This Is The Best Italian Restaurant In California: Ranking

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – For discerning diners who turn up their noses when they hear someone talk about going out for “eye-talian” food, The Daily Meal has come up with a definitive list of the best Italian restaurants in every state. In California, San Francisco's Quince brings the authenticity, led by Chef and owner Michael Tusk, who won the 2011 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Pacific.

Italy’s rich cuisine culture goes back centuries and includes pastas, breads and food preparation techniques that vary by regions, reflecting cultural traditions that evolved based on the availability of local foods.

For example, Tuscany is known as the land of bean eaters, so you’ll find lots of foods rich in cannellini beans in the region’s famous cuisine. Polenta is big in Milan; chefs in Rome find delicious ways to serve pasta, bruschetta, artichokes and zucchini; and on the island of Sicily, look for the region’s famous meatballs — called polpette — topped with a spicy, aromatic tomato sauce.

The Daily Meal’s list of the best Italian restaurants features chef-inspired creations that bring many of these traditions to the United States. To assemble the list, The Daily Meal looked at various “best of” lists, reviews from local publications across the country, and also restaurants that have huge local followings. Big chains weren’t considered.

And if you’re just thinking about spaghetti — not that there aren’t some scrumptious-looking spaghetti dishes among the food site’s picks — you need to get out a lot more.

Here is more information about Quince:

Why The Daily Meal loves Quince: Quince "creates an Italian dining experience rooted in his relationships with a tightly knit network of only the best Northern California food purveyors." Some of the vegetables used in the veggie-driven dishes are grown on the restaurant's garden – the 12-course tasting menu ($250) is a great way to dive right into the fresh tastes of the restaurant. Read more.

Where to find it: San Francisco's Jackson Square neighborhood located at 470 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133

Phone number: (415) 775-8500

Hours: Monday through Thursday 5:30 - 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 - 9:30 p.m., closed Sundays

Website: www.quincerestaurant.com

Tell Us: Do you agree? Where do you go when you want scrumptious, authentic Italian food in California? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Patch staffer Beth Dalbey contributed to this post; Image via fotohunter/Shutterstock