Enrico’s Sidewalk Café – Broadway & Kearny – North Beach

The good: The food. Consistently good, which can be tricky. Try the pork chop or the chicken, try the gnocchi. Good salmon, too. The outdoor patio seating is awesome, but make sure it’s a warm night because it can be chilly. They don’t take reservations for the patio, but you can usually smooth right in if you’re willing to chill out for a couple of minutes. If you sit inside, there will be a cool jazz band playing that is usually fun and not too loud.

The bad: The area – brought my mother there when she was in town and unavoidable view from the dinner table was a sweet little video store across the street called “NASTIEST VIDEOS IN TOWN: XXXX.” Lovely. I made sure we got a picture in front of that one for the baby book… alas, smut is part of North Beach’s charm so you must look past it. Oh, the wine list could be much better.

The bottom line: Great place to bring out-of-towners, especially those who don’t have the luxury of outdoor seating for most of the year. They’re kid-friendly, too.

The bathroom: I have to say, it is pretty treacherous. It is perpetually flooded (North Beach is due for a new drainage system so when it rains, to many shopkeepers’ dismay, the buildings often flood), and the experience is further hampered by a suspicious potpourri scent that I had trouble identifying at first. Ah yes, I’ve got it now: whorehouse, that’s the scent. Anyhow the bathroom reminds me of a frat house basement: not really acceptable for a stand-up restaurant.