A new Argentinian and Italian restaurant clad in salmon pink and floral wallpaper has been making waves in the Marina, serving hot takes on steak, pasta, and espresso martinis. Morella in San Francisco is the latest from Kingston Wu of Proof Positive hospitality, the group behind lively neighborhood spots Wilder and Westwood.
Wu partnered with executive chef and Taj Campton Place alum Jesus Dominguez along with bar director Sean Doolan and general manager Shane Caudill on the restaurant, and these guys know their crowd—Doolan has lived in an apartment above Westwood for a dozen years, and Caudill lives nearby.
They understand what the Marina craves on a menu, but they wanted to give Morella a fun twist to differentiate it from the nearby Italian gems like Little Original Joe’s. “We came across this Italian immigrant population in Argentina,” Wu says. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s really interesting. That’ll help make the business stand out.’”
See how that comes together at Morella in San Francisco, and snag a reservation on OpenTable.
What to eat
A woodfired grill is central to the menu here packed with asados, pastas, and antipasti. Start with flaky empanadas filled with beef, chicken, or pork. Then, you’ll want to make your mind up about those asados. Pick from a hefty 14-ounce ribeye topped with chimichurri, a selection of sausages that includes duck and wild boar, short ribs in a truffle beef sauce, and more. “It’s like a foot long, it looks like a club of meat, and it’s literally falling-off-the-bone tender,” Wu says of the short ribs.
Get it alongside pasta from classic carbonara and spaghetti to a Dungeness crab ravioli in a creamy bisque-style sauce.
What to drink
Building on its already popular cocktails at Wilder, Morella is doing more twists on classics while also showing off Argentinian staples. The espresso martini here is a Caffetini and has an earthy undertone of yerba maté. Fernet fans will be excited to spot the Argentinian favorite Fernet con Cola, which features a shot of the liquor with a baby bottle of Coke on the side. Argentina and Italy inspire the wine list with lots of reds by the glass, from fruity Malbecs to spicy Barberas.
Where to sit
The sprawling restaurant lets you sit on a few different levels. Enter through the bar on the right, step up a ramp to the dining room on the left, and don’t miss the mezzanine above or sidewalk seating on Chestnut Street. The bar in the old space was ripped from the center to open up the restaurant and create three distinct bars, so you’re never reaching far for a drink.
Twelve chandeliers in distinct styles and an oval mural above the central bar make it feel like you’re inside an Italian palazzo. Floral banquettes and wallpaper, black-and-white striped floors, and a big pink ceiling add to that feeling of grandeur.
When to go
While Morella is only open for dinner at the moment, the restaurant plans to introduce brunch later in January that will run Friday through Sunday. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday from 4:30 pm to 11 pm, staying open until midnight on Thursday and 2 am on Friday and Saturday for cocktails only. Morella closes at 10 pm on Sunday and is closed on Monday.
Becky Duffett is a food writer living and eating in San Francisco. She was the deputy editor at Eater SF and has written for The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Bon Appétit, among other places. Follow her on Instagram at @beckyduffett.
