A Mano, the pasta and pizza restaurant slated for 450 Hayes Street from local mogul Adriano Paganini — which we learned the details of a few weeks back — is now set for an opening this Monday, May 8. The team put out the word today, and as reported earlier, the menu will focus on handmade pastas, all priced between $12 and $15, and two rotating pizzas, as well as Italian-inspired cocktails, wine on tap, and for dessert, a Nutella milkshake. And unlike many of Paganini's other restaurants, A Mano will not take reservations.

"I'm very excited to open A Mano," says executive chef Freedom Rains, who's worked in the kitchens of Flour + Water, Incanto, and Belga. "My vision is for it to be a great neighborhood Italian restaurant that makes delicious pasta and many other Italian- and California-inspired dishes."

Another big bonus, besides the cocktail program by bar manager Matthew Campbell which adds another full bar to this busy neighborhood, is that all the wines on tap will be $7 a glass — a nearly unheard of bargain these days.

In creating the restaurant, Paganini rejects the idea food either needs to be expensive or compromises have to made in the service model to make SF restaurants sustainable these days. "That simply isn't true," he says — though of course he can benefit from the economies of scale that come with owning 20 Bay Area restaurants.

"My vision is for A Mano to be an alternative to this paradigm," Paganini says. "At A Mano, we're doing upscale casual dining the way it should be done. We work with quality product, focus our attention on craft, skill and the hand-made element, and provide reasonably priced meals." He adds, "At the end of the day, we're just working with flour and water, right?"

Paganini also says that Rains's simple cooking style is "very fitting for a pasta restaurant... uncomplicated but always delicious."

A Mano will be open, starting Monday, every night for dinner, serving until midnight on weekends.

A Mano - 450 Hayes Street at Octavia - Open Sunday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight