“ It ’ s the piazza — hands down , We were successful in licensing the piazza for alcohol , and the ability to go out and enjoy a glass of wine or beverage from our bar with the entertainment is , I think , what makes it unique . ”
— MIKE DINORSCIA , CEO AT GRAIN & GRIT COLLECTIVE
PPHOTOS COURTESY OF LITTLE ITALY FOOD HALL
The culinary stations at Little Italy Food Hall were carefully considered and offer everything from light bites to full meals , with a wide range of options to suit nearly any craving .
LITTLE ITALY FOOD HALL Nestled in San Diego ’ s vibrant , chic Little Italy neighborhood is the Little Italy Food Hall — an exciting , multistation food destination adjacent to the Piazza della Famiglia , which features a 10,000-square-foot courtyard .
“ It ’ s the piazza — hands down ,” says DiNorscia about what differentiates Little Italy Food Hall . “ We were successful in licensing the piazza for alcohol , and the ability to go out and enjoy a glass of wine or beverage from our bar with the entertainment is , I think , what makes it unique .”
A bar cart serves the piazza on Friday , Saturday and Sunday , with plans to possibly change the cart ’ s offerings and expand its days of operation . On Saturday from 8 a . m . to 2 p . m ., visitors can also enjoy the nearby Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market ( popular with locals ), which brings vendors that sell produce , flowers , meat , jewelry , clothing and more .
“ Our motto is , ‘ It ’ s not just food — it ’ s a social dining experience ,’ ” DiNorscia says , “ That ’ s the environment we try to cultivate through activation , specifically with our project in the public piazza . We work with the local association to do various events . There is music down there and we did a painting night . So those types of things in combination with the food — it ’ s great for the community and for people to connect .”
The food stations were also carefully considered , offering everything
from light bites to full meals . Mein St . Asian Kitchen , created by the team behind Carmel Mountain ’ s Zen Modern Asian Bistro , serves a variety of Asian comfort food like house-made dumplings , ramen and Boba milk tea . Meanwhile , Not Not Tacos is an innovative concept that experiments with the seemingly familiar taco using unexpected ingredients ( think meatloaf or pastrami ). Wicked Maine Lobster keeps seafood lovers happy , and Samburgers offers burgers with creative toppings like jalapeño or teriyaki , bacon and pineapple , as well as a salmon sandwich with mango salsa and Sriracha mayonnaise . Of course , being in Little Italy , the food hall had to have a pizza option , and Ambrogio15 happily brings Milan to San Diego with its paperthin gourmet pizzas made with imported Italian flours , meats and cheeses and cooked in a massive oven .
“ There are a lot of sit-down Italian restaurants nearby , so we wanted to add some variety to the area ,” DiNorscia says of how Grain & Grit decided on each station . “ We knew that this was going to be a quicker service offering . So we looked at what the voids were in the marketplace and we tried to find people who were doing things at a high level — both from a guest experience and a product viewpoint . We ’ re continually evolving the thought process .”
As for DiNorscia ’ s favorites ? “ Honestly I love all the product in Little Italy Food Hall ,” he says . “ I have kids , and we all go down and get pizza , macaroni and cheese , and they just run around the piazza and dance around .”
44 MISSION : BEACH !