Cesarina Team Bringing Roman Pizza and Italian Osteria Culture to Ocean Beach

The partners behind Cesarina Ristorante, the popular Italian spot that opened in 2019 and has since earned Bib Gourmand status from the Michelin Guide are opening a new venture in Ocean Beach that is replacing Bo-Beau Kitchen + Bar, which shuttered temporarily in 2021 and never managed to reopen.

Married couple Niccolò Angius and Cesarina Mezzoni and longtime friend Giuseppe Capasso, who make up the Cesarina Group, are the creative team behind Elvira, a Roman osteria and pizzeria scheduled to open in the space by late summer.

Named for Angius’s great-grandmother, the Roman-born matriarch of the family who was passionate about food and cooking, the 2,400-square-foot restaurant is being reimagined by design firm Limes Architetti using thrifted artwork and family portraits to create a retro style evocative of classic Italian osterias, known for offering “vino della casa”, or house wine, and casual dining.

Elvira

The menu from executive chef Mezzoni will revolve around wood-fired Roman-style pizzas along with handmade pasta and seasonal dishes spotlighting traditional Roman cuisine. Wines from the central Italian region of Lazio, where Rome is located, will be poured on draft by the carafe, and cocktails will focus on Italian spirits like grappa and amaro.

Mezzoni will also helm an intimate restaurant within the restaurant, an 8-person private space dubbed Cucina di La Nonna. Set to resemble the late Elvira’s home, it’ll feature an interactive dining experience through family-style meals.

The ownership trio is still working on another project, announced last summer, called Angelo that will center around Southern Italy and include Neapolitan-style pizza and a cheese-making facility, but a rep for the group tells Eater that its original location across the way from Cesarina is under reconsideration.