TAVOLA NOSTRA: ANCIENT ROMAN CLASSICS IN THE HEART OF HILLCREST
The Cost -$22 per person
The Atmosphere – Located just a six-minute drive from the world-famous San Diego Zoo and the city’s Balboa Park, Tavola Nostra offers a casual and welcoming atmosphere. It has bar, table, and outdoor patio seating options. The inside has an industrial feel with high, open ceilings and concrete floors. The waitstaff was friendly and the restaurant prides itself on being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
San Diego’s beautiful beaches and perfect weather make it a prime tourist destination and a haven for those wanting a relaxed, easier life. Though its most known for its excellent Mexican food, San Diego isn’t a one-trick pony when it comes to international cuisines and on a day when I was craving Italian, I went to Tavola Nostra located in the city’s Hillcrest neighborhood.
The Order – Lasagna Della Mamma, Pasta Marsala, Mortaccio Pinsa Romana, Charred Broccolini Parmigiano and Cavoletti di Bruxelles e Pancetta.
The Great – The Lasagna Della Mamma was easily my favorite dish of the night. Served in an oval dish, this generously sized classic truly looks like a homemade lasagna that came straight from an Italian grandmother’s kitchen. Aside from the generous portion, I also appreciated that the beef used is organic, making the $16 price point even more reasonable.
The Good – I was incredibly excited to see that Tavola Nostra serves Pinsa Romana, a pizza-like dish made by the ancient Romans that utilizes multiple types of flour to create the dough. Just like with a pizza, you can choose from different toppings and I went with the restaurant’s Mortacchio Pinsa which came topped with mortadella, burrata, and pistachios. I enjoyed the classic mortadella pistachio combination as well as the burrata, but the dish’s dryness made it hard to fully enjoy more than a few bites. I love this dish as an appetizer to share with the table; however, I would not recommend it as a single person’s entrée.
The Pasta Marsala, a creamy penne pasta dish with caramelized portobello mushrooms, aged Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh parsley, and a marsala wine sauce, was solid. The flavor and substance of the portobellos made adding the optional chicken unnecessary but I would recommend adding the chicken if you are not ordering an appetizer or dessert.
The Okay – I was excited that the table wanted to share the Cavoletti di Bruxelles e Pancetta (brussels sprouts with bacon) and the Charred Broccolini Parmigiana. While we finished off both dishes, I expected more from them. The brussels sprouts are cooked and tossed with pancetta, Sicilian red chili oil, and a balsamic reduction, and based on its menu description, I expected a lot of great flavors. Unfortunately, the dish just didn’t hit the taste buds in the right spots. The charred broccolini, which had lemon-infused olive oil and Parmigiana Reggiano cheese had some nice ingredients but there wasn’t enough of the lemon or parmigiana flavors to make this dish a hit.
The Verdict – Tavola Nostra deserves to be recognized for bringing San Diego a taste of ancient Roman cuisine. The restaurant’s dedication to using Italian ingredients is greatly appreciated and while I didn’t have the best of luck with the appetizers, I thought that the main courses were very good and represented a great value for their price.