Fabulous Fior: Over 100 Years In An Italian Kitchen, The Fior D'italia Of San Francisco, America's Oldest Itlaian Restaurant Review

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(More customer reviews)When it comes to the Fior d'Italia Restaurant, I admit to being a little biased, as George Marianetti, one of the owners, was my uncle. As a teenager, I first visited the Fior on Broadway in San Francisco, and after the Fior moved to Columbus Square, I spent many an enjoyable evening there. We held all our important family dinners at the Fior, and George and Frank Marianetti were not only gracious hosts, they were true North Beach characters. North Beach was the place that produced Joe Dimaggio and A.P. Giannini and a host of famous San Franciscans. If the rich and famous wanted to dine on the best Italian cuisine, they went to the Fior. And after lunch was over, and the restaurant was quiet until dinner, you might see George Marianetti walking over to Columbus Square park, bringing what food was left over from lunch to feed the homeless who frequented the park. The Marianettis never forgot their roots, and what had made the Fior the success it still is today. There are very few old San Francisco restaurants left, but the Fior is one, and perhaps the most famous.
The Fior very often graced the newspaper columns of Herb Caen and Jack Rosenbaum, and again it was often that a local FM radio station would interview George Marianetti, as he gave a recipe for an Italian sauce or dish to a Bay Area audience.
The author, Francine Brevetti, has written a wonderful book of the history of the Fior, replete with many photos of the restaurant's different locations, the owners, their families, employees, and customers. She has done yeoman's research to write this history, complete with many anecdotes. This is a book which has a prime position on my coffee table, where guests can read it. I thought I knew a lot about the Fior d'Italia until I read this book. In reading it, I learned so much about the rich history of this restaurant - it is almost a history of San Francisco itself.
I give this book the highest recommendation. If you can't dine at the Fior, which is still a fabulous experience, then you should at least read this book.

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