We have twice cancelled reservations at Enoteca Pinchiorri in favor of small, local restaurants for that exact reason. That said, our well travelled retired professor friends (they live 6 months in La Jolla and 6 months in Europe for the past 20 years) absolutely rave about EP. We will eventually try it, but it will have to be on a longer stay, since there are just too many little places we want to try. Thanks for this great thread, btw.