Everything that Dish Osteria & Bar is, 17th Street Cafe is not. They're both small neighborhood Italian joints located a block off Carson Street, and two blocks away from each other, but that's where the similarities end. While Dish is swanky, hip and cool, 17th Street Cafe feels stuffy and outdated. While Dish's food is light and flavorful, 17th Street Cafe's is overworked and greasy. While the clientele at Dish is young and attractive, 17th Street Cafe appears to host retirement home social outings around the clock.
I want to love 17th Street, I really do. It's charming from the outside, and al fresco dining is available in the summer, an option that Dish does not offer. However, at the prices they charge, the food and service at 17th Street should be better, period. The food isn't terrible, it's just mediocre, and consistently over-buttered and over-sauced. The service isn't terrible either, just slightly subpar, but enough to feel irksome considering the high quality restaurant the Cafe purports itself to be.
Perhaps located in another area, without such stiff competition so close by, 17th Street Cafe wouldn't appear so lacking. But given the choice between eating at 17th Street Cafe and Dish, I'll choose Dish every time.