About Pane Rubato

In the shadow of the Transamerica building, Pane Rubato (Italian for stolen bread) was situated midway between City Lights, the most famous bookstore in town, and a marquee claiming to have the nastiest videos in town. Our interior was understated with yellow sponge-painted walls, accented in reds and oranges. Paintings, mostly by locals, decorated the dining room. My favorite was a rendering of the view up Columbus Avenue at night. It captured the essence of North Beach: the cars, the people, the lights.