-
I love this place. Been 4 times now, and enjoyed each experience. Great service each time!!! I love the look and feel of the place..very fresh. Great prices (all under $20) The menu has many many wonderful choices...still have several left to try. Be sure to call a few days in advance for a reservation or you will be sitting in the large lounge area.
-----
CUCINA urbana
505 Laurel Street, San Diego, CA 92101 -
SaltyRaisins
Nov 4, 2009 09:07 PM
Went tonight and well...like...WTF?! I know about the required more than one visit and all before passing judgement, but seriously- pizza was almost raw (although it did have some nice flavors had they been allowed to develop further), linguine nero had sandy clams and broken shells in the mix and not a hint of the bottarga listed in the menu description, and the duroc pork chop was, no kidding, as HARD AS NAILS. I guess it's all in the name..duRock. Could barely manage the thing with the serrated knife and eventually gave up. Nice cocktails and okay service, but seriously- three strikes on a order of three dishes? Should I bother trying again?
›6 Replies-
re: SaltyRaisins
Interesting that you say this.
I liked it the first two times I went. I wasn't mind blown by the food, but I liked the overall package: crowd, energy, food decent, decent drinks, decor I always thought was gimmicky as hell, but I tried to stay positive.
The last four times I have gone have been bricks. (I live close by).
The crowd also seems to have gone from fun to insecure and posing.
-
re: stevewag23
SaltyRaisins
Nov 5, 2009 06:15 AM
The place is in a nice space and all and there are lots of nice ideas involved. But when I think about the menu, it is broken down into lots of categories that make it a real challenge to taste a lot of things- not certain why they have a third of their large-plate items as panini. You either order one thing or way over order and are stuck with a doggie bag, which I don't do.
Looking above on this thread, I notice that even those who adore the place have at least one complaint about what's coming out of the kitchen. In one, the review is positive although all the evidence they cite is basically negative. Interesting.
The crowd (near the bar, anyway) was exactly as you say- posing. I kept being asked by my this-looks-like-a-nice-restaurant-let's-do-a-lot-of-shots neighbors the same questions about the meal in a sorta confrontational way- like they wanted me to know that they knew somebody in the kitchen, or something. Very weird. They were hammered, and were expecting the bar to turn into Coyote Ugly.
Aha! The source of my cognitive dissonance: it really felt like a Gaslamp place transported uptown. Hope last night was a fluke.
-
re: stevewag23
Beach Chick
Nov 5, 2009 08:48 AM
'The crowd also seems to have gone from fun to insecure and posing.'
Between you and Salty saying the same thing..gotta go now and see this for myself!
How weird.
-
-
-
-
Cucina Urbana is fantastic.
The menu AND service is all-around great. I've been a few times, and each time it was packed. But the cuisine and the service still delivered, even with all of the business.
Stand-outs were the Polenta Board with mushroom on top (finally, a place in town to get some good polenta!), the Vasi mason jars (I've had the hummus and the goat cheese - both were great), the Fried Squash Blossoms, the ricotta gnocchi (really good, but I don't think I'd order it again after having had it once, what with the other nice options on the menu that I think are better for repeat visits), the Caprese (WONDERFUL, with house made burrata mozzarella, heirlooms, and a fantastic prosciutto!), the Duroc Pork Chop (this dish was a surprise, since the chop was done milanesa style and was a huge flattened filet with frenched bone still attached), the short rib pappardelle ( yummy noodles), and the Strawberry Fregolata (do NOT neglect the insanely concentrated lemon coulis that is streaked across the plate, it makes the dish).
The only real "miss" on the menu was the Ahi Crudo. With so many interesting and delicious apps and side dishes, I get the feeling that this dish doesn't get ordered that often. Which would explain why the ahi was a little bit too fishy for my liking. I could practically see it sitting in the fridge for a few days, while customers keep ordering the caprese and the squash blossoms instead. But it was dressed with some of the excellent heirloom tomatoes that the restaurant uses in many of the dishes. But there again, since you get those tomatoes in so many of the other dishes, there's really no need to get the crudo. Speaking of which, it's a shame that they don't place a nice half of heirloom on the plate with the burger, since it doesn't come with any. The Duroc pork chop comes with a half tomato and it's a nice accompaniment, which that dish didn't really even need. Placing one of those beautiful heirlooms next to the burger would take that dish over the top, imo.
Finished off the meal with a wonderful house-infused vanilla bean bourbon and the aforementioned strawberry fregolata.
By the way, for those curious, the "Short Rib Burger" is actually a patty of beef, with some short rib placed on top. In case anyone gets too excited, thinking that the patty is all short rib.
-
Diva Barbarella
Aug 5, 2009 01:18 PM
David and I have been a few times, and I absolutely love the ambiance. Wine is sold retail, so you can feel good about ordering a bottle (or 2) without breaking the bank, though selection is esoteric. I'm attaching photos so you can see what we got the first time around. I enjoyed our appetizers (ricotta gnocchi and stuffed squash blossoms, the latter of which was a bit too "herby" for me), and our entrees (I had the rigatoni bolognese, David got some wild boar ragu -- I really enjoyed mine, great pork/veal flavor, a well-balanced and savory bolognese, but I found David's too heavy, slathered in a thick sauce when you expect a dish like that to be on the dry side). The dishes are huge, enough for a few meals. We shared a strawberry tart thing, the flavor of which reminded David of a pop tart (in a GOOD way), a fresh, warm, delicious and nostalgic pop tart.
The second time we went, it was all about the pizza, and now I see why the place is so pizza centric (wood fire oven and everything). Started with a salad (the caprese, nummy), and got the chicken/corn/avocado/onion pizza. FANTASTIC. I also like the little white side dish with red pepper flakes, oregano, and salt to add to individual taste.
The place is abuzz with energy, which is something I seek when I go out. First time we sat at the pizza bar, which was fun, the second time in the atrium. The tall tables are great, though the rails are placed too low, leaving one nothing to set one's feet upon, so we ended up turning sideways in the booth for comfort. But I loved the atrium because of the front-row view of everyone coming in and out -- David called it "shoe vision," because we are set at foot level of entrance. We had a lot of fun ogling shoes and beholding the faces of those entering and exiting. Another reason I leave the house -- people watching. I'm already looking forward to going back to try other pizzas.
›5 Replies
-
-
re: stevewag23
foodiechick
Aug 5, 2009 06:16 PM
It's been packed every night I have been there (different weeknights).
-
re: stevewag23
Diva Barbarella
Aug 14, 2009 04:49 PM
I've been there on different evenings, most recent was a Wednesday.
-
-
-
I've been twice and was mostly satisfied with the results. Good food, good wine list and lots of energy in the room -- much better than Laurel, which was a bore. It was packed and will continue to thrive. Seriously, isn't it a no-brainer to have an under-$20 menu with a decent variety of entrees, and just enough of a creative twist to the dishes? Sadly, too few non-chain, non-family restaurants like this exist, but hopeful there'll be a trend.
First time there, I had orechiette pasta, with ground lamb, tomato confit and other stuff. Quite good. Nothing I couldn't make myself, but it hit the spot.
Second time I endured a mediocre pizza, the one with pancetta, potato and bechamel. VERY dry, but to some extent, I blame myself for even ordering it. There's just too much room for error with those ingredients. However, my friend had a delicious pizza with shrimp and pesto.
I'll be returning soon. Nice, affordable addition to the landscape.
›8 Replies -
foodiechick
Jul 7, 2009 10:35 PM
Went with a group of 12 foodies sharing plates last week, allowing us to sample at least 50 percent of the menu. The decor is a bit gimmicky, and although it's only been open less than two weeks and there are some minor kinks to work out, I think they have chosen a good concept and price points for the economic times in this market. I wouldn't call it authentic Italian, but more Italian inspired.
Most of the appetizers worked well for us...the fritto misto, liver pate, house pickled vegetables, stuffed squash blossoms and polenta board. Of the entrees the cast iron roasted Jidori chicken, Duroc pork milanese were very good, and the CU burger was the surprise sleeper (only the trout was a disappointment). They have installed a huge wood-burning pizza oven, and also feature quite a few house made pastas (although the 1 pizza we ordered had some off flavor to the crust). The desserts were less successful, most seemed dense and dry except for the excellent fruit tart. We thought they featured tasty, creative cocktails and decently priced wines.
Overall, good experience...we will be back. The place was jamming on a week night, so make reservations. That being said, it has the real feel of a friendly neighborhood place with a good vibe and attentive service.
-
We went this weekend for some drinks and ended up trying some of the appetizers and a dessert. They did a nice job renovating the place, although I liked the look better when it was Laurel. The wine selection was quite good and the bottles are retail prices or close to it with a $7 corkage fee, except on Sunday when there is no corkage for bottles over $20. We liked the wines that we had. As for the food they had some unique bruschetta combinations but none of them worked quite right for me. They weren't bad, but I preferred the ones at Kensington Grill. I enjoyed the strawberry pie dessert. I plan to go back at some point to try the entrees or pizza.
-
