Had a wonderful experience at Ristorante Illando! The atmosphere was inviting, the food was…read moredelicious and the service was excellent. Everything made for a lovely dining experience, and you can really appreciate the care and attention to detail. A great place to enjoy a meal with family or friends.

Ristorante Illando is on the second floor of a pizza place in Little Italy. We had a reservation…read morefor 5 at noon. Although a couple members of our party were running late, we were still able to be seated. The dining area, although small, was very quaint and charming. Service was good. I had a grapefruit spritz as my drink. The color was a beautiful blush pink. The drink was citrusy and refreshing.  For our starters, we had the calamari and arancini. The calamari was very good. It was lightly crispy and perfectly seasoned. The squid was tender and cooked well. In addition to squid, there were also a number of fried shrimp and peppers scattered throughout the plate. One order of arancini came with 2 balls. The arancini was also very good. The complimentary bread was also delicious and fluffy. I had the ossobuco alla milanese, a slow cooked veal shank served with a Milanese style saffron risotto. The veal was tender and flavorful. The risotto felt authentic and was cooked al dente. A handful of my friends got the risotto al funghi porcini, which was also flavorful and al dente. I also really liked the carbonara and fettuccine gamberi e pancetta. I really enjoyed my meal at Ristorante Illando and would gladly come back.

Hands down one of the best meals I'be had in a while…read more We were a little late for our resy, but they were very understanding. So glad we got seated in the corner inside where I had a full view of the bar area. I got to see the bartender do work. I ended up having a glass of their Tuscan red and ended with the espresso martini. We ate. My goodness did we eat. My friends went to town ordering all the things. The standouts for me were the carpaccio, octopus and the fish. Every dish was so so good. Such flavors. What a way to end with the table side presentation of their tiramisu. Big thanks to Emerald for taking such great care of us.

Had my birthday dinner here this past weekend and everything was delicious! We were a bigger group…read moreand sat outside which was nice because we were able to be comfortable chatting and giggling! Our servers were very patient and kind! I got the spinach ravioli w/o pork. It was good but pasta needed to be boiled longer. My friend got the fungi which was actually my favorite along with the eggplant one (forgot the name) but we got a good variety of everything. I would definitely be coming back. Since it was a birthday, they prepared a table side, complementary tiramisu with fresh espresso and mascarpone and that was SO GOOD! The only issue is parking. Truly a headache.

Amazing freshly made pasta! We came here for dinner on a Tuesday night without reservation, and…read morethere was no wait. We were greeted warmly and seated promptly. We got the squid ink gnocchi and the cheese wheel pasta, and the cheese wheel one is the best pasta I've ever had! Adding bacon elevates the experience even more. The delicious balance of truffle, mushroom, and cheese was amazing! Highly recommend! The ambiance is intimate, good for a romantic night out or catching up with friends. Service was great as well!

This place is really nice and elegant, perfect for an intimate dinner date. The staff was all so…read morenice and the food was great. I got the cheese wheel pasta, while it was good, I wouldn't rave about. The pasta itself was good, but the sauce was meh. The zucchini flowers were the standout dish for me. Definitely would've ordered another if I didn't also order the pasta. Great place to grab dinner in quaint little Italy!

First time in this restaurant. We ordered oysters, bone…read moremarrow, carbonara, lobster fusilli, and lasagna. Food was amazingly delicious, every bite was a fireworks in our mouth. We finish our food like literally clean out plate. They have great customer service too. We feel we are welcome in their restaurant. We sat outside. It was a perfect weather, I think I didnt like the leaves fallin our table and our table is a bit dusty.

I came here a few years ago and l loved it. The food was good. The squash blossom is a favorite of…read moremine. I got the tagliatelle funghi, or something like that. It was good but by the time I got it, it was a little cold, didn't taste freshly made. Service was ok, the server was attentive. The inside can get really loud. We were seated in the corner where the music was on blast, the speaker was right by us. Avoid getting seated in the corner.

We made a reservation at Rusticucina for Restaurant Week and tried their $40 three-course menu…read more From the moment we walked in, we loved the beautiful décor and romantic, dim lighting. It's such a charming spot and definitely feels like the perfect place for a date night. For our first course, we ordered the Calamari, Cesare, and Cacio e Pepe Croquette. Everything was delicious! The Cesare was perfectly dressed, the cacio e pepe sauce was incredible, and the calamari was lightly battered and cooked just right. We even dipped the calamari into the cacio e pepe sauce--and surprisingly, it was such a good combination! For our entrees, we tried the Branzino, Pollo Siciliano, and Rigatoni Piccanti. Each dish was flavorful, beautifully prepared, and delicious in its own way. Of course, we had to save room for dessert! We finished with the Cannoli and Limoncello Cake, both of which were the perfect sweet ending to our meal. Overall, we had such a wonderful experience. We were honestly surprised by how amazing everything we tried was and couldn't believe we had never visited Rusticucina before. Our waiter, Marcello, was outstanding and incredibly helpful with his recommendations, which made our experience even better. We're so glad we finally discovered this gem and will definitely be back!

Beautiful ambiance Wonderful service by R. And excellent food!!…read moreOne thing my Sicilian husband, raised by a Sicilian mom, always said about a good Italian restaurant and a great Italian restaurant is the bread! Is it freshly baked and warm served to you? Honey, here you get an entire half loaf with three spread choices- each amazing and combined, Great! The drinks were delicious and again, the fresh pasta was beyond! Best I've had in a long time-Hands down!

This place is very good. Fast service , we had a reservation so make…read moreSure you get it or you'll be waiting a while. Food was delicious and made to order . They have inside seating but we liked the outdoors was very relaxed and not so noisy . We had chicken parm and pizza . We will be back again soon .

We had a really good meal at Buona Forchetta in South Park…read more It was a hot day, so we were especially grateful for the air conditioning inside. The restaurant has a lot of charm, with simple, nicely laid-out tables. The metal chairs were a little uncomfortable for me, but otherwise we really enjoyed the atmosphere. The staff was excellent. They work like a well-oiled machine and were constantly checking the tables, refilling things, and making sure everyone had what they needed without being intrusive. I had the pesto pasta with gluten-free noodles and added the sliced grilled chicken. It was fantastic with a great balance of flavors, and the chicken was generously portioned and very well seasoned. We also had the sauteed baby spinach, which was prepared just right. We finished with the tiramisu, which was a great burst of flavor to end the meal. Great food, great service, and a very charming place. I would definitely come back.

absolutely delicious, and excellent service! The staff is so friendly and makes you feel right at…read morehome every time you walk in. And Ernie is a great bartender, very attentive to make sure you are comfortable and happy, and will chat up a storm with him. I'll be back soon!! Thank you @Siamo Napoli!!!!

I've been recommended this place by several SD friends and finally got to try it out in a group of…read more4! We arrived on time for our Friday night reservation and were seated right away. Despite mostly every seat in the bar and dining area being full, the service was top notch and we always felt attended to. Let me just say that our waiter Eduardo was an absolute GEM, and when we go back, I will be requesting to sit in his section again! He was efficient, professional, engaging, and got us so excited about the menu. When I took my phone out to take a photo of the meal, Eduardo took his own phone out to shine a flashlight and give us the best lighting. He's a pro!! They start you off with complimentary bread and two delicious dipping sauces - a spicy red sauce that's only served on weekends, and a basic pesto made of just basil and olive oil that we were drooling over. We shared the calamari and meatball appetizers to start, and I loveddd the parmy red sauce the meatballs were served in. We're big sauce fans in this household, and absolutely every dish had lots of decadent, flavorful sauce. For our mains, we shared the Piccante pizza, Arucola salad, pesto pasta, and vodka pasta on special. Everything was superb. My only note is that the vodka sauce tasted more like a tomato cream sauce. It's still delicious, but it didn't have that same vodka sauce flavor I'm used to. The salad was SO fresh and perfectly complimented the decadent carby counterparts. They offer to top all dishes with fresh parm as well, yes please!! We ordered two bottles of wine over the course of the night, and Eduardo + other staff members never let our wine or water glasses get empty. I truly felt like I was being spoiled all night! The cherry on top was the dessert at the end of the night. Cannolis are my FAVE, and my fiancé had never tried one before so it was such a special treat. The lemony limoncello was moist and yummy as well! At the end of the evening since we had 2 couples going to different homes and lots of leftovers, they were kind enough to evenly split the leftovers so we each got to bring some home! And on to the best part... in the excitement of the evening, I grabbed our box of leftovers and my jacket, but not my purse. Clearly I needed an excuse to come back. When I came the next day to get my purse, I was told Eduardo ran down the street trying to look for me to return it! You cannot get better service than this!

One of the best Italian places in San Diego I've tried so far! I've noticed this place is always…read morevery popular, and it lives up to the hype. Service is good; the servers are very enthusiastic about recommendations. They seem to tend to make small talk in case that's not your style. They are very attentive with checking in and clearing plates. Food: 1. Artichoke special - Delicious, super rich and a little sour. Comes with 3 big hearts/stems, olives, and parm. 2. Caprese - They use an excellent quality burrata. Rich and milky and paired great with their heirloom tomatoes. 3. Squid ink pasta - Lots of fresh seafood. Light tomato sauce for those who aren't into cream sauce. 4. Pumpkin mushroom lasagna special - Don't be discouraged by the pumpkin, the flavor is very mild. Adds the barest hint of sweetness. Very cheesy, overall a solid lasagna. 5. Ear pasta with sausage - Came highly recommended as one of their most popular items. I loved it! It's like a combo sausage pizza in pasta form, and I say this very positively. I love the crunchy broccoli pieces which add a different texture and some sweetness. The cream sauce is super savory and not terribly heavy. The sausage has a fennel flavor which some might not be for everyone but I was a fan. 6. Osobucco with mushroom tagliatelle - Well executed. the osobucco is just slightly on the milder side. The tagliatelle was also delicious, a nice light cream sauce with lots of umami mushroom flavor. The only negative to me was the bread. A little dry, not served very hot. They make all their pasta fresh in house which is a nice plus. Overall a great meal. Definitely recommend as a nice date night place, and you can watch the gorgeous sunset views or walk around the streets of South Park after.

Tried it again after a couple years went by and it's still pretty good…read more The gnocchi again I we good but not the best but one of the better ones in San Diego. Their carbonara is good as well. Went here for a birthday and it was nice. They have a corkage fee is $18 for the first two bottles and then it does up to $23 I think they said. But it's nice. Definetly worth trying out. Small little place but nice.

Our evening of celebration with a party of 33 on Sept. 30 was an auspicious kick-off for a week of…read morecelebration of our son's wedding events. Cucina Moderna rose to the occasion with flair and verve capped by great service. Principal host Kevin kept us going with a medley of cocktails, fine liquor and wine. Many others from the bar and serving staff tended to us happily. We enjoyed the family style dining and the 3-course selection we had for dinner. The Italian fare was perfect for this opening event for family and intimate friends. The cuisine was just right for this familial setting and well paired with the wine we pre-selected. Cucina offers great value for entertaining a big party with great food, wine and fine liquor, plus top service. Nihal G.

If you've ever been to another restaurant from the same restaurant group, you've been to them all…read more The food is solid, the service is great, and I appreciate that everything is made in-house. And if you were wondering, yes, they do have high chairs available. Mushroom + Goat Cheese Pizza - If you're looking for some pizza, this is a must. The sweetness of the onions and the creaminess of the goat cheese make for the perfect bite. The slight taste of truffle is an added bonus. Royal Ranch Ribeye Steak - Yes, the steak was tender and cooked properly. With that out of the way, the tomatoes, potatoes, and beans were all perfect complements. The sauce at the bottom tied it all together. I'd order this and leave satisfied. If you're looking for a non-dairy entree for the kiddos, I can confirm that the chicken tenders and fries are dairy free!

Here's a polished version you can post:…read more What a fantastic find! We stopped here after spending the day at the zoo, and it was one of the best meals my family and I have had in a long time. The service was absolutely outstanding--friendly, attentive, and made us feel so welcome from the moment we walked in. The food was some of the most authentic Italian cuisine we've ever had, and every dish was delicious. The desserts were just as incredible and were the perfect way to end the meal. If you're looking for amazing Italian food with exceptional service, I can't recommend this place enough. We'll definitely be back before we head home!

I walked into this little Italian restaurant and found it completely packed. I asked the gentleman…read moreat the front how long the wait would be for a table for one. Without hesitation, he poured me a glass of Prosecco, invited me to wait outside, and assured me he'd have a seat for me in just a few minutes. Sure enough, about two minutes later, he came out and seated me. This restaurant made you feel like you were in Italy with the ambiance and vibe. I had done my research beforehand, so I already knew what I wanted. I ordered the lasagna, and it was absolutely incredible. The portion was generous, and my server let me know it would take a little extra time to prepare, which was perfectly fine. It didn't take long for me to realize that the man who seated me was also the owner. As I watched him greet guests throughout the evening, it was obvious that he genuinely loves what he does. We had a great conversation, and he was warm, welcoming, and personable. After finishing my meal, I ordered a double espresso and tiramisu for dessert. The tiramisu was easily one of the best I've ever had. Exceptional food, outstanding hospitality, and a memorable experience from start to finish. I will definitely be back the next time I'm in town.