Beretta has been around for eons, and it had been that long since I’d last visited (except for takeout during the pandemic).
In truth, way back then, I mostly thought of the place as a young-person’s hangout — aka, very loud. They had solid appetizers, but I didn’t love their pizza.
Recently, Beretta had a makeover; both the interior and its menu got spiffed up, and the changes are notable. From dark wood and leather to bright gold tones with cherry accents, huge, abstract murals, mod red wire-framed lamps, Beretta has a fresh, modern vibe that manages to feel welcoming to all ages, in no small part due to its staff.
We bellied up to the bar and ordered cocktails, for which they’ve always been known.
Love that their logo appears in unexpected places.
Once we got our table, we started with eggplant caponatina agrodolce with added burrata from the antipastini section.
It’s thoughtful of Beretta to offer smaller plates of antipasti to start your meal. And while the creamy burrata was lovely, we found the caponatina a little bland, neither agro nor dolce enough. I’d try the fagioli puree or the roasted cauliflower next time.
We shared the fritto misto on the antipasto side of the menu:
A tumultuous pile of golden-fried squid, prawns, fennel and shishitos came to the table hot and delicately crunchy, without a hint of greasiness. A delight, and would go great on a hot day with a cold birra in hand.
Next, linguine nere pasta.
Squid-ink noodles brought the brine and sea breeze to our table, with lovely chunks of sweet shrimp. Perfect textures, and wonderfully warming on a chilly night.
I just had to get the agnolotti.
Roasted chicken tucked into tender pockets of pasta, swimming in a savory brodo of the rich roasting juices, marsala and mushrooms. While I found this a bit salty, the crispy sage added floral bites that somewhat took the edge off. I’d not turn it away if someone at my table were to order it, because everyone has an off night.
We asked our delightful server what was the favorite pizza here, and she instantly replied, “the bartender’s special.”
Madonna — ma che buona! Presumably what the staff orders at the end of a shift, the pie was juicy and crispy, with just enough char on a healthy, yeasty crust, blanketed by creamy ricotta, spicy cherry peppers, and zingy sausage.
This is a pizza to dream of. I’d be very happy to order a bottle of red, start out with the fritto misto, and finish up with this bad boy. Dio mio.
Full to the brim, I could not resist my favorite gelato.
I’ve always loved the interplay of salty and sweet in gelato di panna, a cream-based gelato drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. A simple, yet rich, concoction.
To keep it old-school, on another day, I did takeout for the BF and I.
The BF was well-pleased with his lasagna Bolognese, layered with ricotta, fontina and parmesan, and I with my peppery cacio e pepe. We both devoured the tender meatballs in a spicy pomodoro sauce. We even got dessert — a fine rendition of an old favorite, tiramisu — sweetly rich and creamy.
Beretta shows itself to be an old dog with new, very fine tricks, coming in with style and even better flavors than I’d remembered. Service is above and beyond friendly and efficient, the atmosphere is lively, and the prices won’t shock you (which is a shock itself these days).
And, if you must leave the Mission, there’s another outpost near Alamo Square on Divisadero. But let’s keep it local; after all, ours is all grown up now.
Beretta
1199 Valencia St.
Did they do away with the “secret” cocktail menu with the refresh? I used to know one of the barbacks turned bartender and he said they were always on the verge of 86ing it because people kept stealing the menus.