
San Francisco restaurant week newcomer Bettola serves up Italian cuisine
Despite concerns about tariffs and the economy, many restaurants in San Francisco were packed as the city celebrates restaurant week. The 10-day event is heading into its final weekend, and many restaurants say so far, it's been a huge success.
In May of last year, an Italian restaurant and market opened on Clement, a street that's already lined with restaurants. In a short amount of time, it's won over many regulars, but it's a place that customers commonly mispronounce.
"People say Bettola, but we're trying to get the word out there that it's Bettola with an accent on the e," said Carolina Zaid with Bettola.
Zaid says this is a small, family-owned business that specializes in serving up Italian cuisine. Food that is made fresh every day.
"We have homemade gnocchi," she said. "We make the gnocchi every day. It's potato and flour. It's a long process. We also make our ragu every day, our pesto daily."
This year, more than 200 places took part in the
Spring SF Restaurant Week
. Golden Gate Restaurant Association says that, unlike past years, it had a high number of first-timers to join the event. Bettola is one of 37 new restaurants.
"You can see, it helps," Zaid said. "It helps small businesses, and it helps us actually meet and interact with other small businesses because when I'm not working, I'm going to other restaurants on Clement during restaurant week. So, it's really nice seeing the community being brought together in SF like this."
Customers like Ashleigh Brewer say this is not just their restaurant week spot, but a go-to place for authentic Italian food.
"They have a really good gnocchi and that's what we come for," said Brewer.
With the uncertainty of tariffs and the status of the economy overall, Bettola says it's definitely had its ups and downs. But they're thankful to already have a strong group of regulars.
"I think any little neighborhood spot feels special," Brewer said. "I think it's easy to get into, which is nice in San Francisco, and to have a good meal alongside that is always nice."
Bettola also hopes it was able to attract newcomers with their dishes, recipes that have been part of their family for generations.
"It's just fun to have prix fixes and be able to show people what we love about our restaurant and then the trust in the prix fix and leaving happy and full is really what we're here for," said Zaid.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Iconic' Italian Restaurant The Italian Moon Closing After 60 Years
An "iconic" Italian and Mexican restaurant announced its doors will be closing later this month after 60 years in business. "It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closing of Italian Moon. After many wonderful years serving the Grand Forks community, our final three days of service will be June 18th, 19th, and 20th," a statement from The Italian Moon reads. "This decision was not made lightly. Italian Moon has been more than just a restaurant—it has been a gathering place for families, friends, celebrations, and everyday moments. We've had the privilege of serving generations of loyal guests, and we are truly grateful for the memories made within our walls." Radio personality Rick Rider called the North Dakota restaurant a "staple for sure, and a household name" while referring to it as an iconic venue for the area. "This was a place enjoyed by families on their way to a UND hockey game or to watch a big high school game. At one time, it was just about impossible to find a table on a Friday or Saturday evening. It was also a popular spot for a lunch or dinner buffet in Grand Forks," Rider said. The Italian Moon got its start in February 1965 when owner Keith Moon opened an Italian restaurant. In 1974, the restaurant was sold to Ken Towers and Dave Rubin. Scott Purpur took over in 2015 and the company lasted 60 total years. "To our incredible staff, past and present, thank you for your dedication, passion, and hard work. To our customers, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your lives—we are humbled by your support and love over the years," a statement from the restaurant read before asking customers to come back for one more meal together before it closes for good. The restaurant offers its customers everything from burritos to chicken Alfredo, but will be coming to a close next week.'Iconic' Italian Restaurant The Italian Moon Closing After 60 Years first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 12, 2025

Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
This Miami area mall was just voted best in the country. Here's why it's No. 1
Aventura Mall fans already know it's the best mall in the United States. Now the sprawling shopping center has national recognition, too. The Northeast Miami-Dade mall, a city unto itself with plenty of offerings and surrounding traffic jams, plays big. There's a big slide, an Apple Store, an Italian food hall and market. Now it also has a big ranking: Best Mall in America, as voted in the new USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards. 'Being named the best mall in the USA Today 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards reflects our continued commitment to curating exceptional experiences,' said Jackie Soffer, chairman and CEO of Turnberry, the majority owner of Aventura Mall. 'From welcoming Florida's first Eataly to bringing the most coveted fashion and lifestyle brands, and supporting culture through our museum-quality art collection, we're proud to offer a premier destination that continues to evolve. We thank our loyal guests for their continued support and for making this achievement possible,' Soffer said in a statement to the Miami Herald. Eataly isn't the only first-in-Florida to open at sprawling Aventura Mall. Other brands trying Florida firsts in the last year include recent arrivals like Massimo Dutti wardrobe store, the fashion boutique Cinq à Sept, Dolce Vita footwear and Kim Kardashian's Skims store. MORE: How 'Florida firsts' are defining Aventura Mall. Here are some of the newcomers Twenty malls across the country were nominated for consideration by a panel of 'USA Today experts' in the fields of travel and lifestyle, according to the publication. The public was then given a chance to vote among the nominees. The only other Florida mall to contend was the Mall at Millenia in Orlando but it fell short of the Top 10. Sorry Dadeland, Aventura's also ever-growing Kendall-area rival that recently opened the first Dick's House of Sport in South Florida. MORE: Why is Aventura Mall both loved and loathed? It comes down to more than shopping Top 10 best U.S. malls So why is Aventura ranked above the others. 'As the largest mall in the state of Florida, Aventura Mall has more than 300 retail shops, experiences, and dining options, and boasts a museum-worthy art collection,' opines the USA Today 10 Best editors. Here are the 10 best malls in the nation, according to USA Today's Readers' Choice Awards. ▪ 1. Aventura Mall, Florida. ▪ 2. Mall of America, Bloomington, Minnesota. ▪ 3. Galleria Dallas, Texas. ▪ 4. The Shops & Restaurants at Hudson Yards, New York City. ▪ 5. King of Prussia Mall, Pennsylvania. ▪ 6. Scottsdale Fashion Square, Arizona. ▪ 7. American Dream, East Rutherford, New Jersey. ▪ 8. Grapevine Mills, Texas. ▪ 9. Tysons Corner Center, Virginia. ▪ 10. Brookfield Place, New York City.

Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
U.S.-backed Israeli company's spyware used to target European journalists, Citizen Lab finds
ROME — Spyware from a U.S.-backed Israeli company was used to target the phones of at least three prominent journalists in Europe, two of whom are editors at an investigative news site in Italy, according to digital researchers at Citizen Lab, citing new forensic evidence of the attacks. The findings come amid growing questions about what role the government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni may have played in spying on journalists and civil society activists critical of her leadership, and raised new concerns about the potential for abuse of commercial spyware, even in democratic countries. 'Any attempts to illegally access data of citizens, including journalists and political opponents, is unacceptable, if confirmed,' the European Commission said in a statement Wednesday in response to questions from members of parliament. 'The Commission will use all the tools at its disposal to ensure the effective application of EU law.' Meloni's office declined to comment Thursday, but a prominent member of her Cabinet has said that Italy 'rigorously respected' the law and that the government hadn't illegally spied on journalists. The company behind the hacks, Paragon Solutions, has sought to position itself as a virtuous player in the mercenary spyware industry and won U.S. government contracts, The Associated Press found. Backed by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Paragon was reportedly acquired by AE Industrial Partners, a private investment firm based in Florida, in a December deal worth at least $500 million, pending regulatory approvals. AE Industrial Partners didn't directly respond to requests for comment on the deal. Paragon's spyware, Graphite, was used to target around 90 WhatsApp users from more than two dozen countries, primarily in Europe, Meta said in January. Since then, there's been a scramble to figure out who was hacked and who was responsible. 'We've seen first-hand how commercial spyware can be weaponized to target journalists and civil society, and these companies must be held accountable,' a spokesperson for WhatsApp told AP in an email. 'WhatsApp will continue to protect peoples' ability to communicate privately.' Meta said the vulnerability has been patched and they have not detected subsequent attacks. Meta also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon. Last month, a California court awarded Meta $168 million in damages from Israel's NSO Group, whose spyware was used to hack 1,400 WhatsApp accounts, including of journalists, activists and government officials. The Citizen Lab's findings, released today, show that the use of spyware against journalists has continued, despite the backlash against NSO Group, and establish for the first time that Paragon was able to successfully infect Apple devices. Ciro Pellegrino, who heads the Naples newsroom of an investigative news outlet called received a notice on April 29 that his iPhone had been targeted. Last year, Fanpage secretly infiltrated the youth wing of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party and filmed some of them making fascist and racist remarks. Pellegrino's colleague, Fanpage editor-in-chief Francesco Cancellato, also received a notice from Meta that his Android device had been targeted by Paragon spyware, though forensic evidence that his phone was actually infected with Graphite hasn't yet surfaced, according to Citizen Lab. The Citizen Lab's report today also revealed a third case, of a 'prominent European journalist,' who asked to remain anonymous, but is connected to the Italian cluster by forensic evidence unearthed by researchers at the laboratory, which is run out of the Munk School at the University of Toronto. The Citizen Lab, which has analyzed all the devices, said the attack came via iMessage, and that Apple has patched the vulnerability. Apple did not respond immediately to requests for comment. 'Paragon is now mired in exactly the kind of abuse scandal that NSO Group is notorious for,' said John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at the Citizen Lab. 'This shows the industry and its way of doing business is the problem. It's not just a few bad apples.' Paragon's spyware is especially stealthy because it can compromise a device without any action from the user. Similar to the NSO Group's notorious Pegasus spyware, which has been blacklisted by the U.S. government, Graphite allows the operator to covertly access applications, including encrypted messengers like Signal and WhatsApp. 'There's no link to click, attachment to download, file to open or mistake to make,' Scott-Railton said. 'One moment the phone is yours, and the next minute its data is streaming to an attacker.' COPASIR, the parliamentary committee overseeing the Italian secret services, took the rare step last week of making public the results of its investigation into the government's use of Paragon. The COPASIR report said that Italian intelligence services hadn't spied on Cancellato, the editor of Fanpage. The report did confirm the surveillance, with tools including Graphite, of civil society activists, but said they had been targeted legally and with government authorization — not as activists but over their work related to irregular immigration and national security. Giovanni Donzelli, vice president of COPASIR and a prominent member of Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, declined further comment Thursday, saying the parliamentary report was 'more relevant than an analysis done by a privately funded Canadian laboratory.' Citizen Lab says it's 'rigorously independent,' and doesn't accept research funding from governments or companies. Italy and Paragon both say they've terminated their relationship, but offer starkly different versions of the breakup. Paragon referred questions to a statement it gave to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, in which the company said that it stopped providing spyware to Italy after the government declined its offer to help investigate Cancellato's case. Italian authorities, however, said they had rejected Paragon's offer over national security concerns and ended the relationship following media outcry. Paragon has been keen to deflect reputational damage that could, in theory, impact its contracts with the U.S. government. A 2023 executive order, which so far hasn't been overturned by President Trump, prohibits federal government departments and agencies from acquiring commercial spyware that has been misused by foreign governments, including to limit freedom of expression and political dissent. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded Paragon a one-year, $2 million contract last September for operations and support of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, public records show. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has also reportedly used the spyware. In December 2022, Adam Schiff, the California Democrat who at the time chaired the House Intelligence Committee, wrote to the administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration questioning whether the DEA's use of Graphite spyware undermined efforts to deter the 'broad proliferation of powerful surveillance capabilities to autocratic regimes and others who may misuse them.' Kinetz and Santalucia write for the Associated Press. Byron Tau in Washington, and Lorne Cook in Brussels, contributed to this report.