Last Friday night eats was at a Firefly, a quaint neighborhood restaurant that’s tucked away in a residential area of Noe Valley. Upon entering you get the sense that the place is mostly frequented by locals. The atmosphere was lively without being noisy and felt very warm and inviting.
After ordering, they brought out a loaf of bread that was complimented with a carrot and bean spread. It was so delicious I very nearly licked all of it off the knife, until the hubs gave me his please don’t embarrass me look. We ordered the Dueling Kona Kampachi, as an appetizer, which is a white fish prepared two ways, grilled and tartare. The grilled version had a sweet buttery taste but the tartare was light and refreshing. The hubs had the Seared Scallops entree, which he ordered after seeing so many other diners ordering it as well. I’m not a big fan of scallops but these were a-mazing. So good that next time I want to order my own plate and have each and every one of them to myself. Ever see the Friends episode where Joey gets upset that his date tried his food? Yeah, well, that’s how I’d feel about these scallops!
I ordered the Roasted Duck Breast, which was very flavorful, especially when paired with the figs. The hubs and I opted to skip dessert in hopes of finding something else and I’m so glad we did! Just down the street from Firefly, we stumbled upon Pasta Gina, an Italian deli/specialty market. We walked in unsure of whether they even had any desserts and almost walked straight out of there since all we saw were savory items, until I saw a sign for fresh cannoli. Being from NYC, the hubs and I have missed all the wonderful italian pastry shops and being able to grab a good cannoli whenever we wanted. Well, let me tell you, this did not disappoint! It was better than a lot of cannoli’s we’ve had in NY. Even at a whopping $6 a piece, I highly recommend trying the cannolis here. They were filled to order so that the shell stayed fresh and crunchy. The filling was just the right amount of sweetness with chocolate chips sprinkled throughout.
If you’re looking for a neighborhood-y restaurant with delicious food, attentive staff, and an unpretentious atmosphere without having to make a reservation weeks in advance, I’d recommend Firefly. And if you ever need a lovely take-out option, I’d suggest giving Pasta Gina a try. With a selection of pasta, cheese, wine, and dessert, you can pick up a whole meal for a romantic night in ;).
Firefly
4288 24th Street, between Diamond & Douglass St.
Pasta Gina
741 Diamond Street, between 24th & Elizabeth St.
A Sprinkle of Adventure 