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San Francisco Bay Area
Il Piccolo
opened on the Sausalito
waterfront at 660 Bridgeway, Suite 3, under the Water Street Grill in the
late fall of 2003. The Tuscan-style coffee house, with a Mini Sausalito Art
Gallery, has sheltered outdoor tables so patrons can enjoy spectacular views
of San Francisco and the ferry docks looking
down
Raccoon Straits. Piccolo means little one, and though this is a little shop,
it has a big espresso bar with eight yummy coffee drinks plus regular
coffee, tea, and chai. Il Piccolo opens at 7am each day, and serves fresh
foccacia bread and Italian pastries, which can be enjoyed while looking out
over the Bay or taken to the park or ferry.
For lunch, Il Piccolo serves minestrone, plus salads like Saporita, with mixed greens, Parma prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, and roasted eggplant; or sandwiches such as Parma prosciutto, carciofini (small artichokes), and Brie cheese on grilled focaccia bread
Starting
in February, partners Stefano Scali and Mauro Dosolini have readied their
menus for new, expanded hours of service to accommodate the Ferry Schedule.
The
new menu offers a classic Tuscan-style breakfast, including crespelle (light
crepes), cronetti (large croissant), and tosti, which will all be available
for early morning commuters as they head off to the ferry. Later evening
hours will allow ferry riders to drop by after commuting home for wine and
tapas.
Mauro moved to the United States ten years ago looking for adventure. He has worked in the food industry all his life, first owning and running a restaurant in his parents’ hotel in the coastal town of Viareggio, part of the Italian Riviera. His parents have since sold the hotel and retired. Viareggio is a boat-building town, a classic seaport and resort town reminiscent of the Bay Area. Mauro’s first stop in California was San Francisco. Three years ago, he opened the popular Café Divino, a Tuscan-style restaurant on Caledonia Street. Café Divino is open 7am to 11pm, seats 45-60, and offers live music on the weekends.
Though
just a block from the water, it is just not the same." said Mauro. "So when
the chance to have this little place came along, I had to have it. At the
kitchens of Café Divino, we make the bread every morning for both
restaurants but the rest we make right here. I have a Panini grill to grill
the fresh focaccia bread and a wonderful espresso machine.
Before opening my own restaurant, I worked for the Espresso Machine Company fixing, improving, and installing them. After owning my own restaurant for so long, it was not easy to work for someone else. That is part of the joy in opening and running these restaurants. We are looking forward to expanding the service to better serve the ferry riders in 2004. We enjoy our customers and the place is fantastic!"