Il Posto

"this was our first time going here because a friend recommended we try their bruschetta campana. it was DEVINE! we also had their special lobster ravioli and linguine alla vongole which was delicious! we usually don't get dessert but i couldn't pass on pistachio related sweets and their panna cotta was lovely. can't wait to come back again!"

"Il Posto : “B- or 3 stars” meaning “not bad, a reasonable choice if in the area, and it’s difficult to find a better restaurant.” 5 weeks old, with 4.8 stars on Yelp gave me very high expectations. I so so soooo want to fall in love with another Italian restaurant, but unfortunately, this one isn’t it. Ambiance is very nice, but I think they’re still trying to figure out their footing in the service department. And the food, a little inconsistent, some dishes very good, others not so much. Given the location, the spacing between tables was quite generous and comfortable, in a dining room with clean, simple, modern decor. I studied the menu prior to arrival, so it didn’t take long to make up our minds on what to order. This is where we hit the first service snag; it took about 30 minutes before a waiter was able to take our order. Given how busy the restaurant was, and the fact they’re only 5 weeks old, not a big deal. What irked me a little was that our waiter never told us about their specials, and only learned about them from overhearing another table’s order. Oh well, first world problems, but the pork chops that we never knew about sounded pretty scrumptious! As usual, we ate family style so that everyone got to try everything. We are Chinese afterall! Linguini ai frutti di mare (B+ ) : very good pasta, perfectly cooked al dente linguini in a light tomatoey sauce, with shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari. The shrimp was very good, the calamari was overcooked, the mussels tasted fresh, and the clam I picked was an empty shell. Despite diligently looking, I couldn’t find another clam. I’d still eat it again without the clam! Cotto e funghi pizza (B ) : my default is margherita whenever eating Neapolitan style, but I compromised on something with meat in it for our guests. The dough was on the soft side with no crunch even around the edges, but had a good flavor. This contrasted with the somewhat flavorless mushroom and ham. Luckily, the cheese was very fragrant, saving the day. Overall, a good pizza I’d gladly eat, but nothing to write home about. Pollo parmigiana (B- ) : the chicken parm was good; breading had a nice aroma, wrapping some juicy chicken - definitely one of the better chicken parm’s I’ve had. The pasta, however, was overcooked and bland. The problem with group projects, the “B+” chicken was dragged down by the “C” pasta partner. We were about ½ way done with the three dishes they served when the waiter came to check on us. “We’re still waiting for our salad,” I told him. He immediately fixed the situation, and came back with our salad within 3 minutes. Insalata arugula (C+ ) : veggies tasted fresh, but the lemon vinaigrette was a tad boring with no lemony, citrusy punch that I expected. And, the dressing wasn’t mixed well so some parts of the salad was just naked arugula. All in all, not a bad experience, but I would prioritize Catania or even Siamo Napoli just a couple miles away. So the search for the ultimate San Diego Italian restaurant continues. Cesarina, I will soon visit you, I just need to plan better! ------------------------------------------- Food Grading Scale: A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you’ll know it. You don’t even know how to further improve it with a magic wand. A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You’re considering whether it’s life changing, but know it misses the mark. A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it’s one of the best, but you can think of further improvements. B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of “impressive,” but worth revisiting. B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get. B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option. C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify. C: Mediocre. “Meh”. Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all."

"New Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. We ordered appetizer trio ( Zuchinni flowers, Arancini and potato croquettes ) but it wasn’t trio , it was duo. Zucchini flowers were missing and we weren’t informed about that. (You can see from the pictures) The two we did receive were ok. We also had arugula salad, Margherita pizza and a bottle of wine. The salad was displayed beautifully, but flavor was lacking and I didn’t like the taste. The pizza was delicious and cooked to perfection. The wine was probably the best part! Staff was friendly and accommodating."

"What a gem of an Italian restaurant! We were greeted by the owner, Mauricio, at the door. Seated immediately and were in awe of how charming the restaurant was. The food is beyond comparison. They have an award winning pizza maestro! Mauricio couldn't have been more sweet. We are so happy to have had the opportunity to have found IL Posto. We look forward to coming back time and time again."

"Great new Italian spot in South Park. We got the appetizer trio: Zuchinni flowers, Arancini and potato croquettes. Each came with their own specific dipping sauce. Yum! My husband got Nerano pizza: Zuchinni cream for sauce, thinly sliced zucchini and fried Zuchinni. The pizza was super flavorful and the dough/crust were great. I was all set to get a pizza, but then I heard their risotto special-saffron and mushroom with short rib. Very flavorful and delicious. The portions are huge. We both took him half our meals. Looking forward to trying more items on their menu."