Cinecittà Ristorante & Bar, San Francisco

Just outside the walls of Vatican City decades ago, the smell of fresh pizza hung in the air. It came from a pizzeria owned by [Romina Tiberia](http://www.cinecittarestaurant.com/#!about)’s grandfather, or nonno, who in addition to serving his customers true Roman-style pizzas, spent his days teaching his granddaughter how to make them. When Romina later relocated to San Francisco, her grandfather’s pizza lingered in her mind, but she noticed a distinct lack in restaurants serving the thin-crusted Roman-style pies. She set out to change that. Using her nonno’s recipe book, she created the [menu](http://www.cinecittarestaurant.com/#!menu) for Cinecittà, an Italian bistro centered on Roman-inspired dishes. Meals begin with antipasti such as le crescentine, crisp dumplings filled with imported anchovies and ricotta, before delving into eggplant calzones or a di roma panini with prosciutto, pepperoni, and mozzarella. Naturally, much of Romina’s menu is devoted to pizza, much like a champion chariot racer’s diet, boasting specialty pies such as a Fabraterius, topped in rosemary potatoes and mascarpone.