Alimento

Not impressed. I actually went into this gelato place by accident, would’ve went to the other one if I knew. The place was tiny and crowded. I didn’t mind the colorfulness of it all, but the walking space was nonexistent, like a store trying too hard to have it all, the menu was incredibly long and busy. The girl that helped me with the gelato seemed dead inside, not the friendliness you’d expect for someone dealing with families. I assumed we could mix at least one flavor in the smaller cups, we couldn’t. I asked for a medium strawberry/​cookies and cream. She stared at me for a bit and then reached for the XL cup without saying a word. I stopped her and repeated my order, she continued on and I repeated again. Then she told me I couldn’t mix in the medium. So I went with one flavor and we were done. Literally. She gave me the cup and walked away. I had never been to the place before but I had enough common knowledge to look for a place to pay. The girl at the cashier was much more friendlier, with a smile on her face and fast transactions. I personally hold gelato at a standard due to my love of Holy Gelato near Judah and 9^th. The strawberry gelato was good yes, but definitely overpriced for the size of what it is and you can’t mix flavors.

I like this place because you can buy wine, ice cream, and a bunch of other goodies. They also have limited seating area, all in all a fun place to visit, and prices are reasonable.

Excellent sandwich. One of the best I’ve had in SF. I got a Cubano, and I specially liked their black forest ham. The size was perfect for me, as well as the bread-​meat-​fillings ratio. I also had a gelato cone, and it was so good. I chose banana and bourbon with pecans, something like that. They have some tables, which is good, since delis sometimes don’t. And the staff is really nice, helpful and easygoing. I strongly recommend this place for a quick unpretentious bite. Their food is delicious.

Amazing little place, great sandwiches and amazing gelato. Will definitely stop by here whenever I am in SF again.

A beautiful little shop in little Italy packed with personality. You will be lured in by the pastries in the window that you can see from the sidewalk. As you enter your eyes will be drawn to the wine bottles that are seemingly from floor to ceiling. Its a narrow space that has a cozy inviting feel. Gelato variety as you pass by to get to the register.
I asked for a plain drip coffee to go with my cannoli and other small marzipan covered dessert (see photo). Was quickly informed that they don’t have such a thing. Of course they don’t… only the good stuff here. Got an Americano as I knew I would be gettting enough sugar from the baked goods and went on my way.
The cannoli was well done. Chocolate coated on the inside to prevent sogginess from the cream and the coffee, Illy was pleasant. The other small dessert covered with marzipan I found to be far too sweet. I think it was green in color with a red dot in the middle. Very soft, good texture soaked in something perhaps… but too sweet.
There are so many places to get a good cannoli in little Italy. This would, however be a good bet. I liked the lightness of the cream inside. Price is what they go for around this neighborhood.
Try Stellas, BPatisserie, and Tartine in the city for a more Bakery only feel. If your in the east bay try Crispian in Alameda for the best almond croissant anywhere. These are more focused just on baking and probably a better bet if that is exactly what you want.

My husband and I were here for the weekend for Bay to Breakers. We stayed in the Chinatown/​North Beach area and were looking for some good eats. We checked on Unilocal and noticed the great reviews on their sandwiches (I LOVE sandwiches). So we decided to check the place out. We noticed people were talking about the speciale sandwich, so we ordered that on ciabatta. OMG. The olive spread was delicious! Fresh mozzarella was soft and a perfect combination for the olive spread and meats. My husband got the Milanese sandwich on ciabatta with a delicious pesto spread! We went back in the evening for some gelato. the young woman working was friendly and seemed to enjoy helping people by making great sugggestions on what gelato to get based on what we like (I got XL chocolate and espresso, husband got coconut and lemon cookie — lemon cookie was recommended by the young woman, my husband agreed it was delicious and reminded him of key lime pie).
So we went back this morning before our drive back home and got the same sandwiches as yesterday, and the same woman was there making her delicious sandwiches. She was making two at a time, it was a delight watching her put these masterpieces together with such care. The gentleman working with her was also friendly and helpful. A great little gem in the north beach area that we were fortunate to experience. We will be back hopefully soon.

Yes, everybody should get a deli sandwich from Molinari once in their lifetime. After that, skip the long line and head down to Alimento for an equally delicious Italian deli sandwich, made with the Molinari deli meat.
My go-​to sandwich is the Toscano (Molinari’s Tuscan Style Salame, Swiss Cheese with Lettuce, Onions and Dijon Mustard) but the Goodfella (Roast Beef, Prosciutto, Salame, Provolone Cheese, Fresh Tomatoes, Basil Oil, Vinegar, Salt and Pepper) is also delicious.
Most sandwiches are about $ 14 after tax. If you have a FiveStars reward card you can eventually get a free sandwich.

Came here for the gelato and I was pretty surprised how good it was! I had the Cookie Extreme and Pistachio and both were PERFECT. The pistachio really stood out to me because there were real pistachios in there and both of the flavors were creamy, smooth, and super delicious. Definitely recommend it!

This place is great! Awesome location in North Beach with a huge selection of sandwiches, gelatos, and wines. Malik is awesome and had some great suggestions as to what to do. Can’t go wrong with with any of the sandwiches but my favorite is the Caprese Sandwich (add prosciutto).

Local shop that epitomizes North Beach… a small gourmet deli and grocery store — that also has a gelato & bakery counter. Want a late night snack after bar hopping in North Beach… this place stays open late (I went here at 11:30p the other night!).

Awesome Gelato! Me and my friend got the XL one. So we could choose 2 flavor. I chose Green tea and something with Almond, walnut, chocolate. Both of them were so nice. My friend got lemon cookie and peanut butter one. It was also good!
If you want to explore the real Gelato, I strongly recommend to come here

Oh wow… the especial sandwich is something special.
I’ve lived in SF for about a year now and just found Alimento. It’s an unassuming little gem of a sandwich and gelato shop on Columbus here in SF.
It was my turn to pick a restaurant for a meeting we had near our office.
Naturally I wanted to find something I’ve never been to but also wanted to impress the person I was meeting.
Man, did I score!
This sandwich is off the charts… the olive spread, the fresh cut meats, the tasty freshly baked bread… wow.
And starting it off with one of their oversized pickles sliced up so everyone can enjoy.
I washed it down with a blood orange san pellegrino.
Needless to say I’ll be back. There were three or four sandwiches I wanted to try.

Amazing! I might never look at an It’s It sandwich the same way again.
Got the Tiramisu Gelato. Smooth, creamy, not painfully or sharply sweet with specs of caramel and cake — utter perfection!

Dude — the gelato here is legit. Like why are people at Naia across the street when this is so much better?
A couple suggestions:
— make fewer flavors and present them so they don’t look so melty/​tired
— give multiple flavors for all sizes like they do in Italy
— speed up the payment process
All said, their gelato is bomb. So go! Lemon Cookie blew my brains!

Made a later night pit stop here for a pizza and this deli/​gelato/​food store is so awesome. The staff was friendly and fun. We got a margherita pizza and split it. It was freshly made and the thin crust was so good and the fresh basil was all over.
Loved sitting on the patio and people watching. There was a man who brought his dog to the porch steps and the staff were tossing him treats. Next time I will stop for a sandwich and some gelato.

One of THE best sandwich spots I have EVER been to!!! Right in the heart of North Beach. This place serves sandwiches, home made Lasagna, gelato, sells wine, sells lottery tickets (won $ 50) and serve Gelato.
I ordered the Milanese sandwich (prociutto, havarti cheese, roasted bell peppers and pesto on a Italian bun). The guys running the place were really friendly and entertaining. This is a MUST try!

Talk about an old fashioned Italian sandwich shop!
This reminds me of a spot that we have in Sacramento, called Sampinos. Great Italian owner, wine hanging on the walls — and most importantly, salame hanging from the ceilings.
What Sampinos doesn’t have on this place is the excellent gelato that fills the space. It’s tiny in this (bigger than, but not quite) walk-​up, and there are 3 (maybe 4) refrigerator/​freezer containers FULL of delicious gelato. The flavors ranged from white pistachio to dulce de leche. And let’s be honest — I got the cookies and crème that everyone raves about. It’s worth the hype, let me tell you.
And don’t come here thinking the sandwiches are predictable and it’s just salami and cheese on a hoagie roll. NO FOOL! You get delicious mortadella, thick cuts of hot coppa, and prosciutto for days. Oh, and did I forget to mention the fluffy ciabatta rolls and olive tampenade? Just stop.
Don’t miss out on this little sandwich and gelato shop, just off of columbus. It’s worth every bite.

A scoop of gelato following an authentic Italian dinner in North Beach? It would be wrong not to.
This was my second visit, and I’ve concluded I have the best type of love-​hate relationship with this place. I constantly struggle to make a decision when there are more than, oh let’s say 5, options. How on earth do you make a decision when everything sounds, at minimum, amazing. Alimento is no exception.
There are easily 30 or so gelato flavors. Needless to say, I’ve always left with 2 flavors minimum. The silence that ensued once our group finally ordered pretty much sums it up. Delicious stuff! Service has always been friendly, and they’ve let us sample a few before making a final decision, against their «1-​sample policy».
Only reason for minus one star is the price point. The smallest option runs $ 4.25. A little steep IMO, but the quality speaks for itself. Not sure that will stop me from another round when in the hood.

There’s a lot that goes on in here.
They do sandwiches & salads.
They do gelato.
They do wine.
They also have hot food items; meatballs, chicken, lasagna.
It’s the lasagna that prompted this review.
The owner uses his mama’s recipe.
This lasagna was a contestant at the first annual lasagna contest & dinner held this past National Lasagna Day @ the SF Italian Athletic Club.
A panel of judges had the rather pleasant task of picking the best lasagna. The diners that had bought a ticket got to try 4 out of the 5. It was a lot of food!
The 5 contestants… Italian Home Made, Tony’s, Marcella’s Lasagneria, Acquolina, & Alimento.
Alimento won first place!
Before this, I’d always considered Alimento to be just another great sandwich/​gelato joint.
But fresh, pillowy, tasty, just the right amount of cheesy, lasagna too?
They beat Marcella’s Lasagneria for chrisake!
Nice job Mama Alimento!
5 stars.

Alimento is my favorite gelato destination in North Beach. The whole deli is very colorful and bright. I love that they make sandwiches with Italian deli meats and sell many many choices of wine in addition to their Gelato.
They have way too many flavors of Gelato and I am thankful for that.