GREAT EATS HAWAII: RISTORANTE MILANO

Saturday, December 1, 2012

RISTORANTE MILANO - SAN FRANCISCO

RISTORANTE MILANO

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

RISTORANTE MILANO

1448 PACIFIC AVENUE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109

415-673-2961

HOURS: DINNER ONLY

Monday thru Thursday 5:30 - 10:00 PM

Friday and Saturday 5:30 - 10:30 PM

Sunday 5:00 - 10:00 PM

www.milanosf.com

If you want to enjoy authentic Northern Italian food in San Francisco, I would highly recommend you make a reservation at Ristorante Milano in the Russian Hill district. This family owned business nestled in a quaint residential neighborhood is a gem. The place is small in size but delivers up some big flavors on their plates. We were greeted and partially served by the daughter of the owner. She proudly told us that the family was from Italy and these were their recipes. Always smiling and talking with her thick Italian accent, she set the stage for what turned out to be one of the best dinners of my life. I had a view of the kitchen from my table. I could not take my eyes of the chef. He was the happiest and coolest chef I have ever seen. He smiled continuously as he grabbed each ticket off the line. He cooked with ease and shall I say pleasure. He was his own little symphony of pasta back there. Holding court as only a true pro can do. We ordered a plethora of dishes to eat family style. Everyone tasted every dish on the table and we were all glad we did. Two dishes stand out for me. First there was the Calamari con Cannellini. This was the best Squid dish ever. The squid was fresh and grilled to perfection. You could taste just a hint of the grill on the squid. Served with Cannellini Beans that made me an instant white bean lover. I would go back again and again for this dish. The second dish that I would run back for was the House Made Ravioli with Butternut Squash, Butter, Cheese and Sage. What a flavor bomb. This rivals any pasta dish I have ever eaten. The dish was perfection on a plate. As each person tried the Ravioli there eyes lit up and then they smiled. Everyone at the table was saying "wow". Only problem was is that I wanted the entire plate but had to share. Next time I am getting my own. What stands out for me at Milano is the freshness of the pastas and simple ingredients. Each dish delivered on flavor. This is the first time in my blog history that I have had back to back TASTE OF HAWAII FAVORITES. Ristorante Milano makes the list along with Ike's Place in San Francisco. Looking forward to returning here as soon as possible.

Link below to updated post on Ristorante Milano

http://greateatshawaii.blogspot.com/2013/05/ristorante-milano-san-francisco-ca.html

RISTORANTE MILANO

RESTORANTE MILANO IS LOCATED IN THE RUSSIAN HILL DISTRICT.
SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT THAT REALLY DELIVERS

INSIDE IS SMALL AND TIGHT. 10-12 TABLES MAX

SMALL UPPER TIER SEATING AREA WITH TWO TABLES

TABLES ARE CLOSE BUT WE DID NOT FEEL CROWDED

I HAD A VIEW OF THE CHEF AND WOW....HE WAS COOL, CALM AND ALWAYS SMILING

FRESH BREAD INFUSED WITH ROSEMARY

CROSTINI AI FUNGHI
BRUSCHETTA WITH SAUTEE MUSHROOMS AND GORGONZOLA

BRESAOLA VALTELLINESE
AIR CURED BEEF FROM THE ALPS, GRANA PANDANA AND EXTRIN VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

FRESH MOZZARELLA, TOMATOES AND BASIL

CALAMARI CON CANNELLINI
FRESH MONTEREY BAY SQUID, GRILLED AND SERVED WITH CANNELLINI BEANS.
THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST SQUID DISHES OF MY LIFE!

ANTIPASTO MISTO
SELECTION OF HOUSE MADE APPETIZERS

RAVIOLI DEL GIORNO
HOUSE MADE RAVIOLI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH, BUTTER, CHEESE AND SAGE.
HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST PASTA DISHES OF MY LIFE. THIS IS THE BOMB!