Recently, I met some work colleagues at an Italian restaurant I had never ventured into before in Redwood City, California, conveniently located steps from a Caltrain stop — in other words, easy to access by train or car. Set in the heart of downtown Redwood City, Donato Enoteca offers authentic contemporary Italian cuisine from Executive Chef Donato Scotti that changes weekly determined by the freshest available seasonal produce. Homemade pastas, wood-burning oven pizzas, meat and fish courses are available, executed in an authentic yet modern way. The menu spans every region of Italy and incorporates artisanal products, such as fresh imported burrata, prosciutto, grappa and olive oil. Other in-house specialties include sausages, mostarda and lamb prosciutto. The wine list focuses on smaller-production boutique wineries from Italy, California and France.
There’s an open kitchen, a lounge and a private Wine Cellar. While we were there for lunch, you can also sit in a wrap-around patio where you can dine al fresco, under shade umbrellas and heat lamps if it gets too cold. Below, this scrumptious white bean and calamari with rosemary appetizer is a must order.
The pastas are fresh, delicious and creatively prepared, whether you’re ordering off the lunch or dinner menu.
See what I mean? Your mother is watering already I see.
Another fabulous pasta dish. Note that the cheese came included, so if you have dairy sensitivities, be sure to ask for it on the side or without.
There are plenty of red tomato sauce options as well.
We Blog the World gives it a two thumbs up and hopes to return at some juncture to test out the dinner menu and their wine list. For more great food and wine suggestions in San Francisco, visit our San Francisco restaurants and San Francisco food & wine section.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
