Cotogna

490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA

The star—the dish people write entire love letters, blogs, and think pieces about is the giant raviolo. One massive, yolk-filled pillow that feels almost indecent when you cut into it. Bright orange yolk bleeding into brown butter and sage like a Francis Bacon painting you can eat. It’s a dish that stops the table cold, shuts everyone up mid-conversation, because you have to respect it.

Cotogna is one of those rare places that understands balance. Downtown but unpretentious. Elegant but brutal in the kitchen. It’s a reminder that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be profound, it just has to be cooked by people who care.