Contigo means "with you" in Spanish, and since March 2009, Elan Emerson and her husband, Brett, have joined forces on a Noe Valley Spanish restaurant of the same name. Described by Elan as "a love letter to Spain," Contigo (1320 Castro St.) has a steady clientele of locals, and draws visitors from all over the world. 

The idea for Contigo came after Brett, the restaurant's executive chef, spent some time in Barcelona and loved the meals he had there. His goal was to recreate those Catalan flavors in the States, with a California overlay of farm-fresh seasonal ingredients.

Some of Contigo's most popular dishes include avocado toast with wood-oven-roasted Half Moon Bay sardines, Monterey chipirones (squid) a la plancha, and patatas bravas, the classic Spanish dish of potatoes with spicy sauce and aioli. Tuesday is paella night, which attracts a loyal crowd.

Contigo's wine list is all Spanish, offering a good selection of tempranillo, along with beer and a sparkling, seasonal sangria. Currently, they are serving a cava with fresh strawberry, orange, and basil.

Elan told Hoodline that the restaurant's neighbors have been supportive since day one. “Our servers have great connections with the customers. Noe Valley is also a great place to have kids, and we have families that come in regularly. There are terrific local markets around us, and you can get all your amenities on foot. We just love this neighborhood.”

While many visitors are locals who come back week to week, Contigo also gets visitors from all over the world—and some locals who are preparing to go abroad. “A lot of the time, people getting ready to travel to Barcelona come in to get a taste of what’s to come,” said Elan. “But overall, we get a mixed crowd.” 

The restaurant business is not without its challenges, especially when it comes to staffing. "We have a great staff, but [as with] every restaurant, right now there’s a shortage of cooks in the city. You want all these terrific, talented cooks and servers, but ultimately, they get pushed out of San Francisco due to the cost of living," said Elan.

"We do our very best to mentor and pay excellent [wages] and give great benefits. We try to provide a great base for people, because this is their home, so we nurture them as best as we can.” 

Nonetheless, Elan believes that it’s an exciting time to be San Francisco for anyone who's interested in Spanish food. She believes that Spanish wines are more and more sought-after, and she's pleased about the symbolic dishes that Brett has brought to Noe Valley.

“It’s a sweet way of bringing his love of cooking to the neighborhood,” she said.