Around seven years after opening The Kitchen Table in San Rafael’s West End, local chef Alexander Alioto closed the country-style Italian restaurant in June. He spent a month reworking the kitchen and layout and reopened the corner storefront this month as Alioto’s Focacceria, a fast-casual Italian deli serving artisanal sandwiches and pinsas, with fresh pastas, sauces and bottled wines to go.
A selection of wine bottles at Alioto’s Focacceria. (Photo by Alex Alioto)
After a long career of working up to six nights a week, Alioto decided to pursue a concept he’s passionate about that would also simplify his schedule and give him more time with his three young kids.
“I’ve always loved a good deli, and most sandwich places are the same,” he said.
The less structured menu gives Alioto a new canvas to showcase his culinary range in a casual setting. Focaccia sandwiches, made on fresh loaves from Poesia Cafe in San Francisco, pair imported Italian meats with house spreads and seasonal produce. Combinations include pistachio mortadella, stracciatella and sun-dried tomato; porchetta, pork pâté and spicy pickled artichokes; and prosciutto with potato-truffle spread and fresh mozzarella.
Four pinsa pizzas include a classic margherita and a richer version topped with mortadella, Parmesan cream, mozzarella and red onion. There’s a Caesar salad on the menu, and a caprese made with Full Belly Farm cherry tomatoes, Di Stefano burrata and aged balsamic vinegar. Takeout focaccia loaves are made in-house.
A ham pinsa at Alioto’s Focacceria in San Rafael. (Photo by Alex Alioto)
The refrigerator case is stocked with Alioto’s fresh spaghetti, tagliatelle, pappardelle and fettuccine, along with pesto, marinara and meat ragù, Di Marco pinsa crusts and whatever Alioto feels like making that day, from sausage links to meatballs.
“I’ll be doing fun things I love to cook at home,” said Alioto, adding that his small section of shelved pantry items includes a few favorite olive oils, Acquerello rice, dried porcini mushrooms and, when in season, black and white truffles from trusted vendors. A selection of about 30 wines was chosen by Alioto’s father, master sommelier Nunzio Alioto.
Alioto comes from a deep San Francisco restaurant lineage stretching back four generations to his great-grandfather, Sicilian immigrant Nunzio Alioto Sr., who opened a fish stand at Fisherman’s Wharf in 1925 that grew into the landmark Alioto’s Restaurant.
Orders are placed at a counter near the entry, with a 20-foot mural from the family’s Fisherman’s Wharf restaurant hanging above. “
It was in the attic at my parents’ house and is a cool piece of history,” he said.
Table seating is available for 22 guests at wood-topped tables, where Italian music sets the mood.
After training at the California Culinary Academy and honing his skills in Italy, Alioto worked at the French Laundry in Napa Valley and the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. He then struck out on his own, first as chef and partner at Seven Hills in Russian Hill, followed by Plin and its successor, Nostra Spaghetteria, in the Mission, before landing in his hometown with The Kitchen Table. Alioto also owns locations of The Kitchen Table and Alioto’s Focacceria in Reno, Nevada.
Alioto’s Focacceria is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 1574 Fourth St. in San Rafael. For details or to place an order, visit aliotosfocacceria.com or call 415-521-5568.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com or follow The Real Deal Marin at therealdealmarin.com for more on local food news.
Dining and Cooking