Ristorante Milano

On an unassuming side street off Hyde in Russian Hill is a little gem Ristorante Milano. I walked by the tiny bistro a dozen times before Yelping it to discover its huge fan base—even a gnocchi fan club! So we had to try it.

Planning a romantic evening, we grabbed a bottle of Prevail and walked the 15 blocks or so to Russian Hill. A reservation was required since the restaurant has no more than 10 tables. The service was some of the best I’ve ever experienced in San Francisco: three different (what seemed like family member) servers greeted us separately and with offerings of bread, water, and a wine opener. We kicked off with a delicious heirloom tomato Caprese salad drizzled in fragrant olive oil and fresh basil.

For our main courses, John couldn’t resist the gnocchi (it has a fan club, how could it not be fantastic?) and I went for the cioppino. In a novel presentation format, the cioppino was served over soft polenta. I can’t describe how mouth-wateringly delicious the garlic and tomato broth mixed with the polenta. It was like a texture odyssey combining flakey and barely cooked white fish, perfectly steamed mussels and clams, strings of fresh crab meat, broth and soft polenta. If I ever attempt to cook my own cioppino, I will only serve it over polenta! We finished the meal with an almond-chocolate flourless tarte, an indulgence barely necessary after the entrée and ultra-rich Prevail.