San Sabino
On March 12th, 2024, I dined at San Sabino, a new restaurant from the hubsand-and-wife duo Angie Rito and Scott Tacinello of the one and only, Don Angie (which is conveniently located next door).
My friend had made us a reservation for four, and from what I could gather, walk-in seating is available at the bar.
The Italian seafood-centric menu features a variety of handmade pastas, and is inspired by the coasts of America. The menu here is adventurous, and you won’t find too many mainstream dishes or flavor combinations, but it WORKS.
I was a bit skeptical of some of the concepts (think: “shrimp parm”) but can confidently say that we enjoyed all twelve dishes we ordered. There isn’t a single thing we tried that I would advise you to steer clear of, and below you will find a more detailed description of each dish to help you with your own ordering process!
Cheesy Frittelle ($14) ★★★★☆
We started the meal with these Cheesy Frittelles with orange blossom honey and saffron. They were light and flaky, with a gooey and cheesy center, and a crispy sweet outside. They were a great bite to kick the meal off with!
Crab & Mortadella Dip ($18) ★★★★☆
We shared an order of the Crab & Mortadella dip with dill, pistachio, and Ritz Crackers. I didn’t have high expectations for this dish- especially with a store-bought cracker being the vehicle for the dip, but I was pleasantly surprised, and would order this again!
Octopus Carpaccio ($22) ★★★★☆
The Octopus Carpaccio with spicy capocollo, garlic potatoes, and a side of (unpictured) grilled sourdough is unique in both presentation and flavor. The octopus/capocollo is salty and soft, and pairs nicely with the crunchy sourdough.
Spicy Tuna ($19) ★★★★★
The spicy tuna is served with broken arancini (fried Italian rice balls), Rabe Furikake, and Charred Scallion Crema. This is not a combination that made sense to me on paper, but this turned out to be one of my favorite dishes of the meal, and is a “must order” dish! Simply put, it is like an Italian take on tuna crispy rice, and it works.
Lobster Triangoli ($38) ★★★★★
We tried three pastas here, and each was excellent, with these Lobster Triangoli being our favorite. The pasta itself is thin with a perfectly chewy bite to it, and the lobster filling is rich and indulgent. It’s topped with a creamy white vodka sauce and lots of black garlic. I’d come back for this dish and this dish alone.
Stuffed Farfalle ($32) ★★★★☆
These Stuffed Farfalle filled with smoked chili crab and chives were really special. I’ve never seen a stuffed farfalle shape before, and these had a great ratio of filling to pasta dough. The pasta itself was a bit thicker, and also had a great chewy bite to it. The crab filling was soft and flavorful, and I’d say this is also a “must order” dish.
Pasta alle Vongole ($29) ★★★★☆
The Pasta alle Vongole features a long and tangly homemade fusilli with Manila clams and aji amarillo. The pasta itself was excellent, but this dish was difficult for me to eat as it had cilantro in it, which unfortunately the menu doesn’t mention. If you don’t mind cilantro, I’m confident you will enjoy this!
Shrimp Parm ($38) ★★★★★
This Shrimp Parm with breaded and fried shrimp served in a sweet and sour arrabbiata sauce has quickly become San Sabino’s most iconic dish. I wasn’t particularly excited to try this, but it blew me away! The shrimp had a thick and well-seasoned coating of breading, and a meaty texture, and paired beautifully with the unique arrabbiata sauce. This is absolutely a “must order” dish.
Steak “Magazzino” ($39) ★★★★☆
We enjoyed the breaded steak with anchovy chili crisp, pine nuts, and lemon. It was tender and juicy, and the toppings added a welcome crunchy texture. For me, this wasn’t a “must-order” dish, but I’d enjoy a bite or two if it were on the table.
Caramelized Crespelle ($15) ★★★★☆
There were three desserts on the menu, and we tried all of them. My favorite was this Caramelized Crespelle with Italian Rum Crema, and Key Lime filling. Again, this is not a combination that was immediately obvious or appealing to me, but it worked!
Gelato Viennese ($14) ★★★★☆
The Gelato Viennese with torta caprese and burnt hazelnut caramel was well balanced and enjoyable. I wouldn’t say it’s a “must order” item, but I enjoyed sharing a few bites of it with the table.
Toasted Rice Panna Cotta ($12) ★★★★☆
This toasted rice panna cotta with Sicilian pistachio and young coconut was unique, sweet, and light with a variety of different layers and textures. I don’t personally love coconut, so this dish did not do it for me, but it was objectively very good, and I enjoyed the toasted rice at the bottom of the glass.