Luisa’s Ristorante & Wine Bar, since 1959 – Ma che buona!

During the pandemic, during one of my interminable walks around the neighborhood, I often passed by what seemed to be a new Italian restaurant, Andiamo, that was poised to open on the corner of 22nd and Guerrero streets (after Daniel Patterson’s Aster closed).  “Opening Soon,” the sign read, for months on end. 

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago, and suddenly, the sign had changed: “Luisa’s Ristorante and Wine Bar, since 1959.”  A quick Google search enlightened me: This was the sister restaurant to a very old-school establishment in North Beach by the same name, which, indeed, had been open since the late 50s.  Luisa Hanson has owned a few “Luisa’s Ristorantes” in San Francisco; one in North Beach, one in the Castro, once upon a time, and now here in the Mission. 

This spry nonagenarian — 94, she told us on our second visit — seems to be going strong.  We found her entertaining and amiable, and learned that, although her family was originally from Libya, she was raised in Pompei (not to be confused with Pompeii), a commune in the City of Naples.  So, the lady’s got her Southern Italian cred.

On my first visit with friends, I noted that the restaurant had undergone very few changes in décor — it was already such a pretty space when Michelin-starred Aster left it behind.  We started out with the famed meatball antipasto (“5 Stars on Yelp,” the menu proclaims).

Yelp got it right. These were some of the most tender, flavorful polpette I’ve ever had, in a deeply tomato-rich sauce.  The texture of the meatballs was springy and tender, the sauce balanced and just a dream.  Think of Marcela Hazan’s famous tomato sauce, but better.  I cannot see myself ever coming here and not getting these. 

We split a Caesar salad.

Fresh, crunchy, garlicky, a hint of anchovy; a basic, recognizably good Caesar salad.  I’d have it again.

Next, we split the anchovy pizza.

Thin, crispy crust, and replete with anchovies, kalamata olives, and red onions — an umami trifecta that made for a juicy pie.  The sauces at Luisa’s seem to be the star.  It was another dish I’d get again, and it made me want to explore their pizza menu further.

For my main, I ordered the lobster ravioli in vodka sauce.

I have to say that, while this had no real lobster taste, it was delicious.  The pastas are separated into those that are house-made and those that are not, and the perfectly al dente bite of these ravioli paid tribute to the house.  Another option is to have this dish with a lemony garlic sauce, which may have allowed the lobster flavor to shine through.  But the vodka sauce is drinkable all on its own.

My friend got the gorgonzola penne with mushrooms and spinach.

Possibly best dish of the night, on a night with no slouches.  The gorgonzola sauce was incredibly silky and pooled lusciously under and around the penne.  The mushrooms and spinach added a nice, contrasting texture, but I could have lapped up that sauce like a kitten.

My friend’s husband ordered the gnocchi with pesto.

Also quite good.  The gnocchi were light and pillowy, the sauce creamy without being cloying.

The portions at Luisa’s aren’t overly large; you can leave without hating yourself.  We even had room for dessert:

Luisa’s tiramisu (another 5 star Yelp rating, apparently!)  is made in-house. The layers of ladyfingers and mascarpone were light and delicate.  A good showing; I only wished it had been just a tad boozier, to give it that pop. 

This being a wine bar, there’s a decent selection of Italian wines from regions spanning Toscana, the Veneto, Salento, and a few from California.  Also prominently displayed (bottles on each table when you arrive) is Luisa’s own private label, featuring a cabernet and a sauvignon blanc.  There’s also Prosecco, Lambrusco, and Peroni available.  We shared a bottle of a full-bodied Sistana Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from Ortona, a seaside town about halfway up the Italy boot.  The intensely spicy/fruity notes finished softly, and went well with all our dishes.

On our second visit, the BF and I were warmly greeted from a corner table by Luisa herself, who sat chatting with a table of customers.  “Hello, how are you? Come in, welcome,” she intoned.  Throughout the evening, Luisa wandered from table to table, stopping here to ask how the meal was, there to pull up a chair and have a chat about the old neighborhood (North Beach), and generally to schmooze and make all her guests feel welcome. 

To start, we had to have the meatballs (I wasn’t kidding). Luisa stopped by as I had just finished scooping up most of the sauce that remained around the meatball we would take home.  “How do you like it?  But there’s not enough sauce here, let me get you more sauce!”  I assured her that we’d had plenty, and loved it. 

When I asked her how she came to be in the Mission, she explained that she took over for the previous owners slated to open a Northern Italian restaurant.  She then made one of those prototypical Italian hand gestures that perhaps isn’t used in polite company, but which instantly made me love her.  A more — ahem — polite way of saying “Feh!” she followed up by exclaiming, “Southern Italian food is the best!”  No argument from us here.  And the meatballs? They were possibly even better than the first time.

We split the caprese salad:

Tomatoes may no longer be in season, but these were flavorful nonetheless, although the basil had seen better days. 

Since I’d not tried any of the secondi on my last visit, I ordered one of the specials that evening:

Osso Buco and risotto.  Falling apart, tender as a nonna’s kiss, the short ribs spread seductively over perfectly cooked, ever-so-creamy risotto.  Another winner. 

However, the BF’s meal — wow.

Perhaps the best dish yet (besides the meatballs), and it’s not even house-made pasta.  These were cannelloni, the Italian, original version of manicotti (an Italian-American pasta shape, slightly larger and ridged tubes) and I found it interesting that they had both on the menu. 

These came lovingly stuffed with spiced ground beef, spinach, and parmigiano reggiano, with a choice of vodka sauce or a special tomato sauce.  He opted for the vodka sauce, and I silently cheered.  Ok, maybe we should have tried something different, but it’s just so delizioso, I honestly don’t know if we could have.  If someone were to throw me one of those meatballs as a life raft, I’d happily swim around in that sauce all night.

Luisa also suggested we try her own wine (bottles are on each table), so I ordered a glass of the cabernet.  It was big, bold, rough and ready, just like the feisty lady herself, and I’d have it again.

There is so much more on Luisa’s menu to try: Two lasagnas, 14 kinds of pizza, two calzone, linguini and prawns, carbonara, a spinach salad, carpaccio, etc.  We’re very happy to have an old-school, red-sauce Italian place in the neighborhood, with Luisa’s hospitality to boot.  Note, however, that this business owner is not without controversy; Hanson has opened and shuttered long-standing bars and restaurants in the past, which purportedly has estranged her from some neighbors across the City.  Here’s hoping this is a new leaf, and that she keeps this incarnation of Luisa’s going for a good long time.  Mangia mangia!

Luisa’s Ristorante & Wine Bar Since 1959
1001 Guerrero St.
San Francisco, CA  94110