Abbondante would be a good name for this delightful little restaurant, perched atop Mount Soledad on Caminito Blythfield, owned by Guiseppe and Caterina, the young couple who barely had a honeymoon. They met when she went to Italy to study, and Caterina was so taken by Italy and the handsome young man she met there that she kept returning until it was a done deal.
Now both of them are here and just weeks ago they purchased the Italian restaurant, which is on its way to becoming iconic in La Jolla.
Abbondante refers to the portion sizes they dish up here, similar to what one is served in any private home where Mama Mia rules the kitchen, and bigger is better.
The day I ate there, I asked for a small portion of calamari fritti, just to sample it, but the heaping platter that arrived was enough to feed a family of four.
Based on taste, not size, it was a winner, served crisp and tasty and not at all greasy, as some versions tend to be. The pesto drizzled over it was what raised the bar; in fact, it is featured further down on the menu in the pasta section as tagliatelle pesto Genovese ” definitely one for the next trip. Then a dish known as grigliata smeralda, a mixture of grilled shrimp, calamari and scallops, caught my eye, done in a lemon parsley sauce, and not only was the sauce a delight but the shrimp had a smoky, barbecue kind of flavor, a nice contrast to the light sauce.
A delightful minestrone was next for me. The flavorful broth was chock full of celery, onion, zucchini and tomato, hitting the spot on that particularly chilly evening.
Portabello mushroom salad seemed to be the next obvious choice, wherein the giant cap is marinated, then grilled and served on a tasty arugula mix and drizzled with a rich-tasting balsamic vinaigrette. The whole dish is absolutely delicious but can be served as a one-dish meal for a small eater ” which I obviously am not (and I make no apologies).
Mario, the chef who stayed with the restaurant when the young couple purchased it, insisted on sending out one of his meatballs, in size somewhat larger than a tennis ball and smaller than a basketball, and I understood why when I sampled it. He obviously uses chunks of bread to keep it moist and fluffy, and a dollop or two of wine, plus a bit of grated cheese as well as the usual suspects, then tops it with diced tomato.
There was still a veal dish to try, and from the eight versions listed, I selected the marsala. Love the sauce, but it must have been mixed up with another order, because mine ended up with capers in it.
If all these choices had not been enough, there were a number of daily specials from which to choose, like a spinach salad, sausage and peppers with pasta, a chicken dish with an intriguing name ” chicken drangonzella ” and a linguini with salmon, mussels, shrimp and scallops, plus a selection of house-made desserts such as bread pudding and cannoli, to name a few.
Catering is done, either on the outdoor patio or at someone’s home, and there are so many options it should be easy to find a menu for any occasion. There are lunch specials Tuesdays to Saturdays, featuring pasta, panini, pizza and soup and salad as well. Trattoria Bella Vita, 6435 Caminito Blythefield, is closed on Mondays. Call 551-1150 for hours and information. No wonder they haven’t had a honeymoon!