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.
Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italian. Show all posts
Apr 12, 2012
Nov 28, 2011
Cotogna & Quince
The culinary power couple.
Before I had made my way to San Francisco there was but one recommendation I could not get out of my head. Chef Floyd Cardoz told me I need to visit Cotogna. From what I have realized from our own similar tastes in the past, when he recommends a restaurant, I must listen.
Cotogna is a small, rustic Italian restaurant owned and operated by Michael and Lindsay Tusk. The two chefs first opened their fine-dining flagship Quince in 2003. A hit right from the start, their passion lead them to move Quince into a more luxurious and grander space taking over Myth in San Francisco's Jackson Square in 2009. The space included a small corner cafe, and after about a year and a half, and Lindsay Tusk doing much of the design work herself, transformed that cafe into Cotogna, which actually means "quince" in Italian.
Cotogna is centered around the pastas that Michael Tusk became famous for at Quince, having removed all of them from the now four-star establishment, making them more readily available in a more casual atmosphere. There is not much to the decor of this 50-seat restaurant, with windows looking out to Jackson Square and wooden panels flowing throughout. But what makes this space stand out is the small open kitchen showcasing a wood-fire pizza oven and a stand-alone grill with rotating spits. Two cooks man these stations in the front while three more work behind the scenes. The rest of the kitchen can be seen on a visit to the restrooms.
Getting a reservation here is hard. Very hard actually. I was trying for up to one month to see if I could make a reservation here before actually being in the Bay Area. On a Tuesday night I decided to press my luck and visit the restaurant, and thankfully I got lucky. I walked in and starting talking to the hostesses about my chances of dining that night. They told me they accept walk-ins at the dining counters which were full at the moment. They then took down my number and offered to call me if a space opened up. Jumping at the chance I was put on the waitlist, and 20 minutes later received a call saying I could dine. I thanked them profusely for the kindness.
Before I had made my way to San Francisco there was but one recommendation I could not get out of my head. Chef Floyd Cardoz told me I need to visit Cotogna. From what I have realized from our own similar tastes in the past, when he recommends a restaurant, I must listen.
Cotogna is a small, rustic Italian restaurant owned and operated by Michael and Lindsay Tusk. The two chefs first opened their fine-dining flagship Quince in 2003. A hit right from the start, their passion lead them to move Quince into a more luxurious and grander space taking over Myth in San Francisco's Jackson Square in 2009. The space included a small corner cafe, and after about a year and a half, and Lindsay Tusk doing much of the design work herself, transformed that cafe into Cotogna, which actually means "quince" in Italian.
Cotogna is centered around the pastas that Michael Tusk became famous for at Quince, having removed all of them from the now four-star establishment, making them more readily available in a more casual atmosphere. There is not much to the decor of this 50-seat restaurant, with windows looking out to Jackson Square and wooden panels flowing throughout. But what makes this space stand out is the small open kitchen showcasing a wood-fire pizza oven and a stand-alone grill with rotating spits. Two cooks man these stations in the front while three more work behind the scenes. The rest of the kitchen can be seen on a visit to the restrooms.
Getting a reservation here is hard. Very hard actually. I was trying for up to one month to see if I could make a reservation here before actually being in the Bay Area. On a Tuesday night I decided to press my luck and visit the restaurant, and thankfully I got lucky. I walked in and starting talking to the hostesses about my chances of dining that night. They told me they accept walk-ins at the dining counters which were full at the moment. They then took down my number and offered to call me if a space opened up. Jumping at the chance I was put on the waitlist, and 20 minutes later received a call saying I could dine. I thanked them profusely for the kindness.
Aug 18, 2011
Barbuto
It's hard not to fall in love with Barbuto, which has a rustic sophistication to it. The restaurant is basically a converted garage located on the ground floor of Industria Superstudios. In the warm months, the garage doors are opened, creating an incredible airy and open restaurant, and the 24-seat patio seating starts to engulf the sidewalk of Washington Street and 12th Ave.
The decor is very simple. Patio chairs and cheap tables, a wobbly iron divider partitioning the patio from the sidewalk, not a single piece of artwork, but yet...it all works together. As cheap as it all is, the restaurant is warm and inviting, and once you taste the food, nothing else matters anyway.
The chef here is Jonathan Waxman, who arguably is one of the best chefs in America today. He can sometimes be seen sweating over the stoves in Barbuto's open kitchen, or skillfully cooking in the wood-burning oven.
Born in 1950, Chef Waxman was one of the first pioneer's of California cuisine, and is credited with being the first chef to bring its style, fusing French technique with the freshest of ingredients, to New York City. Heard of the "farm-to-table" craze that has been going on for decades? Jonathan Waxman was the one who started it all here.
The decor is very simple. Patio chairs and cheap tables, a wobbly iron divider partitioning the patio from the sidewalk, not a single piece of artwork, but yet...it all works together. As cheap as it all is, the restaurant is warm and inviting, and once you taste the food, nothing else matters anyway.
The chef here is Jonathan Waxman, who arguably is one of the best chefs in America today. He can sometimes be seen sweating over the stoves in Barbuto's open kitchen, or skillfully cooking in the wood-burning oven.
Born in 1950, Chef Waxman was one of the first pioneer's of California cuisine, and is credited with being the first chef to bring its style, fusing French technique with the freshest of ingredients, to New York City. Heard of the "farm-to-table" craze that has been going on for decades? Jonathan Waxman was the one who started it all here.
Jun 6, 2011
Goodfellas vs Deninos
The best of Staten Island pizza.
Ahh, Staten Island. You can find numerous Italian eateries, bakeries, and supermarkets on any street. There’s a pizza shop in every plaza. But with all the Italian shops around, who wins for the best on the Island?
Ahh, Staten Island. You can find numerous Italian eateries, bakeries, and supermarkets on any street. There’s a pizza shop in every plaza. But with all the Italian shops around, who wins for the best on the Island?
This post is comparing the New York style cheese pizzas offered at both Goodfellas, and Denino’s on Staten Island. Both are brick-oven pizzerias, and beloved by Staten Islanders, as well as other New Yorkers.
Goodfellas Pizzeria. This one is a local favorite. Goodfellas has three locations in Staten Island, with the original being founded in 1992 in Dongan Hills, and the other locations in Eltingville and Rossville, respectively. I have been to the original location only once, and they offer some great food there. The fried calamari, fried zucchini sticks, and spinach roll are at the top of the list of three favorites.
Goodfellas has won national awards for their Vodka Pie, and also won the title of World’s Best Pizza numerous times at the International Hotel and Restaurant Show annually. I was hooked the first time I tried their New York Style pie. Thin crust, not too crispy or soft, just the right amount of dough. Perfect amount of cheese, satisfying that cheesy craving with every bite. The sauce is flavorful, not too thick, but I have had incidents in the past of the sauce dripping off the pizza and onto my clothes. Not good at all, so be careful.
Jun 3, 2011
Maialino
I’ve been to Maialino, located in the Gramercy Park Hotel, about three times now. However, I never made it into their dining room, as I love to sit at the long open bar, which is why it’s only fair I review just the bar area in this post.
The bar area at Maialino has a very modern European café look to it, and their dining room resembles an old school Roman trattoria. Blue and white picnic-style tablecloths cover the wooden tables, fresh baked breads line the walls, a small open kitchen displaying the house-made charcuterie, wine bottles lining the room dividers, and huge windows facing the street allowing so much natural light in. Maialino is definitely a great place to grab a drink and a quick bite to eat. They even serve breakfast, and I have been trying my best for months to wake up early enough try their Porchetta sandwich. Roast pork and fried eggs served in a roll. Now that sounds like a great way to wake up.
To say the staff is friendly is an understatement. Everyone who works here is incredibly nice. For those who know me, yes this opinion is a little biased as I know a quarter of the staff, but I can see how they serve other patrons as well. Every diner here seems very comfortable, as if they were sitting in someone’s home. Danny Meyer’s famous hospitality definitely comes through with this restaurant.
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