Santi

Michael White, the renowned chef, restaurateur and innovator who helped define Manhattan’s modern Italian restaurant scene with destinations like Marea, Ai Fiori, and Osteria Morini, makes his return to New York with the October opening of Santi, from his BBianco Hospitality Group. Situated in the heart of midtown at Tishman Speyer’s 520 Madison Avenue, Santi will explore seasonal Italian cooking through the lens of White’s many years living in Italy and the South of France, offering both a culinary retrospective and an exciting next step in his storied career.
The name Santi is derived from a fond memory of White’s culinary mentor, Gianluigi Morini, a chef and bon vivant who helmed the kitchen at San Domenico. Eager to taste the dishes from the kitchen, he would wave off a plate and utensils and say: “Le mani degli chef sono come le mani dei santi” – “The hands of chefs are like the hands of saints.” At Santi, White’s menu retells the story of his years living and working in Imola, the Amalfi coast, and the South of France, with a menu consisting of handmade pastas, meats, fish, vegetables, crudos, rotating specials, and large format dishes. It builds on his 36 years in the kitchen and traverses the whole of the Italian peninsula with a focus on seasonality. There will be wild game, truffles, and ragouts in the fall, ephemeral green market produce in the spring, and rare ingredients from across the globe incorporated thoughtfully and with nuance.