San Francisco's dining scene just got a major upgrade with the opening of Via Aurelia, a stunning new Tuscan restaurant that's already making waves in the food and beverage industry. Located in the heart of Mission Rock, this latest venture from the acclaimed team behind Che Fico represents a bold step into fine dining territory: and it's exactly the kind of ambitious project that signals the city's culinary resilience.
The Vision Behind Via Aurelia
Named after the ancient Roman road that connected Rome to Pisa through Tuscany's coastal regions, Via Aurelia embodies Chef David Nayfeld and Partner Matt Brewer's most ambitious project to date. This isn't just another Italian restaurant; it's their first foray into fine dining, marking a significant evolution for Back Home Hospitality.
"We wanted to create more than just a dining destination," explains the team. "Via Aurelia is a testament to San Francisco's upward momentum: an illustration of growth, community, and world-class hospitality." The restaurant aims to expand American understanding of Tuscan cuisine by delving deeply into the region's traditions, showcasing flavors shaped by centuries of trade and the vast Tuscan coastline.
Location and Design: Where Art Meets Hospitality
Situated at 300 Toni Stone Xing in Visa's new building within the Mission Rock development: a collaboration between the San Francisco Giants, Tishman Speyer, and the Port of San Francisco: Via Aurelia commands an impressive presence. The 216-seat restaurant features multiple distinct areas: a 68-seat dining room, a sophisticated lounge with horseshoe bar, two large private dining rooms, and a fully weatherized heated patio offering sweeping waterfront views of the Bay and China Basin Park.
Designer Jon de la Cruz of DLC ID has crafted interiors that channel Italian style distilled to its purest forms. The design palette draws from antiquity yet feels distinctly contemporary, featuring vaulted ceilings, frescoed plaster patinas, and time-worn tones of olive, terracotta, ochre, and blue juniper. Florentine sandstone, elliptical arches, and references to David Hockney's operatic stage design for Turandot infuse the space with theatrical rhythm.
The attention to detail is remarkable: from olive and white oak banquettes to intimate velvet-lined coves that frame the room's edges. Lime-washed walls create warmth throughout the space, culminating at the east end with a Renaissance-inspired mural of cloudy skies. Custom lighting, created in collaboration with Jered's Pottery, and artwork by Windy Chien reference Tuscany's artistic legacy while offering a fresh, contemporary perspective.
Menu Innovation: Beyond Traditional Tuscan Cuisine
Via Aurelia offers both à la carte dining and comprehensive 5-7 course tasting menus, celebrating the simplicity of Tuscan cuisine with modern sensibility. The menu showcases pristine seafood, housemade pastas, and produce-driven creations while honoring the region's most iconic ingredients.
Antipasti That Tell a Story
The antipasti selection reads like a love letter to Tuscan ingredients. The Panzanella presents a vibrant mosaic of heirloom tomatoes, diced vinaigrette cucumbers, olives, red onion, and crisp fried levain, elevated with sungold tomato gazpacho. The Sformato di Funghi features chanterelle custard with Brentwood sweet corn and Parmigiano, while the Insalata di Verdura Estiva Cotte showcases roasted Jimmy Nardellos, grilled summer squash, tomato confit, and eggplant.
Perhaps most impressive is the Tartara di Tonno: finely chopped dry-aged Bluefin tuna belly and loin, delicately seasoned with Tuscan tamari and prepared tableside. Mixed with trout roe, cucumber, sea lettuce oil, and shavings of cured and dried tuna heart, it exemplifies the restaurant's commitment to both tradition and innovation.
Handcrafted Pasta Excellence
The Primi section celebrates Italy's pasta mastery with dishes like Pici All'Aglione: hand-rolled noodles tossed in an "overcooked" heirloom tomato sauce simmered for seven hours and garnished with panne gratto. The Tortelli Mugellani, filled with baby Yukon potato and mascarpone, sits atop traditional ragù Toscano della Nonna, finished with light Parmigiano espuma. For those seeking richer flavors, the Tagliatelle Verde con Ragù d'Anatra pairs tomato leaf tagliatelle with rosemary and red wine-accented California duck ragù.
Land and Sea Entrees
The larger plate offerings span both surf and turf with equal sophistication. Seafood highlights include Capesante Scottate: seared Maine Diver Scallops served over Minestrone risotto with zucchini puree and sea urchin sauce. The Cacciucco features Black Sea Bass, Gulf prawns, PEI mussels, and clams in aromatic tomato broth.
Meat dishes showcase equal creativity, with the Maiale pairing crispy pork belly and braised pork cheeks with Gravenstein apples, pickled mustard seeds, guanciale, and rich pork jus. The Anatra features dry-aged Liberty Duck with Santa Rosa plums, Hakori turnips, and "Tuscan Duck Sauce," garnished with amaretto cookie and duck chicharón granola.
The iconic Bistecca alla Fiorentina remains the centerpiece: an American Wagyu Angus mix porterhouse with Sangiovese jus, rosemary salt, Tuscan butter, fresh leafy green salad, summer squash, peppers, and Robiola.
Beverage Program: Italian Heritage Meets California Innovation
Director of Wine Jason Alexander has curated an impressive 650-bottle wine list that places emphasis on Tuscan and Italian selections while featuring premier offerings from France and California. The program highlights deep selections of verticals from key global producers and significant half and large format bottle selections.
The list offers extensive Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino selections alongside wines from the Tuscan coastline. California producers and sought-after wines from Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux, and the Rhône Valley round out the comprehensive program.
The cocktail program pays homage to the region with Italian spirits, ingredients, and complementary flavor profiles. Beyond eight signature house cocktails, Via Aurelia features six classics including a vintage Negroni, plus a robust spirit-free program.
Sweet Endings and Artisanal Touches
The Dolci selection includes the Monte-Bianco: a chestnut shortbread tart topped with chestnut puree, black currant preserve, vanilla bean meringue, and chestnut pastry cream. The Schiacciata all Fiorentina offers traditional orange cake from Florence with chantilly cream and orange curd, cut tableside. The Cantuccini Toscani features twice-baked chocolate almond cookies reminiscent of biscotti, while housemade gelato and sorbetti provide a signature Back Home Hospitality finale.
Industry Impact and Future Outlook
Via Aurelia's opening represents more than just another restaurant launch: it signals confidence in San Francisco's dining recovery and the food and beverage industry's continued evolution. The restaurant's location in the Mission Rock development, alongside major tech companies and sports venues, positions it perfectly to serve both local diners and visiting food enthusiasts.
For food service industry professionals, Via Aurelia demonstrates how established restaurant groups can successfully expand into fine dining while maintaining their core values and team culture. The attention to sourcing, preparation techniques, and service standards offers valuable insights for hospitality managers and restaurant operators looking to elevate their own programs.
Currently open for dinner Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Friday through Saturday from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Via Aurelia plans to add lunch service in the coming months. Reservations are available through their website at viaaureliasf.com.
As the food and beverage industry continues to recover and evolve, Via Aurelia stands as a beacon of what's possible when vision, execution, and location converge perfectly. It's destinations like this that remind us why San Francisco remains one of America's premier food cities.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.