If you’ve ever fallen in love with small sidewalk cafes covering every corner of Italy’s cobblestone covered streets — those sweet neighborhood bistros with the scent of garlic wafting through the air and a talkative owner who spits out every word — La Jolla has its own parallel, Bistro Pazzo. With its unabashed owner Seto Marselian talking up everyone from its loyal customers and newcomers alike, customers travel to Europe on a nightly stroll through La Jolla. Though Bistro Pazzo has only been open for a mere 10 months, owner Marselian, aka “Mr. Crazy,” has owned several restaurants throughout the county and is a local celebrity Walk 200 feet from the ritzy La Jolla establishments tourists have come to love and you’ll find moderate prices and nearly the same cuisine — from the signature gamberi pancetta (baked jumbo shrimp wrapped in pancetta with lobster risotto) to the pollo valdostana (chicken with prosciutto, spinach and cheese in a mushroom sauce). The most surprising dish isn’t the pollo or the mozzarella caprese, but the parsley pesto starter — served with warm ciabatta bread. This dish served with every entrée mixes parsley, basil, spinach, garlic and some olive oil in a heavenly fusion of true Italian flavors, perfect to start off any Bistro Pazzo entree. With a parade of color and typical Italian art plastering the walls, don’t expect a stereotypical Italian plate at the “crazy cafe.” “The menu is just a suggestion,” Marselian laughs, offering up specials like the real crab filled raviolis as an appetizer or an entrée, if you feel up to it. With weekly drink specials like half off bottles of wine on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or the early-bird “Sunset Special” for $14.95, the deals here are good, really good. Perfected over time, Marselian’s experience with San Diego’s restaurant industry originated while at the University of California, San Diego. Over two decades later he has turned his experience into a career at local staples like the French Gourmet, Elario’s Bistro and Sky Lounge and Top of the Cove. Bistro Pazzo is located at 7930 Ivanhoe Ave.
