Figaro Ristorante, the cozy North Beach Italian restaurant, is a treasure not only for lovers of authentic Italian cuisine, but also for the history-minded. Of course, the name Figaro itself comes from the 1785 Mozart opera THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO. Mozart composed his much-loved opera to be a satire that pokes fun at the hypocrisies and foibles of both royalty and politicians alike. It was the first opera to enter the political arena and, as art often reflects true history, the French Revolution followed a few years later. Figaro?s Assisi patio garden in back of the restaurant is named after San Francisco?s own patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi. A large mural shows the town of Assisi, Italy, where St. Francis, the great founder of the Franciscan order of monks, was born. The covered and well-heated Assisi Garden is available for private party reservations. Coincidentally, the nationa

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