Italian in San Antonio

[sbinder]

I will be traveling to San Antonio to run a half marathon next month and need to load up on carbs the night before the race. What is the best Italian restaurant in San Antonio? I am happy to travel to any part of the city and to spend money for good food. Thanks!

[San Antonio Sam]

If I wanted to load up on carbs, I would head straight to Luce in the Huebner Oaks shopping center and order a plate of house-made gnocchi. I love gnocchi - most places don't do them justice but these are light, fluffy bombs of carbohydrate-loaded goodness.

[saeyedoc]

Luce, really? I ate there a year or so ago, thought it was horrible. For gnocci, I like Tre Trattoria or Il Sogno.

[San Antonio Sam]

Maybe Luce was just having a good day when I visited? I have not tried the gnocchi at Tre Trattoria or Il Sogno - but I grew up in an Italian family and my uncle owned an Italian restaurant - both he and my grandmother made gnocchi - which is the basis for my comparisons. They made food in a very different style than Tre Trattoria and Il Sogno. No Gorgonzola in my grandma's kitchen.

FWIW - my wife ordered the bolognese and didn't really care for it.

[bronwen]

It's not gourmet, more like a New York family-style Italian but I quite like La Foccacia. Their veal is very good and I like the retro atmosphere!

[Sam Spade]

I'm with saeyedoc on the reccomendations, though like Tre's gnocci a bit more. Talk about retro atmosphere...Piccolos (Evers between Wurzbach/410) takes the cake for me. Original chef was at Paesanos back in the day, son is a CIA grad from what I hear.

[saeyedoc]

Il Sogno- @ the Pearl Brewery Complex, best by far IMO. Make reservations if you're interested.
Tre Trattoria- on Broadway next to the Witte Museum, next best.
Dough Pizzeria- amazing authentic Neopolitan pizza and other goodies, usually a long wait to get in. No pasta though.

[ddavis]

Does Il Sogno now take reservations? I thought when they opened they didn't.

[saeyedoc]

Yeah, they have for a while.