CESARINA

Best Italian in San Diego. Always take visitors here first. Such authentic food and drink.

Cesarina : “A-” meaning “Very very good. Worth a 30 minute drive, and a little pain parking. May or may not be pricey.”

Executive summary for the attention deficit: It’s very good - one of two Italian restaurants I’m happy with in San Diego. Casual, happy vibe, good food, great service, and a very reasonable valet stress free parking.
-----------------------------------

Easily one of the best Italian restaurants in San Diego. Atmosphere is very casual and laid back, the servers are friendly and attentive, and did I mention the very reasonable $8 valet?

Focaccia & some type of tomato paste :) (B ) : Nice, open crumb, fairly moist, decently chewy, but the outer crust lacked crispness, and tastewise, nothing special. The dip, I can’t remember what the server said it was, but basically tasted like tomato paste. Call me shallow but butter would have won the fight.

Burrata, mortadella e pere (B+ ) : Loved the fragrant, creamy burrata, the sweet, cool pear with a touch of tang, and the fried pastry thingy that tasted like a flat churro with no sugar. Mixing the three items in one bite almost tasted like a pear churro cheesecake. The mortadella (Italian sausage…had to look it up), to my unsophisticated taste buds, just tasted like thinly sliced ham but with less salt and hence, less taste. Prosciutto would have been superior to balance against the creamy sweetness.

Polpo Croccante (A ) : Hands down the highlight of the meal. According to our server, the octopus was first boiled, then flash fried to achieve a tender, juicy, sweet inside, with a crunchy, savory outside. That mixed wonderfully with the smoky, tomatoey sweet romesco sauce, and the creamy mashed potato.

Paccheri vodka & scampi (B+ ) : Given the numerous rave reviews and the prominent menu placement, I had higher expectations. The pasta was perfectly al-dente, soft yet chewy. The shrimps were very nicely cooked, still having bite & texture. The highlight protein, the langoustine, tasted sweet, but was overcooked and a little mushy. And the “crema di scampi alla vodka” sauce had good flavors, reminding me of a lobster bisque, but I felt it needed more reduction for a stronger punch. A very good pasta, but not enough for a “wow.”

Deconstructed Tiramisu (A ) : The mascarpone is very very good; super light, perfect sweetness, wonderfully creamy. The house made lady fingers had a fragrant almond flavor, and by keeping it relatively dry, had a slight crispness (a little like a madeleine) that contrasted nicely with the mascarpone. However, it needed more coffee. Chocolate was there from the cocoa powder, but the espresso was lost. Nonetheless, a fantastic tiramisu.

Checking off #11 of 40 Michelin starred / recommended restaurants in the San Diego area, so a lot more homework to do, but this one definitely makes it to the “repeat worthy” list.
--------------------------------
Food Grading Scale:

A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you’ll know it. You don’t even know how to further improve it with a magic wand.
A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You’re considering whether it’s life changing, but know it misses the mark.
A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it’s one of the best, but you can think of further improvements.
B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of “impressive,” but worth revisiting.
B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get.
B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option.
C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify.
C: Mediocre. “Meh”. Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all.

We go here quite often, always exceptional staff service and food on point every time- save room for the dessert- love their bread too, pesto is so great!

One of those overhyped, overly expensive places. The ambiance is cool but the food is just average. Authentic Italian places don't let you mix & match pastas and sauce- they're very particular about what combinations should go together

We love this spot. Food is amazing, pastas are incredible, and deserts are great too! Festive cocktail menu in addition to a nice wine list. There are typically specials for the evening which don’t disappoint. The service is prompt and friendly.