I made it back to Cucina Basilico just over 2 1/2 years later - this time for dinner - and although I still enjoy the restaurant, I have a few new insights to add that explain why I am removing a star and will probably just stick to it for lunch.
Appetizers:
We started with oil and vinegar being served, and once we ordered our meals, then bread was brought. Maybe this is because they don't charge you like some other restaurants but they want to ensure you're staying to eat? We ordered the caprese salad to split - there were no fresh basil leaves in it, but there was a pesto sauce dripped across the tomato and mozzarella.
Entrees:
I had pasta again as I can't resist homemade pastas when they show you the ones they've made for the day! I went with a spinach pasta topped their marinara sauce and added some sausage. The pasta was on the thicker side but I loved how the sausage was cut in thin slices rather than the typical round chunks that most restaurants serve. Their marinara was on the thinner side, which is my preference! My friend who is watching her sugars opted to stay away from the pasta and instead ordered the salmon with green beans - unfortunately she said it was a bit dry. My other friend who is vegetarian ordered the aglio e olio and also thought the pasta was a bit thick (we ordered the same funky shaped pasta), but said it was delicious. So all the dietary needs were met!
Desserts:
I enjoyed the "cannolo" siciliano...most people say "cannoli" but that is the plural and they only serve you one - so there's your Italian lesson for the day! It was a nice ending to the meal, but honestly I was so full I brought half of it home! My friends enjoyed the flourless chocolate and almond cake.
Drinks:
When dining at an Italian restaurant, my go-to is prosecco and I liked that they gave me a little bottle rather than just a glass. My friends ordered sangiovese and cabernet wine. The only bummer was I thought I would finish with a limoncello shot, but they do not have a license to serve hard liquor. They said they chose just to get the beer and wine license due to the expense, which I can respect given how hard it is for restaurants to survive with the high cost of doing business in San Diego.
Also, regarding the drinks - two of us ended the meal with a cup of tea and I couldn't decide which flavor I wanted, so I grabbed two tea bags. I thought they charged by the teacups with hot water that are brought to the table, but our receipt showed three tea charges at $3 each, so I guess they charge by the tea bag. Next time I'll make up my mind and grab just one!
There are mixed feelings on the service - in some ways they were on top of things like when I was looking around because I needed a spoon for my tea, a woman at the counter immediately came over because she saw I was looking for something. But then I asked for an extra napkin and never got it. My friends got to the restaurant before I did and they felt like the service was a bit spotty.
Another food note - I didn't see any pizza on their menu, so if you're looking for that, you'll need to find another place. But I think it makes sense that they don't try to offer everything to everybody given the small size of the restaurant because it allows them to run an efficient kitchen. Our meals were served on a timely basis, everything was hot and at least the pasta dishes were delicious.
Lastly, we split the check three ways and all paid by credit card. We were not advised that they add a 3% surcharge for paying by card - so we didn't even have the option of paying by cash if we had wanted to avoid the extra cost, so cardholder payers beware!
Overall, I still enjoyed the restaurant, but I don't think I would return for dinner again. And because of the inconsistent service, dry salmon and extra charges, I am removing one star. I feel to truly earn five stars you have to be great for both lunch AND dinner, and not have anything occur that has you second guessing your experience. I might return for lunch if I were in the area, but I have some other favorite spots in San Diego that I would go to for dinner where I know I can end my meal with a limoncello! Remember that they are a smaller restaurant in a shopping strip, so you can have a great experience if you set your expectations accordingly. read more