Italian Restaurants

Revisits to Romanella and The Pub – Happy Hours with JJ

April 3, 2026 mmm-yoso Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants, Pubs and Pub Grub

While I’m not a huge fan of most of the eateries in our area; I do appreciate the fact that many of them are dog friendly and that the folks working at these places are friendly….giving out a real neighborhood vibe. Recently, I took JJ to a couple of happy hours. I’d already done visits with him to Luce, Bay Park Fish, and the High Dive. And so it was time to revisit a place I hadn’t been to in over two years….

The Pub:

It was perfect weather for JJ….slightly overcast….he doesn’t care for direct sun and heat, so I decided to see what happy hour was like at The Pub. So we took the 20 minute walk down the hill. The place was really mellow when we arrived. Though I’d been going to The Pub from the days they first opened and was named “Dan Diego‘s”, I had never eaten on the patio. Which is now nicely covered.

Our Server, I believe her name is Angela was so sweet to JJ…who of course would then kiss up to her every time she passed.

I was just going to get myself a Guinness….beers are $2 off during Happy Hour which is before 5pm on weekdays making it $5.50. It was a nice pour, smooth, perhaps a bit too much of a head.

Nice malty, lightly bitter, smooth and mildly coffee-ish.

I was just going to have my pint and head home….but I noticed that several of the appetizers were 50% off during weekday happy hours! And I saw something on the menu that caught my attention…and no, it wasn’t the haggis which I’d had last time. It was the Poutine, which was just $5.50 during HH! It supposedly had Wisconsin Cheese Curds, which of course instantly brough my trips to Madison back into view.

What arrived really didn’t remind me of poutine. I mean, I wasn’t expecting what I’d had at.. say La Banquise, but this even looked weak as Irish Poutine.

I did enjoy the thick cut chips, which actually kept a bit of crispness for most of the meal. The gravy was too gluey, salty, but lacking in the dark brown color, and other than the sodium pretty weak in other aspects….I usually enjoy a bit of savory complexity given by Worcestershire sauce, or a beefy, mild sweetness.

The ratio of cheese curds to fries was also off and the curds lacked that lovely mild “squeak” I enjoy. And unlike most cheese curds I’ve had melted fairly quickly.

Still, this was more than enough to fill me up and for $5.50……with the Guinness, just $13? These days that’s a bargain, right? Plus, Angela was so nice to JJ. I’m sure we’ll be back…..I hope to find something I like on the menu.

The Pub
2415 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
Current Hours:
Wed – Thurs 330pm – 10pm
Fri – Sat 1pm – 11pm
Sunday 930am – 330pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
$2 off drinks before 6pm
50% off Pub Bites before 5pm on Weekdays

I’d recently checked out Romanella‘s website, thinking about taking JJ for Happy Hour and noticed a bunch of changes. They’ve stopped serving lunch during the week, replacing it with “brunch” during the weekend. And Happy Hour was now from 4pm to 530pm weekdays only. I guess that 2pm – 5pm HH and weekday lunch wasn’t working out? Anyway, JJ and I headed up to Romanella; the Missus was craving some of those Oxtail Meatballs; so I figured JJ and I would get an early dinner and save the rest for the Missus.

Romanella:

We were greeted as always and had a nice table on the patio.

A couple of the folks working here are always nice to JJ and he even sometimes gets his “water” before I do!

So, of course I had to get my favorite HH cocktail, the Smoke of the Gods ($9).

Nice, somewhat fruity tones from Tequila, with a touch of smokiness from Mezcal. Not overly sweet.

I was happy to note that the HH items have not changed in price.

Though the Oxtail Meatballs ($14 – HH) seem to have more ground beef than oxtail as the texture has become more firm and is less beefy in flavor. Per a text from the Missus, I was allowed one meatball…..

Still, that tangy marinara sauce went nicely with the bread provided…at no extra cost mind you!

In terms of portion size the Pinsa Porchetta is still a bargain at $14 during HH.

Not the thickest slices of porchetta, but the flatbread has been nicely toasted, the marinara is acidic, tangy, with a hint of fruitiness. The mozzarella is stringy, though very mild and there’s some potato in this as well. Two slices usually fills me up!

So, the Missus got Her meatball and could only finish two pieces of the pinsa. I’m hoping Romanella stays in business. There was only one other table filled during our stay.

Romanella Cucina Romana
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 4pm – 9pm
Friday 4pm – 10pm
Saturday 9am – 3pm, 4pm – 10pm
Sunday 9am – 3pm, 4pm – 9pm
Happy Hour – Mon – Fri 4pm – 530pm

Idyllwild – Red Kettle and Ferro

March 21, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants, Road Trip, Temecula/Idyllwild/Palm Springs - Riverside, CA, Travel

A month after returning from June Lake and Mammoth Lake we headed out on another road trip, albeit a very short one. Located in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County at an altitude of approximately 5400 feet, it seemed like a good place to visit during the month of August with JJ. Especially since there’s a special government figure I wanted to meet – more on that later.

The drive is just a tad over two hours for us; another plus fur a short two night road trip. The population is a bit over 4,000 and the place seemed pretty artsy to us.

We arrived a bit early for check in, so we decided to grab lunch in the quaint downtown area. Several folks I know enjoy travelling to Idyllwilde, especially during the summer as it’s 20+ degrees cooler than most of Riverside County. One of the place recommended was the Red Kettle.

Located right on North Circle Drive, the place was bustling. I peeked into the restaurant and mentioned having our pup with us and was directed to the side entrance of the patio. We had seat at the railing where we had a nice view of the street.

There was obviously a lot of shopping to be done here!

On the way to our seats, we noticed a gentleman really tucking in to his sandwich, so we asked the very friendly Server. Turns out it was the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich ($19). It seemed like enough for the both of us and we asked if it would be ok just to order one sandwich, subbing sweet potato fries (+$3). The woman smiled and said “of course”! Soon enough JJ had his bowl of water and we had our sandwich with sweet potato fries.

At first, it seemed a bit over-sauced to us; but this was not bad. The beef was fairly tender, and though it lacked a real smokiness, it was quite beefy and the sauce was tangy, but not overly sweet. The French Roll actually held up well for the entire meal! And you know the Missus and sweet potato fries, right? These were on the drier side, but was still flavorful.

Not a bad lunch, especially since one sandwich was enough for the two of us! The woman working was really nice and explained that many businesses are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays because weekends are their busiest days. This would be good to know for future visits.

Red Kettle
54220 N Circle Dr.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA 92549

We had actually parked outside our little cottage like room further up on North Circle Drive and during our meal my phone went off with the entrance code to our room, so we headed back up. We soon git to understand the “feel” of the town a bit more….kinda artsy-hippy-otudoorsy. We actually passed two tea shops as we strolled up the street. And where else in California will find that the town’s mayor is a pooch!

Yep, Max is the Mayor of Idyllwilde! Actually, this is Mayor Max III. You can read more about it here!

On the way back to our room, we noticed this adorable nursery.

Which had not only lovely plants and supplies….guess who had to get one of these watering cans?

But all kinds of trinkets and “stuffs”…..

The Missus and JJ had fun wandering the grounds of the nursery.

Idyllwild Gardens
54385 North Circle Dr.
Idyllwild, CA 92549

It was a fun walk back to our accommodations.

We got back and did our entrance code and relaxed in our room for a bit.

For dinner we chose one of the more upscale places in town; Ferro which was just down the street….well, to be perfectly honest, everything is basically down the street. Even though we didn’t have reservations, we were seated on the front patio. I believe there’s a large back patio as well.

It’s a good thing we chose an early dining time as there was a never ending stream of folks coming in from about 5pm onward.

We weren’t overly hungry, so only got an appetizer and a couple of sides. And of course some cocktails….

It seems that you need to pay for the house bread these days and Ferro was no different. Their fresh baked Pane di Casa goes for $10.

The shipped butter was very nice and the bread arrived warm. The crust was too chewy for our taste and the bread lacked any substantial yeastiness. We took most of it back to the room and would have it for breakfast the next day.

The bread sticks and olives were a nice touch.

The Carpaccio de Manzo ($22) arrived nicely chilled.

The Parmesan was very thickly sliced, the beef tenderloin strangely chewy. Our wonderful Server provided a couple of turns of black pepper which really helped this dish. The lemon was needed for the arugula. A few drizzles of EVOO would have been a nice addition to the dish.

The Broccolini con Peperoncino ($12) arrived strangely almost cold.

The broccolini had been blanched and not roasted like we’d preferred so the texture was on the harder end of the scale. The caramelized onions were also on the colder side; though we did appreciate the red pepper flakes as it did add some heat to the dish.

The Peperoni e Salsiccia ($18) was out favorite dish.

The sausage was nice and peppery-savory-lightly smokey and not overly salty. The marinara added a nice acidity to the dish. The red bell peppers where nicely done, not overly mushy, adding a nice, almost fruitiness to the dish.

In spite of this being quite a smaller dinner, we actually had leftovers…which provided our breakfast.

Our main Server was a very funny and nice gentleman, who also provided some great information about Idyllwild. He moved here from Palm Springs which is just to the east. Overall, an ok meal.

Ferro
25840 Cedar St.
Idyllwild, CA 92549

We headed back to our room to relax and I got to do a post. We’d be doing some hiking and more exploring the next day.

Road Trip – Vulcania, Revisits to Emberz BBQ and Shelter Distilling, the MacLeod Lake Trail, Crystal Lake Trail, and Other Stuffs in Mammoth Lakes.

March 11, 2026 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, BBQ, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants, Road Trip, Sierra Nevada, California, Travel

After spending a few nights in June Lake, we headed back to Mammoth Lakes. Being a bit early for check in, we headed off to the Twin Lakes area and took a nice walk and got some views of the falls.

When it was time for an early dinner, we headed back to the Emberz BBQ trailer.

We had enjoyed both the Heirloom Tomato salad and the Elk Sausage the last time. So we made sure to order those items.

That tomato salad was so refreshing; still a favorite.

Loved the smokey-savory elk sausage as well.

Didn’t care for the bland beans; though the potato salad was better this time around; not overly dressed as before.

While we were eating; the really nice gentleman came out and handed us some cornbread; gratis.

As I mentioned in my previous post…..so far, Emberz has been our favorite food stop in Mammoth Lakes.

Emberz BBQ
120 Commerce Dr.
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

The next morning we woke and did the fun and easy MacLeod Lake Trail.

We had lunch at Old New York Deli & Bakery which I’ve posted on twice already.

Then the Missus just “needed” to do another hike during the early afternoon, so we did the Crystal Lake Trail.

Which along with the beautiful lakes had some lovely views as well.

Which even JJ appreciated.

When dinner time came along, we headed across the street to the Village. We noticed that there seemed to be an event going on.

Turns out that Mammoth has a yearly Reggae Festival in July and we just happened to be here on this weekend.

Several booths and lots of people enjoying the music!

On our previous trip to Mammoth we had wanted to dine at Vulcania, an Italian style restaurants, but was told that patio dining was not yet available. So, we decided to head on over. This time the patio was set-up and we had a nice table outside here we could enjoy the music.

We ended up getting two apps and one main for dinner,

Seeing Beef Carpaccio ($24) on the menu…well, of course I had to get that, right?

I’d say that this was more of a salad. The vinaigrette was so strong that it overwhelmed the beef. And even more strange was where those french fry looking things at top…they were hash browns! Still, I got my arugula fix, right?

We also got the Mortadella Toast ($23). The bread was nicely toasted, but was just your run of the mill ciabatta…like you’d get at the market.

Standard issue Mortadella, but I liked the Pistachio Mustard, which while nicely pungent, had a nice nutty-savory tone to it and went nicely with the Mortadella and (yet more) Arugula.

For our shared main we went with the Ravioli Bolognese ($30). I was looking forward to seeing how the lamb ragu was going to taste.

This was very over-sauced, so definitely an American style dish, definitely not the “Ragu” like we got in Emilia-Romagna! The ravioli was on the chewy side and the flavor of lamb was quite mild. I know that mint is supposed to go well with lamb, but in this case that was a distraction.

We enjoyed the service and the vibe, but am not sure we’ll return.

Vulcania
6201 Minaret Rd. #240
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

And of course, we ended the evening right across the way at Shelter Distilling, another place I’ve posted on before.

We enjoy sitting on the back patio area to enjoy an after dinner cocktail. And JJ likes the shade here as well!

Shelter Distilling
100 Canyon Blvd. #217
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546

The next morning we had leftovers for breakfast and then checked out of the Westin. We headed back to the Twin Lakes area and went to take a look at the Tamarack Lodge.

Apparently, the Cabins on the grounds are dog friendly, but not the lodge itself. Still…..

And of course we walked along the lakes again and saw this posted on the bridge.

And JJ even had a morning “dip”!

And then we headed back home.

The Missus (and JJ) can’t wait to return to Mammoth!

Happy New Year

January 1, 2026 mmm-yoso Italian Restaurants, Markets & Grocers

Well 2025 is in the books! Hope everyone had a fun and safe NYE!

Things were pretty much the status quo for me….I started NYE shopping for some Osechi at Nijiya. Something I’ve been doing since 2005!

These days the selection is pretty straight forward as I think many folks preorder their stuff.

Still, knowing that Nijiya opens at 8am on NYE helps as I don’t think too many folks know that. It was pretty empty at that time. I’m making some of my own stuff these days, so I just got something simple to have with lunch/dinner on New Years Day.

To be honest, most of this is for sentimental reasons these days…..

One thing I did notice was how much cheaper the Hamachi Kama was!

So, I immediately sent the Missus a text! She told me to get one…..and I got a really good looking kama.

Of course, when I got home I found out who this was for…..it wasn’t us. Shades of Shishamo!

As for NYE…..we decided to have dinner locally and made reservations at Romanella which had a special New Years menu. At $65 it seemed quite reasonable.

We basically had one of the regular apps – the lamb chops; and the NY dinner, with oxtail meatballs (of course), the Chilean Seabass, with the Limoncello Cake for dessert.

It was a nice dinner….the Missus got the Limoncello Cake….which She loves to go.

Romanella Cucina Romana
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117

All in all, a nice NYE!

We hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and wishing you all a wonderful 2026!

Tribute Pizza Revisited

November 16, 2025 mmm-yoso Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants

After really enjoying the Oxtail Meatballs at Romanella, the Missus was wondering how they would compare to Her previous favorite at Tribute. It had been a while since we’d visited, though we had even tried at the 4pm opening times, there always seemed to be a line. The place has a dog friendly patio, so we thought we’d just roll the dice and arrived at 420 on a Sunday. And guess what, we got a small table on the patio!

So JJ had a place to hang while we ate.

We were really here so the Missus could have those meatballs and our lunch had been pretty substantial, so we went with a lighter meal.

Starting with the House Pickles ($9).

We really enjoyed the varied texture and each tasted different. The cauliflower pickled with beet juice was the Missus’s favorite as it also had a hint of sweetness to go with the acidic-sour. I liked the little mushrooms….there were only two tiny ones, but there’s a savory-earthiness and a wonderful meaty texture to go with the sourness.

Of course we had to get the Focaccia ($8) with ‘Nduja ($5).

Loved the texture of the bread, the mild yeastiness, the crisp crust. The ‘Nduja seems to have changed over the years. It’s less red these days, much denser and less spreadable. Lacking in the salumi like savory tones, though much more spicy. I think we’ll just go with the Foccacia the next time as it’s just fine with the butter and the olive oil-balsamic. The leftovers toasted up quite nicely as well.

And then of course, the Meatballs (3-$21). Yes, we’re in time where 3 meatballs go for over twenty bucks!

This came with more of the wonderful focaccia. The Missus thought the meatballs were ok; not as beefy or tender as the version at Romanella! Whoa…. We also preferred the days when there were actual pieces of roasted peppers and onions in the sauce. The root vegetable marinara also lacked the acidity that it used to have.

Service was fine and our food didn’t take very long, especially for how busy the place was. Of course we didn’t order any pizza though. The outdoor area is small, so things are kind of cramped. I think we’ll just go with some Focaccia and a pizza the next time we return.

Tribute Pizza
3077 North Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

Romanella Cucina Romana Part 2 – Lunch and More Meals

November 5, 2025 mmm-yoso Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants

In part 1 of my post on Romanella, I covered Happy Hour and a dinner. So far, we had found two menu items we really enjoyed. The Oxtail Meatballs and the Lamb Chops. Happy Hour had been quite reasonable in terms of prices; but that $35 Bucatini Carbonara left much to be desired in our opinion. Still, we’d found two menu items we really enjoyed and looking over the lunch menu served from 12-2 looked interesting…especially since there was an Oxtail Meatball Sandwich on offer.

We decided to stick with a couple of sandwiches which come with either a House Salad or the Soup of the Day. And they even have bread service during lunch as well.

I went with the Italian Sandwich ($16) and both of us went with the soup of the day; which was a Red Pepper Soup….like a thinner bisque.

Very nicely flavored, good savory and lightly sweet tones, good amount of salt, not bad at all.

As for the sandwich.

Served on a nicely toasted focaccia….it looks like it was done up on the flat top. It had a good amount of salumi……Mortadella, Salami, Prosciutto.

A light Italian dressing, which did well not to interfere with the flavors from the salumi, tomato, and pungent red onions. I could only finish half of the sandwich. I had the rest for lunch the next day. Not outstanding; but to me, worth the price paid. I may try the Porchetta Sandwich next time.

Of course the Missus got the Oxtail Meatball Sandwich ($18).

That marinara sauce goes well with the focaccia. The beefy, fairly tender meatballs do well in a sandwich; though the positioning of the proteins left for some bites with only sauce-bread-mozzarella. Though the Missus didn’t complain about that at all.

The coarse cut of the oxtail meatballs really does well in this sandwich.

A week or so later, we took JJ up to Romanella again and by now we had a gameplan….at least for the time being; we’d be going with the meatballs and lamb chops and try another dish. This time I went with the Carpaccio ($20).

While I’m a big fan of carpaccio di manzo; this doesn’t “make the cut”. The meat seemed a bit beyond best served by…it was mushy and had a metallic finish. The EVOO wasn’t flavorful enough and there wasn’t enough parmesan to hide the shortcomings of the beef. Yes, I did enjoy the olives and the arugula….but I ordered carpaccio, not a salad.

And finally, we decided to walk on up last week with JJ for another three appetizer dinner.

This time I tried a cocktail called Smoke of the Gods which featured both Mezcal and Tequila. It had a nice smoky-not to sweet flavor, with an interesting, almost citrusy-nutty background. I was told they use Orgeat in this! Decent cocktail.

As for what we ordered….well, it was our two favorites. This wasn’t HH so the Oxtail Meatballs were $21 and four meatballs were provided instead of the three for HH. Do you see what the “third wheel” for this dinner was?

Yes, it’s in the back to the right.

Folks who read often enough know that I really like pulpo….but having had my share of rubbery-flavorless octopus, I often hesitate in ordering it. I’ve got to say that the Polpo Alla Griglia ($19) wasa very pleasant surprise as the octopus was very tender. I’m thinking they sous vide it? Lightly briny, the polpo was very good.

The Borlotti/Cranberry Beans were perfectly cooked, savory-nutty. Served over roasted potatoes, this was very good….though both the Missus and I thought it could use a bit more salt. Still, we had found our “third” dish for future dinners here.

You know, after almost a quarter century in Bay Park, it felt good to finally find a place where we could grab dinner every once in a while. And the fact that the staff is so welcoming and they are dog friendly….well, that just makes everything better. Now, if I can find a decent pasta dish here!

You can read part 1 of my posts on Romanella here.

Romanella Cucina Romana
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs 12pm – 9pm
Fri – Sun 12pm – 10pm

Romanella Cucina Romana Part 1 – Happy Hour and Dinner

November 4, 2025 mmm-yoso Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants

A short while ago, I saw that La Pastaia had closed. Man, that was a rather short run. While we liked the fact that La Pastaia was independently run we never took to the place. Even Farmers Table which preceded that restaurant just seemed very corporate. And before that this place was Mike’s BBQ and for a very brief time LW’s SD BBQ. And going even further back, when we first moved to Bay Park, this was “ABCDE” Chinese Garden! Sheesh; have we been living here that long already?

Romanella opened very quietly a couple of weeks after I saw the new sign go up. It was a quick turnaround. Though thinking about things….we already had four other places within a block that served pizza….did we really need one more?

I took a quick look when I saw the place opening and the really friendly folks….all of whom were Italian let me take a gander at the menu. The outdoor area was dog friendly; they are owned by the same folks as Roman Wolves in Little Italy. We decided to drop by with JJ.

We liked the patio seating.

And JJ seemed appreciative of the “cover” from the brightly shining sun.

The folks working treated JJ so nice!

And they have a Happy Hour (2-5pm) menu…..even better!

And we decided to just stick with HH items, which were nicely priced.

Some bread arrived with 2 sauces.

Yeasty, and pretty good. The marinara was thick, rustic, good tomato flavor. Was not a fan of the weak, gloppy cheese sauce though.

Things started off with the Fiori de Zucca (stuffed Zucchini blossoms – $8HH).

Perfectly fried and so crisp! Unfortunately, we didn’t care for the overly sweet and sticky fig compote, nor the rather bland ricotta sauce…which seems to be the same as what was served with the bread.

We enjoyed the flavors of the Balsamic Glaze and Pesto oil on the rather simple looking Bruschetta ($6-HH).

The crispness of the bread was quite nice, but it was a bit overly charred for our taste. But still not bad.

The Missis loved the beefiness of the Oxtail Meatballs ($10 – HH) along with the rich, thick, and tasty marinara sauce.

This was so beefy in flavor; the only shortcoming was that this was served lukewarm. Still, the Missus wanted more of these!

Last up was simply named Pochetta on the HH menu. When it arrived we were shocked. It was a Pinsa Romana and only $10 for HH!

The Missus cracked up at the potato on the “pizza” as it took Her back to Rome. The slices of porchetta was rather thin and while the potato and the smoked Mozzarella was on the milder side; that crust was so light and crisp. We could only manage two of the smaller slices.

It did heat up well in the toaster oven though! And grating some Parmigiano Reggiano on it really added to the flavor.

The service was a bit spotty….which can probably be attributed to just opening. The folks working were wonderful though…so warm and friendly. And really nice to JJ. And there were those Oxtail Meatballs. So, we returned for dinner a few nights later. Same wonderful crew were working.

We arrived right before 5pm and they got the Missus Her meatballs at HH prices!

This time the bread, which was still warm was just served with the cheese sauce.

This time around, the meatballs and sauce were nice and hot.

And it was even more tender than on our first visit! The Missus really enjoyed this.

This time we decided to try the Lamb Scotta Ditto (Lamb Lollipops – $21). While not cheap; this was another winnah!

A sprinkle of breadcrumbs added a nice textural contrast, the lamb was super tender and deliciously gamey! The mildly garlicky Chimichurri, with a hint of rosemary really worked well with the gamy lamb. This was so good….now the Missus had two favorites! Yikes!

Now since this was La Cucina Romana….well, there’s one dish that I just loved in Rome. Not sure if any of you were reading my posts from way back then. But man; I just loved the Carbonara! And on the menu was Bucatini Cabonara….though it was listed as “MP”; that would be “Market Price”. We asked the wonderful gentleman running the place and was told it would $35 on this day! Whoa….. Still, I just wanted to try it.

So, soon enough that wheel of Pecorino was brought out to the table.

And the cheese wheel dish was being made. Now, what I didn’t notice as this was being made was that pan of cream-cheese sauce on the bottom of the cart.

When the pasta was coated; they piled on even more sauce. Sigh…..

This was a gloppy, very over sauced dish. You couldn’t even taste the Guanciale. The Bucatini was also over cooked for our taste. I guess we’ve really taken to how pasta is served in Italy. This was more like over sauced American style Italian. Kind of a bummer.

The Missus did enjoy Her meatballs and the lamb chops though. And they just treated us….especially JJ so nice that a week later the Missus wanted to return for the lunch specials. I’m happy that the Missus has found a place with some dishes She enjoys in the neighborhood. And being just three blocks away…..of course we returned!

Stay tuned for part 2!

Romanella Cucina Romana
3055 Clairemont Dr.
San Diego, CA 92117

Genoa – Traditional Food Tour

March 14, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

Over the years, the Missus and I have become advocates of small group or private traditional food tours with locals. Especially in places that have so much to offer like Emilia – Romana or places like Genoa; where we weren't too familiar with the traditional cuisine. And I thought since we basically spending one full day in the city, we might enjoy walking the streets and tasting traditional cuisine. After doing a bit of research; I settled on Do Eat Better Experience's Traditional Genoa Food Tour.

We met at Vascello Neptune, a replica of a 17th century Galleon that was actually created for the movie Pirates.

Located at the Old Port, Porto Antico, it was just two blocks away from our hotel.

It was a small group; just 8 of us. Funny thing, 4 of the folks were actually on a cruise that stopped in Genoa for a day.

We strolled past the Palazzo San Giorgio, which I mentioned in an earlier post.

And were off to "graze"….

It was a drizzly day, but not too cold.

The Missus and I hadn't really heard a lot about Genoa and were quite taken by all the ornate sculptures and monuments, like this one of the Virgin Mary in the cornerstone of a building.

Our first stop was a little shop to try traditional Focaccia Genovese.

The focaccia cannot be thicker than 2 centimeters and it is lightly coated with Ligurian Olive Oil. The crust is crisp, the interior very light, and it is a staple of the typical Genovese diet.

Focaccia e Dintorni
Via di Canneto Il Curto 54
Genova, Italy

The next stop was this little shop.

That's our guide Marina above. The place smelled heavenly!

Here we got to try Farinata which the locals call Fainá, a flat bread made of chickpea flour, quite nutty with the olive oil flavor coming thru. And Focaccia al Formaggio (aka Focaccia di Recco) which is two thin layers of slightly flaky dough with Stracchino Cheese in the middle. The Village of Recco is most famously known for making this layered focaccia.

Le Delizie dell'Amico
Via di Canneto Il Lungo 31r
Genova, Italy

We passed some interesting looking buildings and churches as we made our north to our next stop.

Which was this restaurant.

Here we had Pesto Lasagne and Minestrone alla Genovese.

The lasagne was quite rich and I was told that it is typical to use a bechamel in this version. The minestrone was quite hearty. Both were bursting with peppery Ligurian pesto flavor.

Ristorante Zimino
Vico delle Scuole Pie 4
Genova, Italy

By this time, it became quite obvious that we needed a short break so we strolled over to bustling Piazza San Lorenzo.

And were given some time to explore the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo (Genoa Cathedral).

Apparently, there has been a church here since the 5th or 6th century. This version was first completed in the 11th century.

The altar is quite stunning and there's a ton to see here, but we only had 30 minutes, so we just wandered around.

This is the tomb of Ibleto_Fieschi.

IMG_3168b

There are two lion sculptures at the entrance to the Cathedral. The one to the left is famous for looking very sad.

From here we headed more inland, to the East.

We actually passed Christopher Columbus's House, but that photo didn't turn out.

And then we got to our next stop.

Where we had a wine tasting…..

And more wonderful focaccia…..

Topped with a variety of items; pesto (of course), local cheese, salumi……

Man, I was stuffed!

Locanda Tortuga
Via di Ravecca 13r
Genova, Italy

At this point, the folks on the cruise had to head back, and we bade them farewell.

There was just one more stop. Down a quiet alleyway was this chocolate shop.

Which has been around since 1866!

We went to the gelato portion. Then over at the chocolate shop, the Missus stocked up a bit.

Cioccolateria Romeo Viganotti
Vico dei Castagna 14R
Genova, Italy

From here, we strolled back to the Porta Soprana, one of the two surviving ancient gates of the Walls of Genoa.

Where Marina bade us farewell and gave us instructions on how to get back to Porto Antico….which was straight down the street!

Overall, we enjoyed this tour, it was fun tasting and getting a better understanding of Genovese Cuisine.

But now it was time for a nap!

Genoa – Vegia Zena

March 8, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Seafood, Travel

We enjoyed the nice walk along Porto Antico as we strolled back to our hotel.

Yes, it was somewhat touristy….check out all the cruise ships.

But, things were still pretty relaxed and mellow. And the ship were already leaving port as we passed.

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We checked into our hotel and tried to figure out where to get dinner; I wasn't able to get reservations at my first two choices, so I did the obvious. I strolled down to the front desk and asked the really friendly gentleman working for a recommendation of a place that made good local style cuisine. He told me that when he has friends and family staying nearby, he recommends Vegia Zena. He told me look at what the other tables of locals were getting and not pay attention too much to the English menu. The place was a short two streets away, tucked down one of the atmospheric "caruggi"; the alleyways that weave thru the city.

We found the restaurant and entered. It was very brightly lit in comparison to the caruggi. The place was half full; we were quickly seated.

And two menus; basically placemats were placed on the table; one with the Italian menu; the other with an "English" menu. As you can see; the Italian menu had many more items.

Some bread and foccacia were quickly provided.

The foccacia was quite good; crisp, then soft, light saltiness……I got a hint of why folks had mentioned focaccia Genovese to me!

We placed our orders….this being Genova; home to the world pesto championships, of course I had to get the Trofie al Pesto.

While being perhaps a bit over-sauced; the pesto tasted so fresh; peppery-garlic tones-I could really taste the pine nuts in this! Oh the peppery-anise flavors as well. The pasta was perfectly cooked; the slight "twists" holding the sauce well. This was our fourth Trofie al Pesto in Liguria….I could tell the Missus was getting tired of it; though I could have kept on having it!

One thing the Missus wasn't tired of was the seafood; especially the Mussels.

This was a huge portion. Sweet, plump, wonderful brininess….no grit to be found!

For our final item; I had noticed a dish that looked quite good on another table; so I discreetly pointed it out to our Server and ordered it.

Not quite sure what the name of the dish was…I'm thinking it's the Misto Mare Vegia Zena? Man, more wonderful mussles; that langostino! The highlight was the stack of pesto enriched seafood in the middle of the plate. It was so delici-yoso!!!!

And the Missus enjoyed Her dessert.

The meal was a pleasant surprise and the nice fellow at the hotel desk earned himself a good tip as well!

Service was a bit on the serious side; except for the woman working who was quite nice. Overall, a very nice meal!

Vegia Zena
Vico del Serriglio 15R
Genova, Italy

After dinner we took a stroll away from the port and down the alleyways into the city.

Getting a first glance at some of the more ornate buildings heading to the historical center of the city.

Until we got to the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata del Vastato.

From here we decided to head on back to the hotel. I'd become quite interested in the cuisine of Liguria; so much like we did in Emilia-Romana, we'd be doing a small group food and history tour the following day.

So it was time to head back to our room and get some rest!

Thanks for stopping by!

Genoa – Antica Friggitoria Carega and Eataly

February 22, 2025 mmm-yoso Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Markets & Grocers, Seafood, Travel

We were sad to leave the Cinque Terre. We had really enjoyed our stay. My first instinct when planning our trip was to head back to Milan. But while planning things out, I watched Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy and in the episode on Liguria he visited Genoa and basically indicated that it was the "home of pesto". The episode featured a restaurant, Il Genovese, yes I made sure to call Genoa, "Genova" during my time in Italy. Anyway, the owner of the restaurant established the Pesto World Championship. And heck, we'd had pesto almost everyday during our stay in Liguria, so it made sense to stay in the city, right?

It was a mere hour-and-a-half train ride from Monterosso to the main train station in Genoa. We were staying in near the Old Port, Porto Antico. It was an interesting half hour walk from the train station as we got an introduction to the Caruggi di Genova, the narrow alleyways of the city. Our hotel, the Best Western Hotel Porto Antico Genoa was right down one of these side streets. We had arrived too early to check in, so we stored our luggage and went for a walk.

There are quite a few things to see in the area. It seemed quite touristy during the days, but quiet during the evenings. We quickly figured out things when we saw two cruise ships in port. Still, in spite of having a population of over a half-million, things seemed so relaxed.

It was interesting to watch folks line up for the Bigo a lift on cranes which give you views of the city.

We decided to just relax, especially after all the walking and hiking we did in the Cinque Terre. Just take our two nights and enjoy things.

While walking down the lovely porticos of the waterfront we noticed this little shop. The smell of frying seafood wafting in the air.

Looking things over, we got a "Misto a Piacere" (mixed seafood), "medio" (medium) for a mere 9,5€!

The Missus didn't want the calamari, so we got just the Gamberi Fritti (Shrimp) and Fritto di Pesce (Anchovy). Man the shrimp was fried nicely, still crisp, and quite briny-sweet.

I loved the crisp-savory anchovy. Like I said before, the seafood in Liguria!

Nothing like some good fry-o-lated seafood to get started in Genoa!

Antica Friggitoria Carega
Via di Sottoripa 113r
Genova, Italy

We decided do a bit more exploring before heading back to the hotel. There's quite a bit to do. The Genoa Aquarium is right across…well, across and under highway SS1 which hugs the shoreline, there's Vascello Neptune, a replica of a Spanish Galleon. It was market day at the port.

Part of which ran right under the highway.

We took our time checking things out.

And though we didn't find anything we were interested in; this little one seemed to be happy with its purchase!

We passed this historic building. It's the Palazzo San Giorgio, which is currently the HQ of the Port Authority. This lovely building was built in the 13th Century and the palace was once a prison.

Which housed the one and only Marco Polo. It is said that during his time in the prison, Marco Polo dictated his travels to a fellow prisoner; the writer Rustichello da Pisa. The manuscript which eventually became The Travels of Marco Polo!

A bit further down the port we noticed a location of Eataly.