a Mano

Hayes Valley, San Francisco

As I first stepped foot into a Mano, which literally translates to “by hand,” I knew immediately that the vibe of the restaurant would echo the same tone as its name - simple, straight forward and balanced. Their menu was perfect; no more than 5 options per category, which signified that whatever did make it on the menu would be immaculate and intentional.

Even with a less busy menu, it was damn near impossible to choose what I wanted because everything described sounded delightful. What we got:

• chicken polpettine, spicy tomato sauce, crostini

• rigatoni with pork sugo, braised pork shoulder, tomato, parmigiano-reggiano

• margherita, tomato, fior di latte, basil (added calabrian chili)

I have never been so impressed with a chicken meatball in my life. How they managed to make a chicken based meatball so tender that it literally melted in my mouth will be one of life’s greatest mysteries.

Their fresh rigatoni, my goodness! There are plenty of Italian restaurants that make fresh fettucini or ravioli, but fresh rigatoni is a rare find. Their pork sugo was simple, yet refined and delicious.

The margherita pizza reminded me of my pizza adventures in Napoli. The crust achieved the perfect thickness and chewiness. There were just enough toppings to allow me to appreciate every component of the pizza and keep me coming back for more.

Also, they have amazing cocktails and Italian wines! You honestly cannot go wrong with any of their cocktails. For red wine, I recommend the Montepulciano! Its an affordable, medium-bodied bottle of happiness.

Be sure to plan ahead and get your name on the waitlist, the place understandably fills up — but I promise you it’s worth the wait.