Ideale

Bittersweet news… after 31 years as the owner of Ideale, Maurizio will be leaving Ideale near the end of November. It was a very hard decision for him, as his employees (many who have been at Ideale since it’s inception) as well as regulars, neighbors who frequent the restaurant often, Italians who come to hang out after work, have all become like family to him. Maurizio opened the restaurant in 1993 with his brother Stefano, and partner, Carlo. In 2000, he took over fully and has never looked back since.

He leaves Ideale with so many wonderful memories, including opening it with his brother, whom he had followed to America in 1986, and was a beloved fixture behind the bar with his acerbic wit. Maurizio met his wife there (in fact, many of the waiters over the years have met their wives there!) and raised his kids in the restaurant (see pic of him offering Campari to one of his daughters there… gotta start somewhere 😂). So many fun NYEve celebrations there, etc….but his favorite thing has been watching friends and families return year after year and seeing how the kids grew and the families evolved, always so happy to catch up again no matter how many years had passed.
Given all of that, it was an incredibly hard decision for him to leave Ideale now. Maurizio wanted to scale down his work obligations, and to that end, will focus now on daily operations & the kitchen at Serafina, with his partner, Giuseppe, on Russian Hill. However, we are happy that Ideale will be in great hands as our longtime employees, Paolo & Fabio will be taking over, leaving everything as is, including the kitchen staff and menu.
To celebrate Maurizio’s time at Ideale, as well as his many achievements, we will be having a very special dinner on Sunday, November 17th. It will be a fun, celebratory dinner with lots of food, wine... both included in abundance for $100/person. More details will follow as far as the exact menu, but if you’d like more info, or wanted to reserve, please contact us directly at [email protected].. Mille grazie and thank you for all of your support and love over the years!! ❤️🍝❤️

Maurizio couldn’t resist his Carbonara with freshly-made spaghetti either last night… 😂

It’s the perfect SF night to cozy up with us for some pasta, homemade today by Maurizio, prosciutto with mascarpone & Bosc pear and a big glass of one of our favorite curated Italian red wines…! Buon appetito!! 😋

Buona festa della mamma!! 🌹🌸 We’re open tonight and looking forward to celebrating all of the amazing moms out there and everything they do, so come by with your families and have some homemade pasta, wine, dolci with us! ❤️

We’re beyond honored to have been recognized by the city as a Legacy Business (and the 400th business to have ever been given this title!), an award given to SF businesses that have operated for 30 years or longer and have contributed to San Francisco’s history and identity… 🙏😊

Starting tomorrow night! We’ll be taking part in the fall SF Restaurant Week, Friday, April 5th - Sunday, April 14th. Check out the amazing $45 3 course prix-fixe menu Maurizio has prepared (second pic), including only $5 for a glass of Prosecco (we’ll have our regular menu as well). Book here to reserve now!

https://www.opentable.com/r/ideale-san-francisco

Buona Pasqua!! Maurizio will be in the kitchen all day cooking up homemade pappardelle in a slow-cooked lamb ragù, so come on by to celebrate Pasqua with us! 🐣

We’ve been nominated for “BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT” in “Best of the Bay Area” on SFGATE! We’d really REALLY appreciate your support if you could take 2 seconds and vote for us.

Just click here: https://www.sfgate.com/best/vote/ #/gallery?group=477873 and scroll down to Italian. You’ll see Ideale there.
You can vote up to once a day till March 24th. Thank you as always for your support!!!! 🙏

Maurizio serving up 500 (!) portions of Paccheri all’Amatriciana to hundreds of hungry Italians at the Gambero Rosso awards 😄

We’re so honored to have had Ideale (and Maurizio!) recognized by Gambero Rosso for the second year in a row among this amazing group of chefs with the prestigious “Due Forchette” award!

Maurizio happy with this fresh wild Cernia (Mexican Grouper) just delivered to ideale! 🐟 🐟 🐟

Maurizio attempting to see eye to eye with Warrior’s player Dario Šarić…. 😂

Come celebrate NYE with us this year! 🥂 💃🏼 ✨ Maurizio will be in the kitchen cooking up New Years’s specials including Lenticchie & Cotechino as well as Paccheri al Salmone (homemade pasta with fresh salmon, dill & green onion), & golden wild sea bass, oven baked with artichokes. Reserve now 😋

15% off all gift certificates for our most loyal customers! If you're looking for a unique last minute holiday gift, and want to support a local restaurant, consider getting a gift certificate from us. Buy one for a friend and one for yourself to use later, either from Ideale or Serafina. Thank you as always, for your support!

Ideale gift certificates can be bought here.

https://squareup.com/gift/BCQJR0XD56VFD/order

15% off with the code FESTA15

Or purchase one from our sister restaurant on Nob Hill, Serafina

You can buy Serafina's gift certificates here:
https://squareup.com/gift/23M0EJEG06ZV0/order

and same promo code, FESTA15, will give you 15% off. Buone feste a tutti!! 🥂👯‍♀️🎄

Tonight only, 20% off of your full check to inaugurate Tuesday nights at Ideale!! Just mention this post (20% off before tax & tip). Reserve your table now! 😀

Big news! We’re now open on Tuesdays too! Come hang out with Maurizio on Tues nights and celebrate the holidays with some warm fresh pasta, our award-winning thin crust Roman style pizzas, saltimbocca or fresh locally sourced fish of the day, and a glass of Italian full-bodied red wine. 🍝 🍷
You can reserve here: https://www.opentable.com/r/ideale-san-francisco

Buone feste! Before you stuff yourself with turkey, come by Ideale for some homemade pasta or a warm Cioppino soup. We’re open today but closed tomorrow. Happy 🦃 Day everyone!!!

We’re open tonight for one of our last nights of SF RESTAURANT WEEK. Warm, homemade pasta cooked up by Maurizio hits just the spot on a cold Tuesday night!

Tonight, SF RESTAURANT WEEK continues, with tender grilled octopus on the menu. Reserve your table now. :)