Italian food that compare to food serve in Italy
Arrivederci, San Diego CA
3845 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 299-6282 http://www.arrivederciristorante.com/
One of my FAVORITE Italian restaurants in San Diego. The food has been compared to authentic Italian dishes served in Italy. There's so much on their menu that you wouldn't know what to get. Their wine selection is out of this world. I usually order the pork shank with mushroom risotto in a port wine sauce. I love it <3Remember to call ahead for reservations; this place can get pretty packed and the wait can be up to half an hour.
Had my birthday dinner here and have gone back several times
Il Postino, San Diego CA
3959 30th Street, San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 325-0809 www.ilpostino-sandiego.com
I found out about this restaurant through their sister restaurant above Arriverderci. Arriverderci wasn't able to accommodate a party of 20+ so they referred me over to Il Postino. They said it was the same menu so I went for it. Basically, I made reservations for my birthday at a restaurant I've never been to. For a party of 20+, this place definitely made my birthday dinner an interesting one. This is a very BIG venue for an Italian restaurant that's not a chain. I don't think I've ever ate at an original Italian restaurant that was as big as this place. It had a lounge area plus a full bar inside. Decor was very modern and tastefully hip. We were seated all together on these bar height tables underneath bright lights; the result of this was we were all very hot and probably sweated throughout dinner. The food was a hit or a miss. Some of my friends enjoyed their food, some said it was just okay. My brother, whom have dined at Arriverderci, says he prefer the pork shank with mushroom risotto in a port wine sauce at Arrivederci. For me, I think the food was pretty good. I fell in love with their gnocchi also known as 'potato dumplings' and their scallop appetizer that night. I've gone back here several times just to order those 2 items off the menu. I wonder if I can request the appetizer with just a side of gnocchi; that would be just the right amount of food for me. Our bill that evening was manually written; for some reason they didn't have a machine to ring up 20+ orders ;p Good thing their prices are fair and everybody just put in a little extra to cover tax and tip. They did have printed bills the times I've gone back though. Either you like it or you don't...but I can definitely go for their gnocchi and scallops any day ;p
Have you ever had pasta served in a bread bun?
Devine PASTABILITIES, San Diego CA
3545 Midway Dr # E, San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 523-5441 www.torpasta.com
Forget dipping bread into your pastas, try having your pastas served in the bread. Such a clever concept right? And it's such a tasty meal ;) I love pasta and I've never had thought of having my lasagna or pesto pasta served to me in bread before until my friend took me here. This place is located in a small corner of a strip mall in Sports Arena and the inside looks like a casual pizza joint/bar. The food however is AWESOME! They carve out the insides of the bread and then fill them in with fresh pasta. It comes out hot and steamy and the pastas are cook to perfection. Oh and they don't waste any of the bread carved out; they serve them as an appetizer with marinara sauce by order. Try it and you'll see how good and comforting it is ;p
The Hidden Gem of SD
Cafe Luna, San Diego CA (Carmel Mountain area)
11040 Rancho Carmel Drive, San Diego, CA 92128
(858) 673-0077
Ever had Italian food in a strip mall? Hidden behind the famous Italian chain restaurant Olive Garden and fast food chain Carl's Jr is Cafe Luna. It sits next to an Irish pub and Mexican shop. The place itself has black out windows and just one sign located on top of the building. Goodluck finding this place! Be glad when you do ;p The minute you walk in, you'll find yourself greeted by one of their friendly host/hostess and you'll be seated in this cozy and warm ambiance date appropriate place. It feels so comfortable and classy that you would have forgotten you're in a strip mall ;p They have new daily specials everyday. The pasta here is absolutely delicious! My favorite is their spiral pasta (it's the first pasta dish on the menu). Another favorite of mine would be their Luna salad. If you don't know which ones to choose from, you can order their double duo, where you can choose 2 pastas as your entree. Try not to order too much though because chances are you'll be full off their complimentary bread and sauce before you finish your entree; it's that good. But if you still have room, definitely try a glass of wine or a dessert from their wine and dessert menu. I've gone here for lunch and dinner and I've never had a bad experience; I don't think you will either.
You pick the pasta...You pick the sauce
at Bencotto Italian Kitchen, San Diego (Little Italy area)
750 W Fir St
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 450-4786 www.lovebencotto.com
This is the place to come to if you want to create your own pasta dish. Their menu consist of a variety of homemade pastas and sauces that you can pair up to your liking. My girlfriends and I had a dinner night here and I have to say "I love their squid ink pasta and gnocchi". I had ordered the gnocchi pasta and paired it with their salmon cream sauce; that was my great creation. The gnocchi was perfect in the soft texture yet had the chewiness I like. The sauce was rich yet had the warm smokiness from the salmon chunks in the sauce. Also a big hit that night was the squid ink pasta. I never had squid ink pasta (or squid ink anything in my life for that matter) but I have to say IT'S AMAZING! Getting over the name of the pasta can be difficult but the pasta had a nice fettuccine texture with a settle flavor of the squid ink. The pasta was served with fresh seafood in their Benecotto pink pancetta sauce. For appetizer, I highly recommend the Bresaola e rucola which is thinly sliced cured beef served on a bed of argula and shaved parmigiano, drizzled with balsamic vinegar reduction; my friends and I had to order 2 of these because it was SOOOO GOOD!!! Finish your meal off with their panna cotta; it is like a soft flan custard drizzed with little bit of caramel and powder sugar...DIVINE ;P The price on the menu items is quite affordable ranging from 13-20 an entree. Be creative and create your own pasta dish at Bencotto ;p
Good Food and Service
Panta Rei, San Francisco CA
431 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 591-0900 www.pantareirestaurant.com
Once upon a time, there was a girl (me) and a boy (my friend Darren) visiting San Francisco. After a long walk up and down the crooked hill, they found a delighful restaurant that served pretty good italian food. Not remembering the name of the place, the girl just decided to post the pictures below ;) She then got a picture of the sign of the restaurant on her next trip to SF.
Another fine Italian Restaurant in San Francisco
E Tutto Qua Ristorante
270 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133-4518
(415) 989-1002 www.etuttoqua.com
You can't go wrong trying a restaurant that has a line out the door. That's one of the ways I pick my restaurants when I'm in a new city...always worked ;p This restaurant located on the North Beach area of San Francisco definitely had a line. I think my friend and I waited for a good half hour. The food met my standards so I would have to say it was worth the wait. We had ordered the seared scallops (appetizer), squid ink pasta with seafood (entree), and a prosciutto pizza with argula(entree). Everything was tasty and I was full by the end of our meal. Although this place was crowded that evening, the staff was quite attentive to our table; that I found surprising ;) I DID NOT GET FOOD POISONING HERE YAY ;p I got food poisoning last year from a different restaurant I tried near this location; thank god history didn't repeat itself.
Let's go to MamaD's for dinner?
MamaD's Italy Kitchen, Newport Beach CA
3012 Newport Boulevard, Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 675-6262
I went here with several of my girlfriends for dinner and what a great dinner it was. Greeted with friendly hosts and warm bread was just the start of our night. I believe we then had 2 waiters that came up to our table and introduced themselves; that's right we had 2 waiters. When asked what we would like to drink, my friend asked if they serve Red Bull? One of our waiters went to the liquor store and brought back a Red Bull for her. Talk about customer service ;) Our food was homey feel and delicious. We had way too much food and they still gave us fresh baked cookies ;) If you want to good home style cooking and service, definitely give Mama a try...MamaD's ;p
Best Lobster Ravioli I EVER ATE
Ravenna, Dallas TX
1301 Main Street, Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 744-9333 www.ravennadallas.com
I wished I was working back in Dallas again just so that I can come back for more lobster ravioli ;) For starters, this place is in Downtown Dallas. It's not a fancy smancy place; it's quite casual and the staff here are very friendly. There's also a bar inside if you want a drink or two. Fresh bread twisties are delivered to your table the moment you sit down; the bread is freshly baked and GOOD ;P Their pastas taste homemade and so comforting. I kept on going back and ordering their lobster ravioli in pink vodka sauce. Chunks of lobster were found in each ravioli (picture shown below). Their tiramasu was light and fluffy and tasted liked whipped air. How I miss this place ;(
Enjoy a family style dining experience at
Maggiano's, Las Vegas NV
3200 Las Vegas Blvd South #2144, Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 732-2550 www.maggianos.com
Perfect restaurant for big party. On one of my trips to Vegas, I got to experience an all-u-can eat italian buffet but without the normal lousy buffet environment. Seated at a nice and classy restaurant, our party was able to choose 2 salads, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts served family style. Best part was ...the food kept on coming. Once you run out of a certain dish, they will replace it for you by request. I had leftever Tiramasu for breakfast the next morning but I wasn't complaining ;) Maggiano's has more than one location including Los Angeles and Scottsdale, so you don't have to go to Vegas to try this restaurant.
