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Today's Groupon gets you $75 worth of Italian/Brazilian cuisine at Mangarosa in North Beach for $35. Mangarosa offers "a dash of Brazil to the Italian menus that predominate in the popular neighborhood," according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Zagat rates Mangarosa's tropical flavors and fine-dining food as "very good," but rates its servers' ability to tune patrons' guitars as "wicked bad."
The menu is equal parts gourmet fare and casual playfulness. To start, the Chronicle recommends the polenta souffle ($13), "a creamy little patty that's enhanced with tomatoes, basil and cheese," and Gayot recommends the Brazilian-style cheese bread known as Pão de Queijo ($7), comprising "crispy dough balls, stuffed with cheese..." Mangarosa's palate-pleasing poultry, fish, steak, and pasta main dishes are distinctive, flavorful versions of Italian and Brazilian favorites. Try risotto with grilled prawns ($20); house-made gnocchi with roasted garlic, crescenza sauce, and mushrooms ($20); or the signature Brazilian steak réchaud ($33). The steak, a generous portion of meat served on a black iron griddle, "seems to sizzle to the beat of the disco music that blasts from the speakers around the sexy jewel-toned dining room," according to the Chronicle.
Mangarosa serves the Italian/Brazilian fare every day but Monday, but check the restaurant's site for specific hours. Happy hour takes place Tuesday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and features $3 draft beers, $9 premium signature drinks, $6 select appetizers, and the Caipirinha, a Brazilian cocktail made with lime, sugar, and Brazilian rum. Stop by on Thursday at 7 p.m. to see professional samba dancers shake things up in the rich-hued, candlelit restaurant. Mangarosa looks "polished," according to San Francisco Weekly, with "hot-colored walls (rust and purple predominating), wood-columned arches separating the bar from the dining room, and large, brightly colored paintings of fruit and fish." Service is friendly and informative (Zagat rates it "very good").
Reviews
Zagat rated Mangarosa's food, décor, and service "very good." The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Weekly, and Gayot reviewed it:
- San Francisco's proclivity to blend cultures and to deviate from the culinary norm makes for some very interesting eating. It results in places like Mangarosa...The new restaurant adds a welcome dash of Brazil to the Italian menus that predominate in the popular neighborhood. – Michael Bauer, the San Francisco Chronicle
Citysearchers and OpenTable reviewers give Mangarosa four stars. More than 300 Yelpers give it 3.5 stars, and 80% of diners like it on Urbanspoon. Some diners left reviews on Zagat.com:
- Our food was very well prepared and the menu included interesting combinations of flavors and items…service was excellent and informative. – OpenTable user who dined on 12/27/2009
- The fusion of flavors used in their dishes is like dying and having gone to heaven. The food melts in your mouth, the staff happy to recommend dishes if you just cannot make up your mind. – BrighidR2385, Zagat.com
- Wow!…I absoluteley [sic] fell in love with the ambiance and the customer service was excellent. Not to mention the best part, the food! So delish! – kelcamilleri, Citysearch
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Zagat Criteria
You don’t just become a Zagat-rated restaurant for no reason. Straight from Zagat rater Peter Bogard, here are his criteria for determining top-notch restaurants:
- “How difficult would an adult find the maze on the children’s menu?”
- “Do the restaurant’s TVs cover my parents’ silence after I admit I was expelled from dental school?”
- “Are groveling dogs discouraged from wandering the dining area?”
- “When is karaoke night?”
- “Is the cute waitress really flirting with me or just being polite? I should ask for her number. No, I shouldn’t.”
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