The Hillcrest neighborhood knows and loves good food and will be thrilled to welcome the new neighborhood osteria that does it all. From impressive vegan selections to gluten-free options to locally sourced ingredients, this Hillcrest newcomer will quickly gain its place in the regular rotation among San Diego foodies.
The word that comes to mind in our experience at Rusticucina is “authentic.” You will inevitably be greeted by one of the native Sicilians posted at the bar, ready to create a refreshing aperitivo cocktail or pour a generous glass Italian wine. You will also likely meet one of the owners, Mario Liga, whose dedication to the restaurant is demonstrated in his attentiveness and hospitality. Mario ensures that every guest feels as though they are sitting down at nonna’s table, ready to enjoy a feast of their favorites. As though wearing Fred Astaire shoes, Mario gracefully dances between each table, convivially sharing stories of his family in Italy and ensuring your wine glass is always topped off.
The space, formerly Sirens, underwent some updating to transform into Rusticucina. The dining area exudes Mediterranean charm, adorned with colorful hanging plants and antique mirrors scattered throughout the white-washed brick walls. On the night of our visit, a winsome, tuxedo-wearing gentleman played the violin to Frank Sinatra and Stan Getz standards. The atmosphere oozed Italian charm, romance, and camaraderie. You can’t help but feel happy and whimsical in a place like this… perhaps with a side of excited anticipation for the food to come.
Chef Marco is one of the most appealing new talents to enter San Diego’s Italian restaurant scene; the kind of cook who can unite ordinary people who just like to devour hearty pastas and the elite gastronomists that seek to pair their slow cooked osso bucco with the perfectly matched glass of Brunello.
We must first give a nod to Chef Marco’s immaculately traditional Neapolitan pizzas. The crispy crust sings with a ferocious crackle as you bite into the edges. You could tear it off and enjoy it on its own, or save it for the very end after you’ve had all the cheesy bits – either way, you’re going to want to eat all of it. The Spinach and Fig flatbread is topped with mascarpone, crispy prosciutto, and fig jam, and presents an unexpectedly delicious combination, inevitably eliciting a sigh of delight when biting into each creamy dollop of mascarpone.
Be sure not to miss Chef’s Cheese Wheel Pasta. A chef’s hand is clearly at work when you take freshly made pasta (which changes daily), cooked piping hot, and deposited into a hollowed-out wheel of parmesan cheese. It’s called the dalla forma preparation, and the splendidly simple method of serving pasta is seen often in Italy, but rarely in San Diego. Now, luckily for us, Chef Marco is serving it up tableside. Chef’s handmade gnocchi was rushed out from the kitchen, still in the pan, and deposited handily into the cheese wheel, which had been just heated with a hand torch. When the steaming pasta touched and softened the cheese, an exhilaratingly magical reaction occurred, mingling the soft tufts of gnocchi into the parmesan, creating rich and creamy cheesy perfection. Chef added a generous pour of truffle oil to create a dish that, in retrospect, still makes my mouth water.
As you continue down the menu, the entrees are comfortingly authentic. Cioppino, a traditional Italian stew, with clams, mussels, shrimp, and white fish is slow cooked to perfection in a lobster broth. Daily fish specials from Carlsbad’s South Bay Fishery will inevitably be expertly cooked, as will the osso bucco with its slow-braised lamb shank and wasabi mashed potatoes.
And finally, the dessert menu abounds with familiar names. Among the options are classic cannoli with a house-made shell, a delightfully fluffy limoncello cake, and matcha Tiramisu striped with chocolate sauce. All worth having… or if you’re feeling generous, sharing.
Rusticucina is one of the friendliest restaurants to have graced San Diego, both for the menu and the service. The menu demonstrates true Italian hospitality through its adept inclusion of gluten-free pizza and pasta options, as well as truly excellent vegan selections, such as eggplant shell spaghetti and pomodoro carpaccio. Chef makes all the efforts to source local ingredients from Specialty Produce and Greco and Sons in Carlsbad. Why does the food taste so good? Because they do their best to keep it real. And when it comes to Italian, you can’t beat real food that just tastes good.
Rusticucina, located at 3797 Park Boulevard San Diego, CA 92103, is open 365 days a year for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.
Typical Hours:
Lunch: Monday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Dinner: Monday – Sunday, 3 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Brunch: Friday – Sunday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
