Hungry for Little Italy
San Diego’s Little Italy has become a hot foodie destination, with big-name chefs opening restaurants with offerings that are eons beyond traditional pasta dishes. Not to worry: The neighborhood has remained true to its heritage, with Italian-themed restaurants and festivals, and you’ll still find plenty of fine Italian fare from old-fashioned to new wave. India Street, its hub, is always bustling, drawing crowds to its stores and sidewalk dining. The tab: My husband and I spent $169 for a night at the Porto Vista Hotel and about $100 for meals. (Hotel parking is $25 a night; check to see whether it offers a rate that includes parking and/or breakfast.)
The bed
The best part of staying at the Porto Vista Hotel (1835 Columbia St.; [619]
544-0164, www.portovistasd.com) is its location steps from the heart of Little Italy. It’s an odd building; a hotel façade with a small, modern lobby hides a run-ofthe-mill motel configuration. Many rooms open up to building or parking-lot views. The highlight is the Glass Door restaurant (www.glassdoorsd.com), with cool breezes and views of San Diego Bay. Our standard queen-bed room was just 170 square feet but fine for an overnight stay because we weren’t in the room much. It offered free Wi-Fi and a 32-inch flat-screen TV.
The meal
The hottest stars of the sizzling food scene are Juniper and Ivy and Bracero Cocina de Raíz. Juniper and Ivy (2228 Kettner Blvd.; [619] 269-9036, www.juniperandivy.com) touts the dishes of its “Top Chef All-Stars” winner Richard Blais. We had appetizers (lamb meatballs with feta and squash, and the best biscuit I’ve had outside of the South), beer
and a strong White Summer cocktail (bourbon, vanilla, ginger, lime, mole bitters). A larger meal followed at Bracero Cocina de Raíz (1490 Kettner Blvd.; [619]
756-7864, www.bracerococina.com), which opened in July and is packing them in. The eatery from Javier Plascencia, a high-profile chef in Tijuana, features modern twists on classic Mexican dishes. We had a bowl of guacamole and shared four delicious tacos — beef cheek, lamb neck barbacoa, beef tongue confit and Mexiterranean (Gyro Style) Adobada — each steeped in its juices with no need of salsa. (There’s more on the way: Blais has a casual restaurant slated to open the middle of this month, and another Top Chef, Brian Malarkey, has a restaurantcafe-market complex in the works.)
The f ind
The new Waterfront Park (1600 Pacific Highway) in front of the landmark County Administration Center, a grand 1938 Works Progress Administration project, is a fine spot to have a picnic and let the kids romp in the interactive water fountain. It spans 12 acres by the bay and features grassy areas, gardens, picnic spaces and a playground that complements the fountain.
The lesson learned
Little Italy is a compact, urban area, hectic enough that you can forget the bay is a short walk away. Stroll over to the Embarcadero to check out the USS Midway Museum, the Star of India and other historic vessels, and more. Also worth a look: the Saturday farmers market, which is a nice intro to the area and a pleasant way to start your weekend.
travel@latimes.com