Mangarosa – 1548 Stockton St. in North Beach

The good: The food here is great, and combined with the atmosphere it is an awesome experience. The food is Italian with a Brazilian twist. The service is great. If you can, take the suggestions of your waiter: this tactic worked well for me on two separate occasions. The hostess and bartender were very sweet and accommodating when I went back to collect my credit card after leaving it there in a just-fell-off-the-wagon, 2 1/2 glasses of wine haze. Anyway, try the spinach salad or the ahi tuna for an appetizer, and don’t miss the risotto.

The bad: The prices. Definitely too expensive. I’d like some sautéed spinach, sure, but I don’t want to pay an extra $10 for it!

The bottom line: Guys, gals, business-people: if you’re going out and you’re sure someone else is footing the bill, head straight down here. It’s a nice night out anyway, so definitely make it a point to come down here sometime. For a date or a special occasion, perhaps.

The bathroom: Nice! V. clean, and they had some African Safari-looking theme going on in there. Bonus points for a theme!