Bon, Nene

I'd been wanting to try Bon, Nene for a while, and it absolutely delivered. This tiny Japanese spot in the Mission has such a neighborhood feel — the kind of place where they still keep the waitlist on actual paper, which honestly just adds to the charm. The space is small, so if you're planning to go Thursday through Saturday, show up around 5 PM if you want to eat by 6 or 6:30. No reservations, no phone numbers taken — you literally just put your name down and wait.

The real star here is their take on pasta. The champignon pasta was incredible: enoki, shimeji, and clamshell mushrooms in this garlicky, buttery Parmesan sauce that somehow felt both Italian and Japanese at the same time. The mentaiko spaghetti was just as good — creamy, buttery sauce with cured cod roe that gave a nice brininess.

We got a few other menu items that I remember as good, but it's been a few months since I went, so I can't specifically remember them. I do believe we got the Japanese curry with the usual suspects — potato, carrots, onions. And that was quite good. The whole experience just felt right. Good food, cozy vibe, no pretense. Great for a date night.