The Louvre is not the only establishment that lost jewels. Similarly, on Oct. 31, North Beach lost one of its own jewels, Mona Lisa Restaurant.
First opening its doors in 1979, it has been a fixture in North Beach since its beginning.
“Mona Lisa was a great little spot on Columbus where I’d get a quick plate of consistently good Pasta,” said Dean of Academics and English Teacher Diana Assereto.
The owner, Maurizio Florese’s, generosity, kindness, hospitality and mouthwatering food is renowned throughout the community.
“I began working here in 1998. I moved from Italy and three days later I met Maurizio and he gave me a job right away. I worked here for 11 years,” former server Alessandro Sapienza, who went on to open his own restaurant, stated.
The Mona Lisa was known for its authentic Italian dishes and friendly staff.
Mona Lisa quickly became a hotspot for locals to dine. Sapienza added, “Every night there was a line down the street to get in to dine here.”
Florese had humble beginnings here in San Francisco. He came from the region of Calabria in Southern Italy and had the dream of opening a restaurant to share his grandmother’s recipes and cooking with San Francisco.
“He used to shine shoes, […] he always wanted a restaurant,” said North Beach local Sergio Azzolino.
When the Mona Lisa became available, with the help of his uncles Tony and Francesco, Maurizio was able to fulfill his dream of opening a restaurant. He and his wife, Filomena, took over the restaurant in 1997, marking the beginning of a new chapter for North Beach’s iconic Mona Lisa.
They went on to open two other restaurants, Mona Lisa Monte e Marre and Steps of Rome, both also in North Beach. One of San Francisco’s oldest establishments, The Old Clamhouse, founded in 1861, is also a part of their culinary family.
Fast forward to 2025, Mona Lisa buzzed every night with diners from all over the city. Memorabilia of San Francisco and Italian icons filled the walls and waiters scuttled around.
“Besides the dinner experience, I loved how the servers were all wearing Mona Lisa ties,” Juwon Kim ’28 reminisced.
A rich tapestry of colors and flavors emerged from the kitchen. Mona Lisa served everything from traditional Italian comfort food to experimental seafood dishes.
One famous dish, La Voce De Mare, or voice of the sea, looks like a baked pie but when opened is filled with a delicious homemade linguine marinara with prawns, calamari, clams and mussels.
“This is a crazy dish, creation of a crazy mind–Maurizio,” server Giuseppe, who’s been working in North Beach for a decade, said.
“The most important thing is the people came, […] the riches doesn’t come from the money, but when people finish your cooking and to see all these people working here and coming here, that fills my heart,” proud owner Maurizio Florese said.
Maurizio and Filomena are edging towards retirement and will be passing on Mona Lisa’s legacy to the next generation. The city also mandates new structural requirements for restaurants below residences. To renovate the building suitable to the requirements would cost a pretty penny. Luckily, the employees and memorabilia will move with Maurizio and Filomena to their other restaurants. Though the Mona Lisa may be closed, its legacy will forever live on as one of the jewels of North Beach.
