When Pane e Vino opened 13 years ago in San Francisco's touristy Cow Hollow area, the bustling trattoria introduced many people to the joys of regional Italian-style grilled whole fish. And to pastas kissed by fresh ingredients rather than drenched in sauce. Many restaurants now follow the Pane e Vino script. After consolidating with Via Vai, the new Pane e Vino brings menu items from both places to the Via Vai space on ever-chic Union Street. Now in ruggedly elegant surroundings, you can have terrific thin-crust pizza, pasta or a steak at reasonable prices. -- Sheila Himmel, Mercury News