Pacific Beach. Bustling with drunk college students and spring breakers, tons of bars and even more jay-walkers. But in the midst of the chaos lies a beautiful, tiny restaurant just off of Cass Street. Enoteca Adriano, open just a few years, is literally a getaway in your own backyard. AJ and I discovered this restaurant last year, when we were searching for a reasonably priced feast on a random Tuesday evening. Unfortunately, we ended up spending $30 each, but it was well worth it.
Since then, I have been back more than a few times and have even gotten a few of my friends obsessed with the amazing and creative food and the quaint atmosphere. On this occasion, I met my friends, Annalisa and Sam, to play catchup on our lives (and of course, enjoy more than one bottle of wine and indulge in one of the best meals ever).
Meals at Enoteca Adriano always start the same: a bottle of wine and their warm and cheesy bread with herbs and olive oil.
One of the best things on the menu is the burrata, which is a type of Italian cheese, a little softer and sweeter than mozzarella. Embarrassingly enough, I have tried all four of them. The one above, the Burrata Pesto, is definitely a favorite, with fresh, homemade pesto on top of the burrata, spinach, candied walnuts, heirloom tomatoes and artichokes.
Fortunately, our waitress, Holly, messed up our order and a free burrata was granted to us. This one, also one of my favorites (minus the prosciutto) is called the Burrata Enoteca. It comes with thinly sliced pieces of parmesan cheese, heirloom tomato, balsamic reduction and wilted garlic spinach. The combination of these ingredients is absolutely unreal (I like to pile pieces of each and put it on top of the cheesy bread yummmmm)
Although everything on the menu is, for lack of better words, PERFECT, I usually stick to the Gnocchi Di Casa, which has spinach, walnuts and pesto in a gorgonzola sauce. Usually, I think gorgonzola sauces tend to take away from the dish rather than add to it, but the Gnocchi Di Casa is an exception. And like I said, it's perfect.
Annalisa ordered one of the specials. I can't remember what was in it (pasta with chicken?) but she enjoyed it!
Besides the food and the completely romantic atmosphere, this restaurant just feels comfortable. The staff is friendly and it almost feels like they're your family, making you a home cooked meal instead of waiting on you. In my opinion, dining at Enoteca Adriano is more than just "eating out," it's an experience.
Since then, I have been back more than a few times and have even gotten a few of my friends obsessed with the amazing and creative food and the quaint atmosphere. On this occasion, I met my friends, Annalisa and Sam, to play catchup on our lives (and of course, enjoy more than one bottle of wine and indulge in one of the best meals ever).
Besides the food and the completely romantic atmosphere, this restaurant just feels comfortable. The staff is friendly and it almost feels like they're your family, making you a home cooked meal instead of waiting on you. In my opinion, dining at Enoteca Adriano is more than just "eating out," it's an experience.
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