We've had this restaurant on our "gotta go" list for a couple months now, but it's always booked several weeks in advance. So it was a real surprise to find a table just a day in advance, for a reasonable 8.30pm.
Having got there, I was sitting on the fence with my verdict until we'd eaten. My first impression was slightly negative - it was packed and noisy, and in my view - literally - poorly lit. Add to that the fact that the menus and wine list were indistinctly printed on brown paper, and it was virtually impossible for an old man like me to read them. Of course, Mrs Page thought exactly the opposite - that Cotogna was warm and inviting. So, we both waited for our Tuscan liver crostini and Asian pear, prosciutto & smoked almonds, followed by a shared Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
The verdict was liver-y, game-y, and humungously fabulous.
We adored our appetizers, and the steak - the first Florentine-style steak we'd had since spending a couple summers in and around Florence a few years ago - was absolutely perfect. As I was eating it I could just hear my brother Lawrence arguing that he'd rather have it cooked more, but our medium rare was just perfect.
So, yet another reason not to go to North Beach if you want great Italian food.
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