Bice!

The other night I finally had the chance to visit Bice, an Italian restaurant in downtown San Diego with origins dating back to the first Bice Trattoria in Milan in 1926.  The restaurant now has multiple locations in the states with San Diego's owned and operated independently by Chef Mario Cassineri, Managing Partner Rinaldo Colantoni, and General Partner Trevor Sacco.

Right away I noticed the the amazing display of imported Italian cheeses.  Although we were not there for happy hour, this is a spot I will be coming back to for a glass of Nebbiolo and cheese!

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We couldn't resist the cheese and decided this is how the meal should start!  We asked for their in house expert to select his favorites for us to try.  We had everything from a creamy Burrata to Pecorino and Gargonzola Dolce.  They make their own preserves in house that I'm still drooling over.

After the cheese I had the lnsalata di Lenticchie di Castelluccio con Barbabietole e Caprino all' Aceto Balsamico....or, a salad of Castelluccio Lentils with fresh Chino beets, crumbled goat cheese and balsamic dressing:

For my Primi Piatti (Insert Italian Accent Here), I went with our server's recommendation of the Pappardelle al Telefono con Pomodor, Mozzarella e Basilico which was Pappardelle with Mozzarella Cheese and Fresh Basil in Pink Tomato Sauce.  This was a splurge for me but tonight I had a total "When In Rome" moment and jumped face first into this creamy bowl of carb filled pasta.  I only ate about half which still took incredible restraint considering I killed myself on cheese.

The chef treated us to one of his signature desserts, which unfortunately I did not get the name of.  It reminded me of a Zabaglione which is a custard traditionally from Northern Italy made of egg yolks, sugar and dessert wine.  It was served over fresh berries and with a bite of Biscotti.

Can't wait to go back!

Bice San Diego
425 Island Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101-8609
(619) 239-2423