San Diego, Little Italy, restaurants

[airgunnerusn]

We are looking for restaurant recommendations in San Diego's Little Italy.

 

Thanks for your help.

[PatriciaF]

Filippi's was my favorite back when my best friend was at San Diego State--but as that was almost 40 years ago--can't vouch for the food now--but it is still in business!

[riffatsea]

I don't wait on lines for pizza and that's what you'll have to do at Filippis!! The latest popular spot is:

http://lovebencotto.com/our_story.php

We tend to be "old school " for our Italian food(DH is from NJ) so we go to :

http://www.monalisalittleitaly.com/

They also have a nice deli/ store to buy goodies.

[pamkev]

Filippi's was my favorite back when my best friend was at San Diego State--but as that was almost 40 years ago--can't vouch for the food now--but it is still in business!

 

 

Was just there a few weeks ago and it was wonderful wish we would have found out about it before the night we left. Love it we got there a little after 6 no line although when we left around 8 there was a line forming.

 

Pam

[pamkev]

I don't wait on lines for pizza and that's what you'll have to do at Filippis!! The latest popular spot is:

http://lovebencotto.com/our_story.php

We tend to be "old school " for our Italian food(DH is from NJ) so we go to :

http://www.monalisalittleitaly.com/

They also have a nice deli/ store to buy goodies.

 

We didn't have pizza the lasagna was to die for, wish we would have time to check out these other places

[Drifting Happily]

We've had good meals at Buon Appetito, and Cafe Zucchero (I mainly go there for the gelato). But my favorite is Indigo Grill, which isn't Italian but a very creative 'native' cuisine (kind of Mexican?).

[DedicatedDad]

You MUST go to Buon Appetito. It trully is fantastic. When my wife and I go our by ourselves we go here (last time (about a month ago) we showed up at 9:00 pm and there was a wait...yeah waiting sucks, but at the same time you know if has to be excellent if people are willing to wait at 9 pm at night). They have a small grocery store of their things a couple of doors down. It is fun to browse in there if you have to wait. This is Italian at its best.

 

Indigo Grill is nice, but more "funky". Although you might find some Italian it is more of a fusion type of reasturant. We were there with friends and when they asked how it was I responded with "Every bite was different." They took this to mean that I didn't like it, I meant it how it was...every bite was different to me...some better than others, but I still enjoyed myself. If you are coming to Little Italy for the Italian experience, you won't necessarily find it at Indigo Grill. By the way, if you are interested there is a SignOnSanDiego Daily Deal (similar to Groupon) today: $15 for $30 (dailydeal.signonsandiego.com...says the deal expires in two days) for Indigo Grill.

 

Fillippis is wonderful. You will get the Italian feel here. You pass their little grocery store area (complete with the dried, salted, slightly-stinky fish laying out in bins) as you go to the back where their reasturant is. Whenever we are downtown with the kids, this is where we come. Family (and couple) friendly, pizza is to die for (tons of wonderful imported cheese on the top). Lasanga is great to. A fun experience for sure.

 

So in my opinon, if you are looking for a romantic Italian evening: Buon Appetito. If you are looking for something not very typical: Indigo Grill. If you are looking for a fun relaxing Italian meal: Fillippis.

 

If all theses posting don't help, they are all very close together so you can walk to each of them and decide. :)

[airgunnerusn]

Thanks for the replies. May do the walk around and see what smells good.

[wanderer34]

That's the way...just follow your nose, they're all delicious...and you need the exercise. But Mona Lisa's is my favorite

[OC Traveler]

Our favorite on India St is Trattoria Fantastica, and across the street try the gelato at Cafe Italia. Fillippi's is also good.