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Your weekly enewsletter 05.30.13     Quick Links Home About Food Gal Boutique       San Francisco's Coqueta--A Tantalizing Triumph      Swoon. If I knew the Spanish word for that enraptured feeling, I'd be saying it. Because that's exactly how the new Coqueta restaurant on Pier 5 makes you feel with its Spanish flair. It's not only the first restaurant in San Francisco by celeb Chef Michael Chiarello, but it's also his first foray into something other than his Italian heritage. Like his smash-hit Bottega in Yountville, Coqueta ("flirt" in Spanish) is all about bold flavors with modern takes on traditional dishes done with whimsy. The former Lafitte restaurant is still recognizable. But it's been given a major face-lift. The once temporary patio now has permanent walls, as well as a bar, where you can enjoy noshes sans reservations. Inside, the soaring, rustic-chic space is warm with lots of reclaimed wood, oak table tops made from barrel staves, and branded hides on the floors (from casualties from actual bull fights in Spain). With Chiarello's track-record of opening hit restaurants, it's no surprise just how wonderful the food is at Coqueta. Click here to learn more about my visit and the food. To learn more about what it took to create this restaurant and why Chiarello wanted to open it, read my story in Food Arts magazine.      A Chiarello Favorite     Take a close look at that plate of pasta above. No, it's not whole-wheat pasta. In fact, those noodles started out as regular beige-colored strands. Take another look. Go on. You might even notice a bit of burgundy-purple tint to the noodles. It's not your eyes playing funny tricks on you. And it's not my meager Photoshop abilities at work, either. Nope. It's the magic of Zinfandel wine. An entire 750-ml bottle to be exact. "Zinfandel Spaghettini with Spicy Rapini" is a genius dish from the new cookbook, "Michael Chiarello's Bottega" (Chronicle Books). Blanched broccoli rabe is sauteed in good olive oil with red pepper flakes and copious amounts of sliced garlic, before getting mixed into the pasta. A generous sprinkling of Percorino-Romano completes the dish. You can actually taste the wine in the pasta. The noodles have an almost tannic, anise, peppery edge to them that's complimented beautifully by the bitterness of the broccoli rabe and the sharpness of the cheese. It's a simple and surprising dish. Click here for the recipe and more about Michael.     For more musings on food, wine, life and laughter, go to foodgal.com.