Osteria Morini

Michael White is regarded as one of the best Italian chefs in New York City today.  His flagship restaurant Marea, is arguably the best Italian restaurant in NYC, gaining national attention and two Michelin stars.  On the other side of the Michelin spectrum is his casual downtown hotspot, Osteria Morini, offering affordable, authentic Italian fare at the crossroads of Little Italy and Soho.

Osteria Morini is named after Michael White's mentor in Italy, Gianluigi Morini, chef and owner of Restaurant San Domenico in Italy, where Michael White spent much of his early career in.  Osteria means "host" in Italian.  Here, at Osteria Morini, Micheal White hosts guests with food and techniques he learned while traveling through Italy.  The result is a great Italian meal that will not break your wallet, only surpass your taste buds.

Osteria Morini is designed after a 1700's Italian farmhouse, although you probably would not have known it unless someone told you.  The ceilings are high-beamed and wooden, but the walls are very minimalistic and bare.  The restaurant is tiny, and the tables are pushed so close together you are almost within elbow's reach of the table sitting next to you.  They offer the full menu at the bar, which surprisingly is a bit more spacious, so if given the option, decide against a table.

My friend and I arrived on time for our reservation, but were seating at the bar while our table was still being set.  After ordering a round of drinks we were asked if we would like to move to the table or stay at the bar.  Being our first time here we opted for the table.  We now know better for the future as I felt I was pushed too far into the table to allow ample room for servers to get behind me comfortably.  My chair was kicked a few times as well, a very big pet peeve of mine.

The service is very cold, as I couldn't tell if our server was just having a bad day or really didn't care if we were there or not.  Seeing how packed this restaurant is, and how many tables they turn, makes me believe the latter.  I didn't even get her name through the course of the night, even though we only saw her twice.

Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop

For many people visiting San Francisco for the first time, there are a few landmarks which are easily recognizable.  The gorgeous colors of the Golden Gate Bridge, the curves of Lombard Street, the cable cars easily seen around the city, and to anyone on the pier, the famous Ghirardelli sign.

Say "Gear-ar-delly"

The Ghirardelli sign indicates Ghirardelli Square, an entire block showcasing the original factory, chocolate shop, ice cream shop, chocolate cafe, and other neighboring food vendors.  Started in 1852 by a man named Domingo Ghirardelli, Ghirardelli Chocolate is America's only chocolate company that controls the entire chocolate manufacturing process, from blending their own beans, to methods of roasting, and eventually processing and packaging.  The company ensures the highest level of chocolate making, and if you're one of the few that have yet to taste a Ghirardelli chocolate bar, I highly recommend you do, because you are missing out.

Peppermint Bark, so good.

Ghirardelli boasts over 40 varieties of chocolate, and the chocolate shop located in the Square showcases them all.  I do have a personal favorite, but the sad news is that my favorite one is only available seasonally.  It is the Peppermint Bark, and only available around Christmas time.  During my 10-day stay in San Francisco, I probably bought about 5 of those chocolate bars to hold me over.  Hey, it's only available a few weeks of the year and it they were on sale, leave me alone.