Hello carb heaven! Trattoria Bruno is a new fresh pasta pop-up inside Alexander’s Steakhouse SF. It’s named after Chef Eric Upper’s adorable dog. They take pickup orders directly via phone or you can get delivery through a 3rd party app. I tried four of their pastas recently for takeout and enjoyed the easy, but elevated weeknight treat!
Cappellaci – This filled pasta with velvety corn puree was my favorite! Each piece was a little burst of sweet corn flavor, topped with Jimmy Nardello peppers and squash puree. Yuzu kosho butter sauce finished it off. Summer happiness on a plate.
Uni Spaghetti – A close second for me. I liked how the uni cream sauce generously coated each strand of the fresh spaghetti. Two pieces of fresh Santa Barbara uni topped the pasta, as well as grated bottarga (cured fish roe). If you are a uni lover, don’t miss this.
Casoncelli – This wagyu stuffed pasta was another winner with a rich beef butter sauce. Though the portion on this one was quite a bit smaller.
Pappardelle – I thought this was fine, but forgettable compared to the rest. The wagyu ragu was a little dry and didn’t coat the wide pappardelle well. The pappardelle was also thick for my preference. I did like how al dente it was.
I also got the Charcuterie which came with house-made butter and grilled sourdough bread. The bread was perfect for dipping in the rich pasta sauces.
The dinner for two package came with the Casoncelli and Pappardelle, as well as a bottle of 2009 Rosso Toscana which was nicely dry and smooth. I would recommend an appetizer or two to supplement the pasta because of the portions.
