a Mano

450 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA

Walking in, you sense the optimism. The space is bright, open, with floor-to-ceiling windows, glass panels facing Hayes Street, warm wood, bottles of Campari and Aperol lined up like a gallery of last night’s regrets. Then pasta. This is where A Mano’s heart lies. The short rib ragù gets its gravitas—deep, meaty, patient. The pizzas land perfectly; some swing wild (the summer squash pizza, for instance) but when they hit, they hit hard.

You come to a Mano because it reminds you why you love restaurants. A rough edge, that gamble, that moment of pleasure when a bowl of pasta makes you forget everything else.