With a little under 40,000 Italian population in San Francisco alone, we’re home to one of the stronger Italian demographics in California. Our rich Italian immigrant history since the 1800s (no surprise) has left a permanent mark on our food and drink, from our wine regions and grape varieties, to Italian-immigrant-created local dishes like cioppino.
Thus, our Italian restaurants are deep and plentiful, whether exploring regions of Italy, two and three Michelin Italian icons (looking at you, Quince and Acquerello), old school American-Italian gems, cozy trattorias or forward-thinking pasta pioneers. In this two-part series, I dig into nine Italian greats — new and seasoned — starting with these four (part two is here).
Deliciously Dramatic Itameshi Cuisine at the Base of the Transamerica: Ama by Brad Kilgore, FiDi
At the base of the Transamerica Pyramid and serving chef Brad Kilgore’s unique, bold stylings of itameshi (Italian-Japanese) cuisine, hip but fine dining Ama opened September 24, 2025. From hard hat previews well before it opened to the launch party, I was wowed by the space first and foremost. It’s a stunner.
To urge diners to be present while preserving the surprise of the the striking 70s-chic lounge — Ama Social Club — complete vinyl station and pinball machines in warm woods and rust oranges, no photos are allowed of the space, only of dishes and drinks (people are abusing this each time I’m there but the staff gently, kindly ask diners to refrain).
There is an intimate front bar and dining Copper Room, a gorgeous outdoor “lounge” and bar with couches and tables under redwood trees and the glow of the towering Transamerica, sometimes with live music or DJs. It’s one of the most transporting, seductive spaces to come along in years. I’ve been here when the Social Club is a chill dining room as when it’s DJ-soaked, “dressed to impress” scene.
Next door is the casual, all-day Kilgore cafe, Cafe Sebastian, a worthy stop for its baked in-house pastries, bread and range of dishes, plus desserts at Madlab Gelato & Kakigori, housed inside the cafe. Kilgore’s group caters for the Transamerica pyramid’s offices and runs their 48th-floor bar with sweeping views.
Caveats: November 2025, I hosted the first in a bi-monthly series of spirits and cocktail dinners paired with my own music playlist from my 10,000+ albums at Ama. Held in their hidden Social Club, I collaborate with chef Brad and Julian Uribe, F&B director for Kilgore’s bi-coastal restaurant group (with restaurants in Miami and Latin America). With chef’s tasting menus, I pair different spirits categories and cocktails, as well as music inspired by drinks I’m choosing. We kicked off with amari, both Italian and American amaro, which I paired with Italian pop from the 1960s-70s. FYI: our next dinner is Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
THE Dish (or Dishes) To Order: James Beard-nominated Kilgore crafts Italian-Japanese like you’ve never seen. Arguably, the pastas are the heart and soul of the place — as is a crispy, laminated, lighter-than-air fuji-san brioche loaf spread with tomato-miso and umami butter. But delights are many and his “raw” and “warm” bites particularly astonish in artful forms I did not expect.
Case in point: black arancini liquido is liquidized arancina balls oozing fontina, 18 month-aged gouda and shiitake mushroom under a filmy top. Formaggi zeppole are savory fried dough balls dusted in white balsamic shoyu vinaigrette powder. Bluefin tuna carpaccio goes a different direction: a sliver of raw tuna draped over crispy rice dotted in calabrian chili sauce and toasted garlic.
On the pasta front, uni puttanesca is a single uni agnolotti paired with fresh, local sea urchin in uni fondue with red and green dots of tomato and basil sauces, recalling the Italian flag. Its flavor is both bright and umami. Delightful.
Lumache diavolo is gently spicy pasta in vodka pomodoro and Calabrian kosho, warm but cooled with yuzu cream melting over the delicious pasta. Bolognese in pepperoni and maltake ragout also gets that hot-cold contrast with pecorino dashi cream. This could be a permanent trend and I’d come back for all the versions. It feels signature.
There are koji dry aged cuts of steak, fish and vegetarian entrees, but I’ve had such fun with the wide range of textures, temperatures and flavors on the bites and pastas I’ve yet to dig too much into the larger plates. One visit a special of dry-aged veal parm chop called to the eggplant/chicken/veal parm lover in me, layered in tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, fennel pollen and capers with an almond-sansho chili crisp atop the breaded veal chop. Yes, please.
Each visit I have Kilgore’s Tira-miso or lush miso tiramisu. It’s appropriately boozy, fluffy, dense and generously portioned. Another special was a decadent splurge ($60) of sundae “affogato,” Japanese vintage whisky ice cream paired with a 1oz. Pour of 1985 Old Suntory World Expo whisky.
Ama surprises and delights at many a turn, the visually striking food tasting as good as the rooms look. Cozying up in one of a few booths in the Social Club feels like a real night out.
Read the rest on Substack: Italy (Still) Rules in SF