Return Of Elite Week At Prepkitchen Little Italy

The reviews are really on the spot with PK Little India. start with an amazing view overlooking India Ave. Came out here for a special event, a friend’s wedding, and the food and ambiance was awesome! Don’t forget to check out their specialty drink menu too!

Yikes. I’m so backlogged with reviews and unfinished drafts, but I can’t let a PrepKitchen review slip without expressing my gratitude for such an awesome dinner.
I can easily follow suit with another glowing review because it is merited. Without a doubt, PK puts out a fresh menu that can please nearly every palate. If I had it my way, I would have sampled everything on the menu, but that’s just me being greedy after spying the room and seeing so many delicious snacks on other people’s tables.
You ready for the D? Let’s get to the evening D’s: Drinks, Dinner, and Dessert.
— Drinks
Horse & Buggy
Kentucky .45
Red Sangria
— Dinner
Cutting board charcuterie
Mussels
Pasta Bolognese
Albacore Tuna
— Dessert
Salted caramel budino
Everything was fresh and fantastic from the kitchen and we definitely want to return for brunch sometime.
Service was excellent, just like our experience at the PrepKitchen La Jolla location. Our waitress was very friendly, knew the menu well, and checked on us frequently to make sure we were happy with everything. Yes, everything was excellent!
A huge THANK YOU to PrepKitchen for their generosity and to the waitstaff for the wonderful hospitality. And of course, mille grazie to our globetrotting Ambassador, Brad B, for organizing yet another awesome Event in Little Italy.

Oh Unilocal,you spoil me rotten!
I was lucky enough to get in to the PK Little Italy event on a perfect summer evening. Parking was a little rough in the area as always, and I had a little trouble finding the place, but once I looked up and saw we would be dining over India St. I knew we were in for a fancy pants treat!
I had originally intended on ordering all new menu items, but the pork belly at their La Jolla location was so ridiculously amazing, I decided to go whole hog and try the pork belly again at Little Italy. The grapefruit gave the right amount of acid to complement the rich fattiness of the pork belly. Although I still think La Jolla’s was better, PK Little Italy held their own with this dish.
I opted for a lighter entrée, and chose the yellow tail. The fish was cooked and seasoned perfectly! The lightness of the fish and the creamy avocado goodness with the diced mango was filling without making me feel weighed down on a warm summer evening.
Over the course of dinner, I had two of the burbon based cocktails. Burbon is a favorite of mine, but it seems that too many folks are trying to hide the actual taste of burbon vs. working with the unique flavor profiles of each glass. PK’s bartenders know what they are doing and my cocktails were perfectly balanced.
I ended dinner sharing the lemon berry pound cake with my date. The cake had this awesome caramelized crust on top, but the cake itself was a little lackluster and dry. I wish there would have been a berry coulis or limoncello, or well, something to drizzle over the cake.
Our service was amazing, and never felt rushed although we took our sweet time ordering and savoring our food.
Thanks again to PK for their amazing offering, Brad B for coordinating the event, and of course, to Unilocal

My experience here was so incredible, I’m almost at a loss for words. Almost. Turns out I can muster a lot of words:
My +1 (Gold Elite who sadly didn’t get into the event) and I arrived prompty. After warm greetings by our server, we were pleasantly surprised that we were allowed to order any 4 items from the menu! I think a normal couple would’ve ordered 2 entrees and 2 sides/​desserts, but all thoughts of watching our girlish figures went out the door!
Being the ultimate Unilocalers and Fatties that we are, we ordered 4 full entrees to share, and proudly ate ALL of it.
1. Chilaquiles: My view on brunch has changed since the moment this touched my mouth. I want to eat this every morning for the rest of my life. Why have I been sitting over here eating Benedicts for my entire life when chilaquiles exist?! The chicken was moist, eggs were cooked perfectly, the avocados added a creamy element and everything was drenched in that delicious sauce! Oh myyyyyy. This was definitely the best dish we had here!
2. Smoked Salmon Benedict: I love benedicts, and I love smoked salmon. This dish was the marriage of my favorite foods, and it came with huge SLABS of smoked salmon! Impressed just by the sheer size of the dish, then by it’s taste. Ive never had a benny atop of hash browns, and my first time was mighty good! I love arugula as well, but for some reason the bitterness was overpowering in the benny. not quite sure why.
3. Mussels with Chips: Anytime mussels are on the menu I order them partially to satisfy my cravings and mostly to satisfy my desire to be a classy French lady (moules frites avec vin blanc, sil vous plait! *eats everything but gains no weight*). The flavors in this were exquisite and a far cry from your normal mussels cooked in white wine. However, I do really really wish they came with something other than chips. There is sooo much delcious flavorful broth that comes with this dish, and I wouldve loved to soak it up with some fries or bread instead of sad wilted chips.
4. At this point we moved on from brunch & made it into lunch with Fish Tacos! An SD staple that did not disappoint & was so perfectly done, I really can’t comment much on it because. it’s. a fish taco. We inhaled them.
The drinks were well crafted & delciious! Loved my honey cucumber mimosa, it was such a refreshing way to start my morning & unlike any mimosa I’ve ever had.
We also ate a chocolate orange scone for dessert with ALL their spreads. Each was more delcious than the last. I couldn’t choose a favorite.
We finished all our food in 15 minutes flat (hungry hippo status) and rolled our giant bellies down the stairs to watch the World Cup Final.
Many thanks to our loverly server Whitney and the GM Darin for making us feel so welcome and taken care of! We had 5 star service from start to finish.
Thanks BRAD B for making this Unilocal event the ‘best one ever’. I don’t know how he continues to make one great event after another, but it makes me truly grateful to be a part of such a great Unilocaler community! Until the next one!

Wowwwww. I’m so impressed. This is above and beyond what I was expecting.
Brad and Co., thank you for setting up this wonderful event! It’s so nice to be able to sit down and have a full meal, instead of waiting for appetizers to come out and rushing to get food before they’re all gone/​getting drunk at the bar because that’s the only thing you can get at Unilocal Events…
Prepkitchen has the BEST customer service for a restaurant that I’ve ever experienced. Not only do they do their job well, they’re freaking interesting and I feel like I can actually hang out with my waiter!
My boyfriend and I did the Brunch last Saturday, and we got more than we could handle!
Two drinks each? Thank goodness there was a farmer’s market outside so my boyfie can walk around and sober up before driving home. It’s never too early to double up on your drinks. ;) I got the Bloody Mary (and I actually liked it!) and the Prepkitchen IPA, which is more for those who don’t mind sweetness in their beer. Well done bartender!
2 entrees each? Yes, you heard right, we both got two entrees each! It’s because the menu differs from their dinner menu, so to substitute the appetizer/​dessert, they let us choose 4 entrees! The boyfie enojoyed his mussels after he ate his breakfast. The only downside is that when he asked if they had tiny forks, they said no.
The décor was so cute! I’m in love with the branch with fairy lights wrapped around it that was hanging above the coffee/​scone benches. The bathroom is unisex with a rustic theme that’s quite kitschy and funny. I got confused at first because in front of the door was a picture of a man AND a woman… silly me, I should’ve known that meant unisex but hey, one can never be too careful!
Thank you SO much to our lovely waiter, who was so nice and would always fold our napkins when we leave the table! And thank you Brad for another wonderful Unilocal Event! This has definitely claimed the «Favorite» spot on my list.

Props to Prep! Now I can finally say I’ve tried two Prep Kitchens down and (one to go in Del Mar is next) thanks to their awesome generosity and the cunning and omnipresent RAD BRAD!
My friend and I opted for the brunch this time and it did not disappoint. Mel R. ordered the Beef Hash and I had the Chilaquilles. Mel’s beef was super tender and in a delicious sauce with a nice runny egg on it. The chilaquilles is tortilla chips in an enchilada type sauce with cheese, shredded chipotle seasoned chicken and a runny egg on top. Of course you don’t have to have your egg runny, but it sure adds to the flavor of it all. Loved the crunch of the chips and then how drenched they got in the sauce made them even yummier!
I can’t stand cucumbers, so Mel ordered the Cucumber Mimosa and I ordered a Blueberry Mimosa. Mel insisted I try hers and lo and behold… I LIKED it! I liked it even more than my blueberry one and ordered a cuke one for my second cocktail.
We decided to that our 4^th item would be a second dessert. We had the carrot cake and the berry pound cake. Both were so good and I love how they bruleed the top of the pound cake!
And Brad was here, there and everywhere! I asked him about his Unilocal trip to Hawaii… what a life, right? Brad, you better stick around awhile. because you have TOTALLY spoiled the San Diego Elite and we want more!!!

What an absolute treat to have such a generous, complimentary multi-​course gourmet meal on a beautiful evening last Thursday. Thank you Prepkitchen Little Italy, Unilocal and Brad B. for a truly amazing Elite dinner!
For my Plus-​One dining companion and I, this was our first visit to Prepkitchen Little Italy. Having been blown away by the PK La Jolla Elite dinner a few months ago, I was ecstatic to be invited to another PK Unilocal Elite event, and to try that lovely little upstairs restaurant in Little Italy I’ve passed so many times.
Right away we were treated with special care. They were ready for our reservation just minutes after our set time, and we were seated at the extra large corner booth table with the cool, newsprint chandelier hanging above us and a full view of the eclectically rustic modern dining room.
Jen was our server and provided a great experience. Additionally, PK has a team approach, so we were always being taken care of by other staff members who helped Jen by refilling our water, answering questions about dishes, etc. General manager Darin came over and greeted us and talked to us about the PK restaurant family and their upcoming new coastal Italian eatery, Catania in La Jolla. My dining companion has an aversion to cucumber water (and any vegetables, for that matter), and they were happy to provide a separate stein for her and make sure that only plain water refilled it… and no guilt trip to the diner, they made her feel loved!
Each dish was absolutely delectable with big portions and creative, fresh flavors. Here are my feasting notes on what we ate:
Drinks:
Chardonnay (Bianchi, Santa Barbara, 2011) — the only chard offered by the glass
Rose’ (Grand Theatre, Bordeaux, France, 2011)
House white sangria
Taylor tawny port (Portugal)
Appetizers:
**Steamed mussels — bold flavor with the garlic, sherry, fermented chile bath and homemade barbecue potato chips sprinkled all over! A great starter especially for someone who doesn’t necessarily like the plain flavor of natural seafood
**Cutting board — I’ve had this in La Jolla and knew this would blow my mind, and it was definitely the second best thing of the night for me. PK really makes the best charcuterie board I’ve seen in all of San Diego. The one we had included: pork riette, orange mostardo, Irish porter cheddar (marbled and delicious!), salami, dried muscat grapes, pâté’ campana (pork with capers, bacon, etc), veldeon (sp.?) cow’s milk bleu cheese, olives, whole grain mustard, red pepper coulis, arugula salad, walnuts, pickled things, sliced baguette slices that we loved to dunk in the mussels!
Entrees:
**Tagliatelli Bolognese — I was eager to try this as both PK locations insisted this was their top seller and that people frequently ask for the «Bolo» even when it’s not on the menu. I enjoyed the delicate creaminess of the sauce and the thick homemade noodles, but would’ve like a kick more tomato flavor as this was subtle. It was served completely covered in freshly shredded parmesan, and I wish it had not been and that I could have elected to only get a little bit of cheese.
**Uni butter pasta — this was absolutely the best thing we ate all night. A touch of lemon, lightly creamy with a fresh seafood flavor. I would definitely have this dish again and recommend it, and how COOL is it that they’ve made a highly edible dish out of that scary spiky uni?
Dessert:
**We shared the chocolate budino. Loved the salted caramel gelato on this the most, and the interplay of layers with the cold gelato, hot chocolate cake layer at the bottom, smooth whipped cream, and crunchy balls on top. Wish it wasn’t in a little glass jar, because it was way too hot when I took my first bite. Would get this again but let it cool first!

Oops Brad did it again!
I think he did it again
He made us believe we’re more than just foodies
Oh Brad
It might seem like a food rush
But it doesn’t mean that he’s kidding
’Cause to lose all our senses in food
That is just so typically Unilocalers
Oh Brad, Brad
[CHORUS:]
Oops…he did it again
He made another prep kitchen event, got lost in the food
Oh Brad, Brad
Oops…I think I’m in love
That he’s sent from above
He’s not that innocent
You get the point, throwing it back to Britney Spears for Brad. Yup, Brad did it again! Yet again and again. Another great event at the Prepkitchen in Little Italy. Brad just keeps on impressing. Who can really do 2 different Unilocal Events at the same restaurant– Prepkitchen and still keeping it adventurous? BRAD.
Food: A-​MAZING. Cutting board, Salami Flatbread, Steak, Short ribs, and strawberry shortbread dessert. Cutting board had so many different flavors and choices. It was great! The Salami Flatbread was the best thing!!! FRESH basil, big salami pieces in every bite and good damn, the cheese was so fresh and cheesy! By then we already had our 2 complimentary beverage (the mule was so refreshing! and the glass of wine went well with the entrée). The short ribs meat melted in your mouth and the flavors were great. Reminded me of this good restaurant I had in Sweden that was a Michelin Guide. Service was on point, ambiance was great (got a little noisy as the night went on), and we got lucky with parking!
Yup, Brad did it again. Thanks Brad!

Another awesome experience at Prepkitchen. Little Italy. What else can I say that hasn’t been said by my other fellow Unilocal Elites?! I’ve dined here in the past months and the servers are always attentive and very friendly.
Katy, our server, always came by and made sure we were doing alright.
The food is always amazingly yummy and reasonably priced.
Food:
Cutting Board
Roasted Beet and Spinach Salad
Flank Steak (so soft)
Berry Shortcake Brulee Lemon Pound Cake
It was really nice that the chef came out to say thank you for dinning with us and for the round of beers I purchased for them. Katy, I hope you enjoyed your glass of wine too.
Thank you again to the staff at Prepkitchen Little Italy and Unilocal SD.

By the kindness and powers of Prepkitchen Little Italy and Brad B., I was given the chance to create your next perfect meal. You’re welcome.
Drinks: Fields of Italy. Like a wonderfully spiked strawberry lemonade, this vodka drink is refreshing, strong, but makes you still feel like a lady — even when guzzled!
Starters: Two words: Albacore. Crudo. A visually pleasing dish for one, but the flavors are so incredible. The fresh watermelon adds a touch of sweetness and then that delicious chili oil adds some heat. It’s ultimately the perfect bite.
The cutting board was fantastic as well. My guy said after the server described what was plated, «Now THAT’s a meat and cheese board.» That it was.
Next time I return I want to try the pork belly app because hello, who doesn’t love pork belly?
Entrees: My guy ordered the Flat Iron Steak which he devoured. The meat was perfectly prepared. The salsa verde packed so much flavor.
Braised beef short rib: Not to rub it in his face, but my entrée was superior! His was good, but mine was take-​your-​time-​with-​each-​bite bliss. The meat was tender and was like eating comfort food but without the heaviness factor after. The pearl onions and mushrooms were also delicious, kind of surprisingly so. Not that veggies can’t be good, but when they’re as good as the meat, that’s impressive.
Dessert: Berry shortcake. A perfect summery dessert, but this isn’t your dense shortcake variety. This is a light, bruleed (which made the dessert) version surrounded with fresh berries and whipped cream. The perfect ending. Although I have also had the budino and that might be one of my favorite desserts of all time.
And there you have it, a perfect meal on a Friday night — how lucky are we?
The service was spectacular as usual. And having Darin, the GM come over to chat with us was an added bonus. He had genuine enthusiasm when talking about the restaurant and their upcoming Italian concept, Catania. Sounds like a must try because every experience I’ve had with Whisknladle Hospitality has been superb. They know what they’re doing, that’s for sure.
Thank you to Prepkitchen, Unilocal,and Brad B. for once again hosting a tasty, delightful, one-​of-​a-​kind VIP experience.

What an epic experience! I mean, who does not love any of the Prepkitchens out there? Love all of them, but this one in Little Italy is the most charming one in my opinion, as is located in the very heart of the vibrant neighborhood and has all the elements to please everyone: fantastic food with rotating creative menus, rustic chic decoration, great street views and also lets not forget they don’t forget about adding that needed elevator for the wheelchair users, you don’t get that attention to everybody’s needs everyday.
It was my pleasure to accept with gratitude this nice invitation to the Elite week at Prepkitchen. Such a wonderful opportunity to try new cocktails and see what are they going to surprise me with today. A friend tagged along and we shared culinary experiences in full delight, to accompany a great full moon Friday night of July. It was all fantastic!
Lets start with the drinks: my friend always sticks to his Stone IPAs, and in my case I was venturing to the unknown territory of cocktails, so I tried La peligrosa (‘The dangerous one’ = tequila, lemon, rhubarb and soda). That was the perfect match for the Albacore crudo app (nepitella and thyme compressed watermelon, lemon, micro celery and chili oil). Super elegant to the palate and the eyes. I would have never imagined watermelon being such a great pair to fish. I found this dish very original, simple and healthy. The other appetizer we shared was the Chilled shrimp salpicón (piquillo pepper, red onion, avocado and chili oil), equally supreme and filling!
While waiting for the seconds graciously served by our beautiful blondie server, I ordered my second cocktail. In this case, the Corpse Reviver, with exotic absinthe in it… well I needed to try it out, after all I read somewhere that all my favorite bohemian French painters had too much love for the anise flavored drink. It was indeed lovely and the cherry on the bottom a perfect end for a decadent cocktail!
Entrées came during my happiness peak, and shared comme il faut! The pan roasted albacore with marble potato salad, sauce ravigote, pickled beets and avocado, along with the flat iron steak (with farmers market corn, bacon, roasted peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fresh shelling beans and salsa verde). Both perfection.
Dessert: we shared the chocolate budino with salty caramely ice-cream…the happy ending to a very happy summer night. Loved chatting with the general manager, Darin Essa, about their brunch. I had no idea they do brunches here, so definitively is a must try. Thanks for this wonderful night of great food, beverages, atmosphere and quality.

The fabulous Unilocal Elite Event at Prep Kitchen Little Italy was just about as good as it could get! I had the honor and great pleasure to dine there last night under the attentive watch of our server Claire and her manager Darin. What a delight!
The evening, as orchestrated by our imperial CM Brad B., started with seating and cocktails. We were warmly greeted and showed to our table by the excellent PKLI wait staff. The big windows over India Street afforded us fabulous views well into the evening.
The first round consisted of two handcrafted cocktails; the Loose Plank, which contained MG black barrel rum, peach, and bitters, and the Fields of Italy, a yummy concoction of RS vodka, lemon, aperol, and strawberry. Mel J, my lovely companion, and I contemplated the appetizers we would soon share. I opted for (of course) the Cutting Board, and she selected the Albacore Crudo. Both were absolutely perfect, and exactly as we had expected them.
Next came our two entrées. Mel had the Pan Seared Local Yellowtail, with avocado purée, Israeli couscous, grapefruit, and watercress. I managed to snag a taste of this, and it was absolutely wonderful. But I was looking for something a little stouter, so I ordered up the hanger steak. This came with farmers market corn, roasted peppers, heirloom tomatoes, fresh shelling beans, and a dab of salsa verde. I don’t think I had had shelling beans before, but found them to be firm of texture but wonderfully flavorful. I ordered my beef medium rare, which is perfect for this cut. And indeed it was, perfect.
For the second round of libations, we ordered a Tommy’s Margarita and I had an Oud Beersel Bersalis Tripel ale. I initially hesitated to order this, as I had never had a 330 ML beer that cost $ 24.00. For those of you not especially tuned in to the metric system, this is equivalent to about 11.5 ounces, or less liquid then a Coors light. But of course, it was truly outstanding; refreshing, smooth, malty, and 9.5% ABV. Not bitter-​hoppy or fruity. Just a damn good ale.
Alas, the evening was waning and it was time for dessert. We opted to share the Chocolate Budino, which we agreed is the Prep Kitchen’s best dessert (we have had the pleasure of trying all of the others at one time or another).
Synopsis? The WNL group of four local restaurants continues to have the best food and best food value in San Diego, in my opinion, bar non! This was a nearly two hundred dollar meal (before tip) but for us it was completely on the house. The generosity that David Balanson, his managers, and their staffs extend to the Unilocal community is unheard of. And that creates the perfect storm of perfection.

I was buzzing in the Fields of Italy at Pk on India Street, and maybe it was the strong vodka that persuaded me to bite gently into Vin’s olive pit, mistaking it for a nut! Oh what merry spirits I was in, as I downed my excellent RS vodka with strawberry & lemon, and Aperol. I also sipped the Loose Planks of my hubs, which contained a barrel of whiskey, bitters and speech. I mean peach.
Our appetizers were perfectly timed to arrive just a nanosecond past tipsy. I’m never bored with the Cutting Board, which offers a bountiful tease of house cured meats & cheeses, crusty bread, olives, and gourmet condiments. My fav was the creamy blue cheese, which I spread on the crusty bread with a little bit of orange, as suggested by our brilliant server, Claire. Marvelous!
I added Tommy’s Margarita with House Reposado Tequila to my previous sins, with salt on the rum. I mean salt on the rim. My partner in crime, Vin S, tried a bottle of beer which would normally sell for $ 18. You’ll find it in his review. I tasted his special Belgian ale, and it tasted like beer. It takes a man’s palate to detect the $ 18 nature of this special beer. He enjoyed it immensely.
Our Albacore Crudo was accented with fresh lemon, including a nip of the pulp and the zest, and chili oil, and watermelon provided an exciting contrast. Scrumptious, and low fat!
While Sam the «fat hobbit» likes his fishes well cooked, Smeagol and I prefer our fishes still swimming, nice and rare and juicy. Therefore my Pan Seared Yellowtail was a bit too well done for me. But no worries! Pk always aims to please! They seared me a new Yellowtail, quick as a flash, and it was exactly right the second time. They also surprised me with a salad to enjoy while I waited.
The Pan Seared Yellowtail was light and summery, with watercress, Cous Cous, grapefruit and mango, and avocado purée. It was a lovely entrée, and would be even better without the avocado purée.
Hubs had the hanger steak. We’ll see if he has a hanger-​over in the morning. He didn’t save me a bite, and it looked like an amazing tender affair.
Warm chocolate budino is the best Pk dessert. Every time is like the first time when you reach the warm molten center. It’s not too big, it’s not too sweet, it’s the perfect climax of the evening.
The manager, Darin Essa, kindly stopped by several times and chatted with us, and left us his card. I love all of the Pk restaurants, because the owner, David Balanson, and the managers really do everything to make each visit memorable, personal, and divine.
Pk Little Italy has a romantic view of this quaint neighborhood below. We were seated right by a big window. It’s bigger and a bit grander than the other excellent Pk locations. The bar offerings at Pk Little Italy are enough to keep me joyously mistaking olive pits for nuts all evening!
Espresso! Yes, Pk Little Italy also offers espresso, and I look forward to returning for weekend brunch!
The Early Bird Dinner Tasting Menu for $ 35 also looks tempting! It says if you order before 6:30, you choose any appetizer, entrée, and dessert for $ 35 per person.
Heartfelt thanks to David Balanson, Darin Essa, Brad B, our server Claire, and the staff of Pk Little Italy for this generous YEE! It was an honor to attend this event.
Catherine C, it was cool to meet you in person!
Elle J, just Taco Bout Fun! See you again soon!

Oh, Unilocal.How many times can I fall in love with you? Too many! First off, Prepkitchen and their family of restaurants are one of my faves. I love love love the flavors, the service, the farm to table concept. I love how PK always has a rotating menu to showcase what’s in season and to ensure they’re always using the freshest ingredients. PK keeps your tastebuds wanting more.
Last night my +1 and I sat down at a table next to the window. Brad left us a love letter describing how our meal & dining experience would pan out for the night. Service was on point — we had at least 5 people waiting on our table. Our water glasses were never more than half empty, crumbs were taken off the table immediately, drinks and food came out at perfect time intervals.
What we ordered:
DRINKS:
Acoustic Mosh Pit Red Ale — has a bite at the end, slightly bitter.
Fields of Italy — not as sweet as I thought this cocktail would be. Still tasty.
Loose Planks — not a fan of the bitters. This drink was pretty stiff. My +1 liked it, though.
Horse & Buggy — my favorite drink of the night. Very similar to a moscow mule.
APPETIZERS:
The cutting board — Loved the toasted bread, the pâté, the cheeses, the pork. It was all delicious!
The mussels — Loved the reduction sauce! We used our bread to soak it up, it was that good!
ENTREES:
Pan Roasted Albacore — The sauce ravigote is like a crack sauce. Oh my lord, I wish I could buy a bottle of that sauce and eat it with seafood for the rest of my life!
Pork Porterhouse — I have no idea how they cook this, but we ordered the pork porterhouse medium rare. It was a perfect, warm temperature, and NOT dry. The meat was so moist and the crispy edges were incredible! Loved this dish and all the accompaniments!
DESSERT:
Carrot cake — dense cream cheese icing and moist cake. Awesome!
THE BEST PART:
Delicious food, Impeccable service, and a zero’d out bill for a $ 141.25 tab!
Unilocal, thank you SO much for hosting this event.
PrepKitchen, thank you for such a delicious and wonderful experience.
10 stars for Unilocal & 10 stars for PrepKitchen!
I cannot wait to visit you again and to try Catania when it opens in January!

I had left overs, and I’m still full today!
I love Prep Kitchen Little Italy. I have been in a couple times before and had enjoyed my time there. So when Soo asked me to join him as his +1 for this Elite Event I knew it would be a fabulous meal and I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear.
Soo got there first and was able to get us a great table overlooking India St. I love people watching, and even though we were up on a second story, we still could see the crowds cruising the street. The windows were cracked open so we got a wonderful breeze come through.
Our server Emilio came over as I was reading the Welcome letter from Brad. He gave me a moment and then I placed an order for the Horse & Buggy cocktail. It was refreshing and not overly strong. A great summer cocktail.
We nibbled on some bread and butter while waiting for our starters to come out.
I decided to order the Meat & Cheese board and it was MASSIVE!.. and super tasty. There were so many options on the board that I dressed my bread as I went along. Take a bite then change diff cheeses with diff meats and diff sauces and diff garnish. Crazy Talk. Goodness in my belly. I had plenty left over to take to go. My cousin and I enjoyed it later on that night after some Hot-​Tubing. oh ya baby! Soo got the Pork Belly app to start and enjoyed every morsel.
Next up were the main courses. I have had their short rib before and it is AMAZING. I was seriously contemplating ordering it again but since Soo went with that I went with another fabulous menu item, the WNL Burger w fries.
I have had the burger before and remember it is delicious, but I forgot how dang messy it can get with that runny fried egg! Emilio! Please! I need more napkins! He ducked into the kitchen to grab me some more ketchup and the napkin as I took a massive bite of my burger to just have it all poop out onto my plate… MAN!!! Bummer. I hate when that happens. Thankfully another expediter was walking by at the moment and saw my lovely mess and quickly returned with not only another cloth napkin for me but an additional warm wet napkin in a bowl to use when I was done with my meal.
I literally told him, «I love you.» Little extra thoughtfulness from the staff is always a huge hit with me.
My Elite partner in crime got the Braised short rib but subbed out the Potato Purée for fries instead. Needless to say, Soo got down on his meal! We both really enjoyed our main courses and luckily still had room for dessert… make that dessertS.
We got the trio of ice cream scoops and the Boudino. The chocolate cake at the bottom of the Boudino was pipping hot! That warm fluffy cake mixed with a cool caramel ice cream & chocolate crisps on top… to die for! It was a perfect way to end an excellent meal.
Brad, you are one hell of a Community Manager. How lucky is the Elite squad to have had you set up another amazing Elite Week at Prep Kitchen?! Your hard work does not go unnoticed.
To the Prep Kitchen family, thank you so much for allowing us to come in and enjoy such fantastic food, with open arms and happy faces.
‘Til next time… Chow, or Ciao, whichever you prefer.

After not making the cut to the last Prepkitchen event, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to try this location. With my first Prepkitchen in La Jolla a few years ago, I got a lame salad. I wasn’t the foodie back then, like I am today.
My plus one and I were treated to a fantastic evening with all portions being the perfect size. To start off the bread was perfectly crusty on the outside and soft inside. The butter was smoother than margarine and glided on the bread perfectly.
For our appetizers we got the pork belly and tempura green beans. The pork belly was sweet and almost melted in your mouth. The tempura green beans ranks as one of the best I’ve ever had.
I was in a «healthy» mood last night, so I went with the albacore. I’m not a big fan of the half cooked/​half raw variety, so I asked that it be cooked all the way. Let me just say that they did a perfect job with the pan fry. It had a great outside crust, but inside wasn’t too dry. The arugula salad and eggplant/​tomato relish thingy were amazing complements to the meal.
Ohh and for dessert the budino was amazing! The whipped cream was gobbled up in seconds and the cake and gelato was gone within 5 minutes. Ahh… soo good!
Thank you to Prepkitchen, Unilocal and of course Brad for another amazing opportunity!

Prep Kitchen… you’re awesome anywhere you are. I went to the La Jolla event and now the Little Italy. Both events were phenomenal! The selections of food seemed similar to both locations but the drink menu here was definitely expanded. The ambiance is more lifely here compared
The food is just as good as La Jolla. Don’t think I need to go into full details of it, but the Pork Belly was still super delicious! I tried the pork porterhouse and it was on point! Flavors were all there and portion was good. I loved their craft cocktail selections available. The «stiffer» drinks definitely held up to their taste and were made well. The more fruity/​girly cocktails (I only took a sip to try) taste good but also packed a kick to them. The servers were attentive and very nice.
Thanks again Brad and Prep Kitchen for this awesome event!

I’d had drinks at Prepkitchen Little Italy before but never food and after the last PK Unilocal event in La Jolla, I was really looking forward to it.
My +1 Elite and I were greeted by the friendly gals working the host stand and quickly shown to our table. Our server (whose name I never caught) showed up soon after and he answered our questions about what was included (everything on the menu!) and also made cocktails suggestions for us. All of the cocktails we tried were really delicious — and quite boozy, too!
For appetizers we chose the albacore crudo and the pork belly. The albacore was served with slices of watermelon, micro celery, and chili oil and was everything you want out of an appetizer — a good, interesting combination of flavors that’s light enough to not fill you up before the main course while at the same time whetting your appetite for more. The pork belly was probably some of the best I’ve ever had — just the right amount of fattiness with some grapefruit to balance it out.
Moving on to entrees, we had the pork porterhouse with grits and the yellowtail with Israeli cous cous. (It was about this time that we realized that I had a tuna app and pork entrée and my friend had a pork app and tuna entrée — weirdly funny!) Initially I thought my pork might have been *slightly* overcooked and I think that edge piece probably was, but the rest of it was juicy and perfect. The grits and apricot bourbon jus were great accompaniments, but I wish there would have been more of the rapini. The yellowtail felt like summer on a plate to me with the avocado purée, watercress, and cous cous. Personally I would have preferred if it was cooked less, but it was my friend’s dish and he said, no, it was exactly the way he liked it.
To continue with our kinda theme of light and summer refreshingness, we chose the lemon pound cake with berries for our dessert. Nice touches on this dish were the brulee’d cake and chiffonade of mint.
Finally, the manager, Darin Essa, was great. He was walking around the dining room, passing out his business cards, and asking how everything was. That’s all well and good, but he was also running food and clearing dishes. I spent a lot of years in the food industry and it can be hard to find a manager willing to get his hands dirty and work in the trenches, so I appreciated seeing this.
All in all, another great event! Thanks to Brad B. and all the people at Prepkitchen Little Italy!

Thanks for another great Unilocal Elite event Brad and Estefany! We anticipated this meal all week, and the host even sat us early with a great view! It’s easy to miss the entrance to Prepkitchen since it’s nestled between two other restaurants and the actual dining room is on the second floor. My lovely girlfriend, Barbara L, and I were seated next to the window, which had a nice view of the hustle and bustle of India Street in Little Italy.
We were pleasantly surprised to discover that this location has a full bar, so we started with some cocktails. Sadly, I can’t remember the name of mine, but it was like a tart lemonade with a hint of absinthe. I loved it! My girlfriend had a signature drink with strawberry mixed in, and I really enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t too sweet.
We started with the bacon-​wrapped dates because they became an immediate staple after trying them in Prepkitchen La Jolla. They consist of tasty sweet dates filled with a delicious melty cheese and wrapped in thick bacon. One bite of these tasty bits and I feel like a king! This appetizer was followed by the sausage and fennel flatbread with goat cheese. Perhaps we should have had the flatbread first because it was overshadowed by the figs.
Our entrees consisted of the beef shoulder tenderloin with fingerling potatoes and sauteed onions in a mustard seed sauce as well as the pan roasted yellowtail with grapefruit and mango over cous cous. They were both divine and complimented each other with a Yin Yang feel (heavy meat and sauce vs. light fish and refreshing accompaniments). The lemon pound cake with fresh berries and whipped cream was equally tasty!
Our server didn’t rush us in the slightest bit, and she gave us plenty of attention and offered numerous suggestions on both food and cocktails. Both managers on duty came by our table to inquire about the food, and we felt spoiled by the entire experience!

What do you expect me to say? Seriously, how can I describe such an epic experience? I will certainly fail, but I will do my best to give it justice…
From the moment we walked in, the lovely hostess lead us to our table: a table that was going to be our hearth for the next three hours where we indulged in a parade of foods that range from a well plated Cutting Board displayed in a manner an artist had its hand on, not only with its presentation, but with it intricate levels of flavors and textures (
). To describe the unique flavors and combinations would simply take to much time, so to experience it would be what to do.
The Steamed mussel were some of the most tender I have ever had (
). They were nicely presented with house made chips (
), but that heavenly smokey broth said, «I am sexy and you must indulge in me,» so we did (
). These are another must, if you are fond of the black bivalvia mollusca. I am now…
Our dinner, consisted of the Tagliatelle Bolognese and Hanger Steak, both which were equally fantastic, but each with their own voice. The bolognese’s pasta was a perfect al dente or to the tooth as my fabulous partner in crime, Maricruz stated, and correct she was. The pasta’s preparation was a signature accomplishment that the industry needs to appreciate (
). The dish was generously piled with grated cheese, and the bolognese was just the right consistency, not to wet, nor dry, but enough to adhere to the pasta (
). I wants to eat this for breakfast tomorrow.
The Hanger Steak was a warm medium rare, soft to the touch and easy on the palate (
) The seasoning was spot on, in fact, we had quite the conversation regarding how important salt enhances the flavor of a nice cut of beef, and this was on point (
). The mild spring onion, tender turnips, pickled mustard seeds and bouillon were a perfect match for the beef.
This meal and event would not be complete, complete in a manner that promoted a sense of rectitude, if it were not for our dear server Jennifer, who demonstrated the up most professionalism and a personality that spoke volumes for the overall experience when you visit the Prep Kitchen. Also, the manager Darin, with his appropriate sense of humor and sincere interest in our well being during our meal, left us feeling welcomed and indeed wanting to return. Thank you.
My lovely companion, Marcruz, not only enjoyed her meal and first Unilocal Event, but was charming and a great conversationalist. Thank you Brad B., Unilocal,and Prep Kitchen and staff for an over the top experience. I will be tucking this one away in my memoirs.
P. S. Did I mention the table bread was bliss (
)?