Down the Alley in SF

Every time I go to San Francisco I am anxious to try something new. I usually go to Grub Street http://grubstreet.com/ and pick and choose from there recommendations. This visit I decided to go to Belden Taverna http://www.belden-place.com/beldentaverna/ which is one of 8 restaurants on Belden Place. The restaurant bills itself as a spin on Mediterranean cuisine. What is great about Belden Place is that all the restaurants during the summer take over the alley so you get this European look and feel, there is this pop of customers and waiters moving about The menu is a combination of Spanish and Italian food. We stared with some appetizers to celebrate our Friend MJ they included Meatballs and Spring Rolls. I order Meatballs at each restaurant I go to so I can compare them to the best I have had which are from Osteria Morini in NYC. Well the were good but not great, the Egg Rolls were mediocre but wait it does get better. Moral of this story is do not order the pedestrian apps. The group ordered for the main course Bouillabaisse, Short Ribs and Gnocchi. I had the Bouillabaisse which was extremely well done with Shrimps, Clams, Mussels, Scallops and Calamari is a great Saffron Fish stock. My Friends had the Gnocchi which was in a Ragu sauce and the Braised Short Ribs in a wine reduction sauce. Both of them really enjoyed their dish. I had a bite of the Short Ribs and agreed that they were delicious. Overall the experience was great I would encourage anyone planning a summer or spring trip to SF try the restaurants on Belden Place.