I have to tell you about this original Italian restaurant in Encinitas CA. When you walk into this place you step into the kitchen to get to the dining room. Owner Vito, a Sicilian chef with 25 years of experience who instantly makes you feel at home, immediately greets you. Besides the traditional dishes that are in every Italian restaurant cooked by who knows who, here you get these fantastic specials that this chef comes up with, some from old family recipes. This is not a fancy place but the quality and freshness of the food far outshines the dishes I have had in other top rated restaurants.
The baked rigatoni with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and pesto sauce; you can add chicken if you like is really delicious. The veal and shrimp Napoletana, has linguini pasta sautéed with fresh mushrooms and garlic, it is so good! Actually one of my favorite things that keep me coming back to this restaurant is that you are encouraged to order off the menu. This is probably why so many Hollywood types and Pro athletes go there.
If you are anywhere in the area you have to give this place a try. By the way the Italian wine list is not bad either.