By Joanne and Patrick Bedwell

The new Giovanni’s restaurant is a wonderful updated version of the old neighborhood classic on Mission at Crescent. Owners Marcella and Ricardo Perez opened the restaurant after Mama and Papa (the original owners) retired after 16 years. They have completely updated the menu, adding a range of soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta to complement the pizza. They have also updated the interior of the restaurant, renovating it from top to bottom.

We have dined there several times since it opened. Each time, we’ve found the food creative, fresh, and delicious. Our recommendations include the fresh minestrone soup, the organic mixed greens salad (with pine nuts and cranberries), the minestrone soup, and the very tasty lamb ragu with mint over rotelle pasta. Did we mention the Minestrone?

Madeline (our six-year old expert on cheese pizza) insists that the cheese pizza is exceptional. There are a range of specialty pizzas, as well as a ‘create your own’ list of over 30 toppings.  

Another neighbor also raves about the pizza -- she told us “I thought the pizza was really one of the freshest-tasting pizzas I've had in SF. The medium-thickness crust was perfectly done, chewy inside, lightly crisp outside. Every ingredient was clearly fresh--pungent garlic, smoky roasted red bell peppers, lots of cheese. It had a really terrific ratio of toppings and cheese to delicate-tasting sauce.”  

Marcella's favorite things to make are her pasta dishes, and she says that spaghetti with creamy sun-dried tomatoes is one of her specialties.  One feature that remains unchanged from Mama and Papa’s previous ownership is the friendly, welcoming service. Marcella, Ricardo, and the rest of the staff go out of their way to make everyone feel at home.

The Perezes knew Mama and Papa for many years and Marcella had often asked if they might be interested in selling the business to her when they retired. When it came time to sell, Mama and Papa contacted them and offered them the business. The Perezes have never operated a restaurant before, but they have done a first-rate job.