, and cured fish roe. It’s also light enough that you won’t feel like knocking right out when you’re done." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong

"There was much hand-wringing among La Ciccia’s hordes of fans when longtime owners Massimiliano Conti and Lorella Degan decided to sell their beloved Noe Valley gem. Thankfully, the new owner, a regular and a neighborhood resident, knew to keep all the best parts of the restaurant in place, continuing to serve La Ciccia’s seafood-centric Sardinian specialties. The wine list now skews a little more towards natural options, but otherwise, it’s still just as charming — and excellent — as ever." - Eater Staff, Flora Tsapovsky

"This Sardinian restaurant in Noe Valley treats seafood dishes with the love and care we show our prized monstera. The spicy, tomato-y broth in the baby octopus stew is straight-up soul-curing. They dress fusilli up with grated tuna heart, and whole prawns are sitting in fragrant basil oil. When you add Sardinian wines and servers who make us feel like a regular to the equation, La Ciccia is a place we want to have a standing date with. " - lani conway, julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez

"One of the city’s best region-specific Italian restaurants can be found in Noe Valley, showcasing Sardinia, (also known as paradise on earth). The wines produced on this little island off Italy’s main peninsula deserve more attention than they get, as does its cuisine. Sardinia has it all and so does La Ciccia, from big bold age-worthy reds to pair with meaty mains and spaghetti tinged with tomato, caramel-colored, sherry-like wines that are excellent companions to the bottarga that is liberally applied to many dishes, and several bright and fruity Vermentino to complement their seafood offerings." - Coral Sisk