BY FRAN ENDICOTT MILLER

The Presidio has long been home to some of the city’s most popular restaurants including Presidio Social Club and Sessions at the Presidio. And the new addition of outstanding Dalida makes this national park a true dining destination. What the region has been missing though, is a quick and easy, grab and go spot, conveniently accessible to the locals who work in nearby offices, the walkers and runners who pass by on their way to Tunnel Tops trails, and to the tourists in search of some of San Francisco’s most stunning views. That spot has finally arrived in the form of Il Parco.

From restaurateur Eduardo Rallo (who also opened the awesome Mexican-themed Colibri, adjacent to the Presidio Officer’s Club), Il Parco answers Presidio-goers’ dawn to dusk desire for coffee, pastry, grab-and-go snacks, and pizza. But this is not ordinary pizza. The thick, focaccia-based slices are deceptively light and airy and are topped with gourmet ingredients sourced from some of NorCal’s greatest purveyors. (Il Parco is passionate about supporting local businesses and partnering with purveyors who share its commitment to fresh, seasonal ingredients.) The rectangular “pies” are masterminded by Chef Anthony Falco, an International pizza consultant best known for his work at Brooklyn’s iconic Roberta’s, who worked with Il Parco Chef Daniel Gomez to develop a menu that celebrates the essence of Italian cuisine with a Californian twist.

Public Picnic Pavilion at the Presidio Tunnel Tops, adjacent to Il Parco

Look for pizza toppings such as Fra’Mani mortadella, Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog and Mt. Tam Triple Cream cheeses, and spicy soppressata. Additional delicacies include vegetarian and Bolognese lasagnas, meat balls in tomato sauce, soups, and varied panini sandwiches. When the superior ingredients are not outsourced, they are house made, such as the mozzarella, and all of the desserts, including the very popular cheesecake.

Il Parco also features ready-to-go salads, a variety of high end sodas, beer, wine, canned cocktails, café drinks made with fine Equator coffee, and a number of great gift items such as Rechiutti chocolates and Chika mason jar craft cocktails mixers. All items can be enjoyed within Il Parco’s covered and wind-blocked patio, or carried beyond to nearby picnic tables, both locations of which feature unobstructed Golden Gate Bridge and Bay views. There’s truly no another panorama like it anywhere in the world, and on a sunny day, the vista is as soul-reviving as the pizza. 

Il Parco is collaborates with La Cocina, a champion of diverse culinary voices, furthering its commitment to the San Francisco community.

Il Parco 215 Lincoln Blvd., San Francisco 

Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Photos by Rohan Ugale, courtesy of Il Parco, unless otherwise noted