The Good, The Bad The Ugly... (Oceanside: assessment, food, place)

[oBak]

I would like to step back in and second Volarie's. I went there for lunch once and it was probably the best local italian I could find (not saying much). I really did enjoy it though.

[Sassberto]

Originally Posted by oBak

I would like to step back in and second Volarie's. I went there for lunch once and it was probably the best local italian I could find (not saying much). I really did enjoy it though.

Driven by it many times, never gave it a thought. Might be worth a try.

Most people here are referencing fine dining Italian restaurants. While that is all well and good, many actual Italian people have an adverse reaction to spending 23 dollars on 50 cents worth of pasta and sauce ;-) Italian food is peasant food, and I think we are mostly talking about stuff my grandmother would have made. There's really not enough of a critical mass of ethnic Italians here to support that.

I realize that comparing anything in San Diego to anything on the east coast is strictly forbidden and makes us miscreant misanthropic jerk losers, but one thing that is very hard to find here is family-owned, family run, family-centric Italian food. Not the kind served by well-heeled SDSU girls with neat ponytails (Il Fornaio) or the kind served by high school kids either (i.e. DeMilles, Filippis, etc.). It simply does not exist for the most part.

A good barometer is if you can bring your little kids there. If you can't, that doesn't mean it's not delicious, it just means it's for medigans. Mexican food in San Diego is probably the closest analog - family owned, family run, bring your kids, made with love. If you looked at my great uncle Joe circa WWI you might have thought he was a Mexican too.

I will say this - that type of place became very hard to find in my Italian-heavy section of Long Island as well, because of the upscale trend over the last 10+ years. You will find it all over Philly or Brooklyn or other places where gentrification and yuppification haven't touched.

[crayola]

Thanks for the very informative response! As someone considering San Diego eventually, this was a helpful post. I was aware of the weather and activity's as positives, but what I really liked was that you stated the IT field is doing fairly well! As someone hoping to work for a large company as an IT major, this was very encouraging.

As far as the cost of living, well I'm in college I can deal with not having a lot of "toys" for another few years.

[oBak]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

family owned, family run, bring your kids, made with love.

That's how it seemed when I went, I plan on going back there for lunch next week.

Volare - Loma Portal - San Diego, CA

My whole family loves Volare. My kids love it and always request it as their number one favorite place to eat out. It is the perfect family spot for us. The kids are happy with their calamari, ravioli and pizza, my husband is happy with his parmigiana, minestrone and salad, and I am delighted with my wine & chicken piccata. The prices are incredibly reasonable, and we usually have leftovers for the next day. The music is great. The ambiance is interesting (I couldn't think of a better word. You just have to go to find out.). Do NOT expect a fancy place; if you haven't been you HAVE to go. Drink the wine, order some satisfying italian food, and you will leave very happy.

This place is awesome. And I don't mean awesome in the sense that its new age-chic-yuppie hang out. And don't get me wrong i like to dress it up myself some times too. Awesome as in this place has been here forever for a good reason cause they do it right and its a slice of a home kitchen and heart. There is no lack of passion for what they do. Good service, good wine at a very good price.

Oldskool Italian fare.
mom & pop feel
good food, good service, good cheap wine.
the fettucini alfredo cost about $6.95
Fettucini alfredo with shrimp $7.95
mediun pizza was only about $9.00
Excellent Fried Calamari with pasta $11.00
heard mambo italiano, volare, & sicilian pastore on the sound system.
place was full on a tuesday night.
three people ate well, with wine for $35.00
why do i need olive garden's fake corporate ambiance.
this place is right out of 1977. italian just like when i was a kid.

Of course it won't be as good as home cooking, eating out never is, but it is pretty good.

[blockzilla]

I'm by no means an expert on what good Italian food should be, but I've always gotten a good family-run, laid back, comfortable vibe at Volares, Marinos in PB, and La Scala in Point Loma.

[SoCalCenteroftheUniverse]

For red sauce American Italian in North County there's Caldo Pomodoro ("Hot Tomato") in Carlsbad Village and there are a couple of Vigilucci's in Encintas, Carlsbad (maybe, can't remember) and Oceanside. Vigilucci's is probably the closest to "real" Italian as opposed to American Italian. Gaslamp area has Bella Luna and Di Medici.

Karl Strauss Brewery in Carlsbad at the Hilton above the flower fields (and also downtown SD and in Mira Mesa) is a decent, slightly upscale brewery restaurant, not "pub food." Pizza Port in Carlsbad Village is a fantastic brewery. Le Passage also in the Village is an outstanding French place. Never been disappointed there; very small and intimate.

West Steakhouse at Palomar Airport Rd and I-5 is slightly upscale. 333 Pacific is a relatively new, hipster place in the new Wyndham Hotel at the Oceanside Pier. Very good if a little loud.

Ono Sushi in Hillcrest. Khyber Pass also in Hillcrest for amazing Afghan food.

Churchill's in a British pub in San Marcos that is very good at what it does.

[bloom]

Originally Posted by SoCalCenteroftheUniverse

For red sauce American Italian in North County there's Caldo Pomodoro ("Hot Tomato") in Carlsbad Village and there are a couple of Vigilucci's in Encintas, Carlsbad (maybe, can't remember) and Oceanside. Vigilucci's is probably the closest to "real" Italian as opposed to American Italian. Gaslamp area has Bella Luna and Di Medici.

Karl Strauss Brewery in Carlsbad at the Hilton above the flower fields (and also downtown SD and in Mira Mesa) is a decent, slightly upscale brewery restaurant, not "pub food." Pizza Port in Carlsbad Village is a fantastic brewery. Le Passage also in the Village is an outstanding French place. Never been disappointed there; very small and intimate.

West Steakhouse at Palomar Airport Rd and I-5 is slightly upscale. 333 Pacific is a relatively new, hipster place in the new Wyndham Hotel at the Oceanside Pier. Very good if a little loud.

Ono Sushi in Hillcrest. Khyber Pass also in Hillcrest for amazing Afghan food.

Churchill's in a British pub in San Marcos that is very good at what it does.

Kyber Pass is overated, overpriced, mediocre, and the staff tries to rip you off by bringing you food, drinks you didn't order and saying that you did and then you have to argue with them that you don't want it. This is true and totally absurd. I recall a good Afghani restaurant in Philly, and I hear Helminths in Cambridge, MA (and other locations) is very good (owned my President Hamid Karzai's brother who does not appear to be corrupt like Hamid turned out to be but obviously much better than the murderer, 1-eyed President M. Omar).

[SoCalCenteroftheUniverse]

That's never happened to me there. I like the place, I like the vibe, other people I've taken there like it too, so, I listed it.

[sdurbanite]

I like Khyber Pass, too. Chopahn in the Gaslamp is good too.

[Encinitan]

Originally Posted by SoCalCenteroftheUniverse

For red sauce American Italian in North County there's Caldo Pomodoro ("Hot Tomato") in Carlsbad Village and there are a couple of Vigilucci's in Encintas, Carlsbad (maybe, can't remember) and Oceanside. Vigilucci's is probably the closest to "real" Italian as opposed to American Italian. Gaslamp area has Bella Luna and Di Medici.

Karl Strauss Brewery in Carlsbad at the Hilton above the flower fields (and also downtown SD and in Mira Mesa) is a decent, slightly upscale brewery restaurant, not "pub food." Pizza Port in Carlsbad Village is a fantastic brewery. Le Passage also in the Village is an outstanding French place. Never been disappointed there; very small and intimate.

West Steakhouse at Palomar Airport Rd and I-5 is slightly upscale. 333 Pacific is a relatively new, hipster place in the new Wyndham Hotel at the Oceanside Pier. Very good if a little loud.

Ono Sushi in Hillcrest. Khyber Pass also in Hillcrest for amazing Afghan food.

Churchill's in a British pub in San Marcos that is very good at what it does.

Vigillucci's is ok for white table cloth Italian, I guess. Just so-so. There is one in downtown Encinitas (101 and D Street) then one up in Leucadia, then one at 101 and Tamarack in Carlsbad (the old Sandbar location) then one in the Carlsbad Village (Grand and State Street).