Buonissimo 2

Man. I waited way too long to write a review. A fire? WTF?
Well I hope they repair and reopen soon. or you’ll be missing out. I’ll be missing out.
I brought my girlfriend at the time (now my wife) here on a date night. I found it on Unilocal (where else) and had to try it… It was AMAZING. We both ordered some wine, an appetizer, and different entrée’s. when we ordered we decided to split/​share our entrée’s so we could both enjoy the different things. well once I tried mine I said NO WAY. mines way too good to share LOL. (yup she still married me).
Unfortunately that was our only time there. can’t wait to go back. hope the open up soon.

The place is quaint and the service is pretty good. The not so great part was the food. A lot of the veggies used seemed to be from a frozen package, and for me personally that detracts greatly from the quality of the food. I don’t think I’ll go back…

First time eating here. They took over the location from California Cuisine a favorite restaurant of mine. I was hesitant but that being said I am a Beef Carpaccio conseur and this is one of the best in town.
Over time it might work it’s way up to being one of my five star. NOTE: I was not impressed with what they served during restaurant week. It was unimaginative and like so many of the other Italian places. Pasta and a choice of two sauces both of which had tomatoes.

Very nice! Corkage is good, just $ 10. We went on a Tuesday which is ½ price off wine night, but they only do that for some bottles, not all. That’s my only gripe about the place.
Go on Wednesday for ½ off pasta.
Staff was friendly and efficient, décor is very nice, and there is lots of room for large parties (if only there was lots of parking in the neighborhood).
Husband has gnocchi, and couldn’t finish! There’s a first. I had the calamari with peppers and toasted polenta. Really yummy and it doesn’t put you in a food coma. I’d like to try the lasagne, it looked great.

We have wanted to try this place for a long time, but it just never seemed to work out. I finally put a stake in the ground and said we would check this place out during restaurant week. I didn’t realize how big the place is. It goes really far back. The ambience is really cool here. I know it sounds real cheesy, but when you make it all the way to the back you feel like you are transported to an Italian village. For the record I have been to Tuscany so I do know what an Italian village looks and feels like.
We ordered a few cocktails and they were great! Much like all cocktails in Hillcrest the drinks were poured with a heavy hand! Mike ordered the spaghetti carbonara and it was awesome. I had the gnocchi. They make their gnocchi on site. It was good, but I don’t think it was the right flavor for me. I’m not bagging on it because it was a good quality entrée. It just wasn’t the flavor I was looking for.
Overall it was a very good experience and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a delicious Italian experience.

We walked in a half hour before they closed on a Sunday night, feeling like «those people» and expecting sneers and poor service. We were EXTREMELY pleasantly surprised!
The atmosphere is exactly the sort of restaurant I tend to swoon over. Small and intimate, you feel as though you’ve been invited into someone’s own private kitchen.
I’m a wine geek (ahem, snob), and I have to say I was impressed with the available selections. Italian wines are among the best in the world, and I love that they’ve chosen to flesh out their list with wines from Tuscany, Puglia (Apulia), Piedmont, etc. Their prices are reasonable, no insane markups here.
Onto the food: Holy carbohydrates, Batman! I didn’t come to Buonissimo expecting a light meal, I came hoping to dine on rich, rustic, hearty, delicious Italian fare, and boy, did they deliver! I ordered the gnocchi, which was un-​be-​liev-​a-​ble. The Boy ordered linguine, and his was to die for, as well.
I’ve been in the service industry my entire life, and when I go out, I fully expect stellar service. Our server was attentive, friendly, and enthusiastic – this all right before they were due to close for the evening!
Our bill was around $ 80 for two entrees and four glasses of wine, so it’s definitely not cheap, but then again, we weren’t exactly selecting budget-​friendly items. The portions are definitely big enough (and rich enough) to share, but we felt like being piggies, so there you go.
I have recommended Buonissimo to everyone I know, and I cannot wait to dine here again!

Went here twice in two weeks. First time was for happy hour and the second time was for dinner. Exceptional service both times. Great happy hour prices. I’ll have to say the gnocchi with saffron and sausage is my favorite thing here. Some inconsistencies in portion sizes but I’m still a fan.
Sit in the back patio if you can. it is soo adorable.

Cute restaurant recommended by one of boy toy’s coworkers. We swung by here for dinner on Saturday evening and had a heck of time looking for parking at 7:30 p.m. We circled 3 different blocks in each direction (meter & residential). We were about to give up so I gave them a call. Whoever picked up was really cool. He let us park in the back where the employees park ‘cos there was one space left.
AWESOME SERVICE!
When we came in, we were seated in the front. The place was ½ filled. We were served quickly & in a friendly manner. Asked for recommendations and then served the complimentary bread w/​tomato dipping sauce.
Beware the crushed red chili peppers! Super hot! I gasped & downed water.
Appetizer:
Frittura Mistia di Pesce — fried calamari/​shrimp/​veggies — very light batter provided with a lighter tomato dipping sauce than for the bread. Delicious way to start off the meal!
Entrees:
1) Gnocchi Al 4 Formaggi — homemade potato dumplings with 4 cheeses. My friend really liked it. I personally am not a fan of gnocchi but it had a nice chewy consistency & good sauce flavoring.
2) Risotto Su Cialda Croccante di Parmigiano — We all liked this dish! The risotto was perfectly cooked with a light creamy sauce. What was amazing to us was this super strong flavored cheesy Parmesan crust cup that it was sitting in that was overpowering in flavor so randomly we’d break off a piece to eat but couldn’t finish ‘cos it made the risotto bland (when in reality the risotto is very flavorful) — so be careful. Make sure to eat the risotto first before tasting the exterior crust cup thingamajigger.
3) Linguine Ai Frutti di Mare — linguini in red sauce w/​clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp & salmon. My dish was okay. Nothing special. The seafood was fresh. Overall the plate tasted light due to the red sauce being so light.
Dessert:
None — we were stuffed!
Definitely would want to come back to try some other dishes that sounded interesting like one of the Veal dishes or the Gamberoni (grilled shrimp in lemon) dish. Just gotta figure out when parking is best.

Buongiorno Principessa! Life is certainly beautiful at Buonissimo, this place is as adorable as the Italian waitstaff that works there!
I’m in love with their back room and outdoor patio, all the vintage pieces, the impossible to miss bright green exterior, and even the Vespa perpetually parked out front. Very homey feel, like it’s always been part of the Hillcrest hood.
Super friendly staff, attentive waiters, great daily specials (my friend is a fan of their lasagne night!), and — get this — the food is GOOD! I have long complained that it’s hard to find a great Italian place in SD that isn’t just about pizza. We have lots of okay Italian places, but Buonissimo stepped it up.
I had the Pollo Peperoni (not like pepperoni on your pizza, but like bell peppers). It was almost like a hearty chicken soup, the sauce was more like a broth and the chicken was sooo tender and moist. At first glance I thought there was no way I’d finish the huge portion… but then I did.
Scheduling my next visit around the daily special… half off wine night or half off pasta night?

Uh oh, Arrivederci has some competition! My friend told me about this place, and I was instantly skeptical because a) her and I have completely different food tastes b) I married an Italian (half anyway, or quarter, or something) so my Italian-​food-​snobbiness has peaked. BUT I am always game for a new restaurant, and checking out the menu online looked promising.
I have been two times now and each time has been delicious. I could care less about ambiance and décor, and honestly feel like if that’s a criteria for liking a restaurant then perhaps you should just hang out in art galleries. Ok, so cleanliness is big on my part, and making sure they have an ‘A’ out front…
Anyhow, the first time my wife and I tried this place out the server talked us out of several appetizers and steered us to the mozzarella di bufala con pomodorini freschi… and holy crap that is good. The wife and I were literally fighting over the last piece, but I gave in because she had a look of kill in her eyes and held the fork like a maniac.
For the main course I tried the rigatoni all amatriciana which was excellent. Not drowning in sauce like most Italian restaurants like to do. The wife had the gnocchi and wow that was awesome. Usually way to rich in my opinion at most places, but they nailed it here.
On the second visit we had the same appetizer, but this time I had the spaghetti carbonara. Damn, delicious again. The wife tried to sample some of mine, which resulted in her losing her fork. She had the cannelloni, after my fork throwing incident I will have to take he word for how awesome it was. She did go outside and have a smoke by herself afterwards and seemed unusually relaxed, so I guess it was superb.
Anyway, this place has made out list of favorites in Hillcrest and San Diego. Nothing beats the real stuff way over in Italy, but this is much closer. We’ve had the same server twice, and although I can’t remember her name, her suggestions have been spot on each time.

Initially, I wanted to name this review «Buonissimo 2 and I Might Be High»
PUNK AZZ SHIET! You ain’t nevah had ravioli prepared like this before! Fo sho

THE WARNING:
Do NOT watch Eat, Pray, Love on an empty stomach! All that food porn will leave you totally craving Italian food, going to Buonissimo 2 and eating a meal that would choke a pig.
THE VIBE:
Small, intimate and exuding that Old World charm — Buonissimo 2 is a quaint little restaurant with one BIG personality. The owner really went out of his way to bring Italy to YOU. Just our table alone was decorated with wooden crate placemats, a Pinocchio doll and a fake mini tomato plant. Random, I know, but it totally worked!
THE FOOD:
Get the spinach ricotta ravioli with prosciutto and mushrooms! The ravioli was surprisingly light, which I feel is hard to do. The linguini alle vongole (linguini w/​clam sauce) is also very tasty. And, if you don’t like your salads drenched, make sure you tell them to go light on the dressing. I had to rescue my poor arugula from drowning in a sea of balsamic vinaigrette.
THE DEALS:
Everything on the menu is ½ off Monday nights. There’s live music on Wednesdays. $ 9.99 pasta night on Sundays.
THE FAKE-​OUT:
Ladies, watch out when you enter the women’s restroom. There’s a mannequin chillin in there. I was about to take the bitch down for surprising me until I realized she was a mannequin. Ooops. Heh heh… Nice dress, hun.
THE RANDOM COMMENT:
Ok, I know this has nothing to do w/​anything, but I just wanted to say that Enrique Iglesias looks so fffiiioooonnneeee in his new music video. Baby, I like it!

This place has a old school 1920s Italian theme to it. Like another reviewer mentioned, you really feel like you aren’t in San Diego. From the lights to the fake grocery counter, everything is authentic; the food is no exception.
The idea of the place is to take you on a gastronomic tour of Italy. The menu features classic dishes from each region. I had the chicken stuffed with Prosciutto and it was amazing. It came covered with mushrooms and a tasty white sauce.
My girlfriend had the lasagna. This was legit lasagna. The cheese tasted like it was straight from Italy and the noodles were nice and soft (no hard spots).
For dessert we had the homemade tiramisu. This cake, topped with chocolate and coffee crumbles and was devoured in about 2.5 minutes.
We finished the meal off with a small lemon cello. It really hit the spot. Did you know that the acidity of the lemon cello helps the digestion process?
Anyway, if you are in the mood for Italian, Buonissimo is a great place to visit.

Yum. The bread was tasty, as was the oil/​vinegar combo for dipping. I like the homey feel, but the kitschy stuff for sale was a bit much, there’s a fine line and I felt like they crossed it.
But, hey, it was okay, the food was pretty delicious. I really enjoyed the gnocchi I had (it was a special), and the man enjoyed his lasagna. Sadly, he didn’t enjoy it as much as some of the neighboring places, so I can’t elevate this to a 4 star place.
The waitress was very knowledgable about the wine selection, she was able to explain the more unique wines on their list, and allowed us to taste although she did bring a taste of the most expensive version of the standard varietals. I know it’s her job and all, but that irks me.
She was a really great waitress though, and this place has some awesome specials throughout the week (in addition to regular happy hour which isn’t half bad) so it’s a spot we’ll visit when not in the mood for lasagna and/​or walking the 25 steps further to another spot just seems too much. I mean, really, sometimes we’re just THAT hungry. Bonus — there is parking out back. The other place doesn’t have that so that may be the draw for the rest of you. Definitely worth the try.

We were actually headed to Taste of Italy when we saw that this place had opened. According to the waiter, they’d only been open for two weeks. The menu looked interesting so we thought, what the heck.
We did feel like we were in someone’s house, complete with laundry hanging on a wall. Lots of little details like old records and magazines on the walls. There was a counter with pasta and other Italian items for sale (?) I did have my eye on a jar of Nutella… LOL! The front dining area was a little cramped. I did like the big picnic table in the front. But the tables for two appeared a little small and close to the others. We settle on a table near the counter. My only complaint was that the space behind me was narrow, so the wait staff continuously brushed up against the back of my chair.
The table was high, my chair a little low. The place mats are raised wood that reminded me of wooden sushi plates. So I kind of felt like a 12-​year-​old. But the atmosphere was very festive and the waiter friendly. I walked toward the back and there’s a little dining area before reaching the patio. We felt like we were somewhere other than San Diego.
I ordered the politically incorrect veal, and the partner had the chicken. The menu reminded me of Sal’s in P-​town, so I ordered the pasta with pesto to share. The veal was tender and came with a delicious Marsala wine sauce with mushrooms. The partner’s chicken had these flavorful tomatoes. Both dishes came with firm seasonal vegetables. The pasta went well with both dishes and we were surprised at the cubed potatoes that were tossed with it. It was quite tasty.
The overall presentation was great! I liked the pan the pasta came in. And the warm bread was served in a colander with olive oil and balsamic. They have a nice wine list as well. The check arrived in a match box which I thought was clever. But there were a few things I wasn’t impressed with.
The uniforms for the staff were hokey. We know it’s Italian, but must they be humiliated by wearing red, green, and white suspenders with matching red bow ties? There was a lot of kitschy knick-​knack things going on, which may be great for some places, but I thought it was a little overkill. I think the owners were there, and they could have been a little more friendlier, crack a smile… it’s not gonna hurt. You’d think since they just opened, they’d go to each table and talk to the customers. In this economy, and those famous words of Rupaul,
you better work (cover girl)
work it girl (give a twirl)
do your thing on the runway
Okay, so it’s not a runway, but you know what I mean.