I’ve been in San Diego since last Friday and…
- Party busses are fun, even if your most exciting stop happens to be the airport
- Kayaking along the La Jolla cliffs is beautiful, especially when you get buzzed by military helicopters and barked at by sea lions
- Sushi restaurants are ubiquitous, really tasty, and some even have hot sushi girls
- My favorite restaurant is still Osteria Romantica
In fact, let’s talk about that last bullet for a minute. Osteria Romantica is in La Jolla, where exotic car dealerships are more common than Starbucks. But the atmosphere at the Osteria is decidedly low key. It’s casual and comfortable, but still has an unmistakable quality of European charm and class. It’s the kind of place where everyone feels like they are part of the family. The food, by the way, is incredible — and extremely reasonably priced. Even the wine list is extensive and affordable. Hell, if you go on Tuesday nights they have half price bottles!
Last night I went there with my mother, my sister and her boyfriend. We were seated nearly right away at one of their cozy outdoor tables on the sidewalk. A large group of Italian tourists was seated behind us, and another fairly large party was to our right. Everyone around us was speaking Italian, and it was like being transported to a small Italian town, at least for an evening. We started with a very nice Il Grigio Chianti Classico Riserva (don’t remember the vintage, sorry). For dinner I had a pappardelle pasta with braised lamb, olives and mushrooms in a brandy sauce. It was probably one of the best pasta dishes that I have ever had. The sauce, which was savory and just slightly sweet, was given a beautiful contrast by the olives. The lamb and mushroom mix added a wonderful texture and heartiness, and the pasta was perfectly cooked. It had to have been homemade, but I don’t remember for certain. It was certainly the best meal that I have had on this trip.
Now that I’m hungry for my leftovers, I’m going to sign off. Today’s plan was to go to the horse track in Del Mar and do some betting, but my sister’s car just got broken into so who knows what we’ll get into?
