As the Giants made their epic run for the pennant and the World Series last year, it was surprisingly difficult to find good places to cheer on Buster, the Beard, Huff Daddy, and the Freak. Most of the sports bars had half their TVs tuned to other contests, an abomination. Other places were too tame, too snarky, too snooty. But the habitués of Gino & Carlo, which has been northeastern S.F.'s Giants Central for decades, strike the perfect balance among ebullience, hard-won insight, the second guessing all fans are entitled to, and that fatalistic bravado that is the Giants fan's birthright. G&C encourages the team spirit with bar-sponsored forays to the ballpark and occasional complimentary game-day buffets of pasta, salad, and sourdough. From pregame to wrap-up, the three plasma TVs are inevitably focused on the matter at hand. Even the house T-shirts are orange and black.