Cucina Urbana

Yummy pizza!

I can't believe that it's taken me this long to visit Cucina Urbana! I kept hearing about how amazing it was, and we finally decided that tonight was the night! Of course, spontaneous decision = no reservation, but luckily, Cucina Urbana has a number of "shared" bar tables that are not reserved, where patrons can sit at a long row of seats. It's a good set up, particularly for nice people that don't mind a stranger next to them (I kind of like this set up, personally, because I love meeting new people!).

The atmosphere is San Diego-casual, yet fancy enough to feel like a special occasion place. Like their sister restaurant Kensington Grill, Cucina Urbana combines a hip decor and ambience with a relaxing experience. The menu is an intriguing spread of nouveau Italian favorites: pastas, salads, and pizzas, all served with an interesting twist on ingredients.

We were very promptly greeted and provided with menus and our requested waters. Our waiter was very friendly and efficient! We wanted to order wine with our meals, and were pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the prices were for bottles! Of course, there was a corking fee, but retail price + corking fee in a restaurant = winner for me! Winning!

Our food arrived shortly after popping open our wine (Marcini Barbera -- I heart Barbera!). We dug in to the homemade lasagna with the richest, most buttery bechamel sauce I've ever tasted. The slightly spicy raguout sauce was a perfect compliment to the cheesy filling.

The pear and caramelized onion pizza topped with gorgonzola cheese and fresh arugula. Baked in a stone oven and drizzled with a balsamic reduction, this pizza rocked! The crust was the perfect texture and weight, and the cheese was tasty and was an interesting salty pairing with the sweet pear slices.

The great service, hip setting, and amazing food and wine will certainly have this food lover coming back in no time!