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<\/a>Ample seating extends from an entrance patio that flows into a spacious dining area capped by a high canvas ceiling. Out back, the May S. Marcy Sculpture Garden is kept in view. Abundant sunlight, gentle breezes and an occasional pigeon waddling past your ankles give the impression of dining al fresco no matter where you sit.<\/p>\n
The \u201cNeiman-Marcus\u201d of prosciutto, called San Daniele, appears on a tapas board with fig chutney and manchego cheese, as well as on a handcrafted pizza crowned also with wild arugula and truffle oil. The paper-thin ham isn\u2019t as salty or fatty as regular prosciutto, thus the reason why it practically melts in your mouth before you can chew it.<\/p>\n
We tried it on the pizza, which arrived with tepid mozzarella and didn\u2019t seem to contain the Parmesan Reggiano listed in its description. But thanks to the prosciutto and a nice chewy crust, the pie nonetheless won us over.<\/p>\n
A bowl of hearty lentil soup and a generous serving of fingerling potatoes drizzled in garlic aioli barely preceded the pizza. Receiving salads and appetizers in conjunction with main courses is a persistent service flaw I keep encountering in San Diego restaurants, even nice ones such as this. To all of the servers and cooks out there guilty of this crime, please slow down!<\/p>\n The potatoes delivered the goodness of the popular Spanish tapa known as \u201cpapas bravas,\u201d which is exactly what they\u2019re named on Ciuffa\u2019s menu. The difference is that you get a double piling of them, cut into meaty barrel-shaped pieces and priced at only $4 a skillet. A threesome can easily feed from one order.<\/p>\n Other starters include imported burrata cheese with tomato jam, fire roasted peppers with caper berries and a grilled Portobello mushroom accompanied with red pepper hummus.<\/p>\n My companion\u2019s main course was a thick slab of grilled ahi tuna tucked into a super-fresh ciabatta roll. Ciuffa gives the fish a refreshing Mediterranean spin by inserting into the sandwich artichoke-olive tapenade and mild garlic aioli, the same used on the potatoes. It also features butter lettuce, a sensible choice of lettuce since it matches in texture the velvety, ruby-red tuna.<\/p>\n<\/a>