"My wife and I celebrated our anniversary by visiting the Pompeii exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum. After learning about the fascinating Roman artifacts, we naturally had a taste for Italian food. I suggested that we go to North Beach and find a restaurant, but my wife recommended that we could probably find a nice place close by in the Richmond district where there would be less traffic, and the parking would be easier. We searched Google for an Italian Restaurant, and Bella Trattoria with 4 ½ stars appeared. It sounded like just what we wanted. The exterior appearance is unassuming, which caused me to hesitate, but fortunately, my wife urged me on. The inside turned out to be quite attractive, and our waiter Felipe greeted us quite warmly right away. I immediately felt good about our decision. He was friendly and witty and was very attentive without being intrusive. He seemed like someone with whom we could be friends. Felipe started us off with some unbelievably delicious bread that was soft and warm. He served it with delectable sundried tomato aioli. I had to exert considerable self-control to not fill up on the bread and ruin my appetite. Felipe also brought us a complimentary sample of their Bruschetta, which was a delightful surprise. Anyway, we enjoyed the lentil minestrone that we shared as our antipasto. My sweetheart had the Pasta Norcina, and I had the Gnocchi and Mushrooms with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce. Felipe helped my wife choose the perfect wine to pair with her meal. We both very much enjoyed our entrée. We had some delicious Vanilla Gelato and a decaf cappuccino for dessert. One thing that my wife mentioned, was that we never felt rushed or hurried even though the dining room was filling up fast. After we paid our bill and said goodbye to Felipe, we mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary. He then insisted that we stay a bit longer for a complimentary glass of Prosecco to celebrate. Overall this place exceeded our expectations and was a charming surprise."
