Restaurant Review
Eggplant. All photos by Judi Curry
Buona Forchetta
3001 Beech
San Diego, Ca 92002
(619) 381-4844
When writing a review of a restaurant, I frequently invite any of the readers of the review to join me when I do another one. Few people take me up on my offer, but today I had the most delightful lunch with Deb Greene, who did.
We chose Buona Forchetta because neither of us had been there and the reviews of others was intriguing. And it is always nice to step out of Ocean Beach every now and then.
We were greeted by a decidedly Italian waitress – Valentina – who hails from Lake Como in Italy. She has been here for about a year and a half and will be returning to Italy in a year or so.
We were presented with a huge menu, with 32 different kinds of pizza’s on it as well as Antipasto’s; Salads; Desserts; pasta’s and wines and beers. Additionally 
there was a large chalk board on the wall listing the specials of the day. I have to admit that there were so many items that I wanted to try that I had a difficult time in my decision. Thankfully, Deb was having as much difficulty as I was, so it was refreshing to be able to look over the menu; ask Valentina just how a dish was prepared, and go on to the next menu item.
The specials of the day change from day to day, but the categories remain the same. For example there was a Veal dish, filet Mignon, seafood, pizza, risotto, ravioli, fettuccine, gnocchi, and chicken, just cooked different on different days.
Bruschetta
Just as we about to place our order, the couple next to us received their order of Bruschetta – three large slices of Italian bread covered with three separate toppings – smoked salmon, artichoke hearts, and marinated tomatoes. Yum. Just seeing those together on a platter made me realize that was what I wanted to start out with as my appetizer. And the cost was only $10! Deb and I agreed to share the order.
Also shared was an Eggplant Tortino – grilled egg plant with burrat, san marzano tomato, and basil, also for $10. We talked about sharing a salad – a Rustica, which consisted of mixed greens, prosciutto di parma, artichokes, and gaeta olives for $10 but decided to wait until after we had our appetizers before ordering more. Thank goodness.
Something that struck us as odd was when Deb ordered a glass of house wine. It was served in a “house” glass; a glass that one would have in the house for water, cola, etc. I remarked to her that “maybe they ran out of wine glasses, because other diners had the long stemmed glasses, but not her. A little bit later I ordered a glass of house “white” and it was served in the same kind of glass. But Deb decided that she wanted to taste a different wine – one from Italy – and it was served correctly – in a large wine glass. Just seemed strange that there would be such a differentiation between a house glass of wine and a more expensive glass of wine.
None-the-less the eggplant was served first and it was delicious. Very light; very tasty. I should note that I am not an affectionado of eggplant but found it very good and the cheese was not over powering.
The Bruschetta were delightful. The toasted bread was still soft in the middle; crispy on the outside. The three distinct toppings were good in their own right. The tomatoes were marinated to perfection. There were so many artichoke hearts on the next bruschetta that they actually “overflowed” the bread.
The smoked salmon – lox, if you will- was not fishy; and whatever the sauce was that it was on top of was very tasty and added to the flavor.
Cheesecake
By the time Deb and I finished the two appetizers and wine, we were happily sated. We decided to forego the salad and have a dessert instead. We elected to have their cheese cake – and I am sure that there is an Italian name for it – because Valentina recommended it. It was nice; light; not very sweet, and presented well.
Over all we were very pleased with our meal. The cost, without a tip, came to $48.60, and that was for 3 glasses of wine, the two appetizers, and dessert. We would both definitely go back – at least to try one of their 32 pizza’s!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum. Super Review!
In Italy, you’ll often find that restaurants, especially ones serving rustic cuisine, use tumblers for house wine. It’s traditional and implies that wine is not something special but rather an integral part of everyday life, not an occasional treat to be consumed only in fancy stemware. Another reason you’ll see tumblers used is that house wines are less expensive and offer the restaurant a lower profit margin. Since stemware is fragile and expensive, a restaurant can better afford to absorb the cost of a broken glass if they’re only using it for more pricey wines where they make more profit per glass. Also, house wines are often less nuanced and do not taste appreciably better in thin glasses with stems.
Great review!
What a fantastic lunch – the food was delicious, our server classy, the company and conversation a lot of fun.
I will skip the Liberty Station location…not one for dining under the planes since I hear them every day on the point. I would go back to try the salad we skipped and a few other interesting items on their menu.
Judi, I look forward to our December dining excursion.
Thanks, Deb. I enjoyed it also. And I agree with you on the noise at Liberty Station. Went to the Breakfast Republic again, and this time ate outside. The noise from the airplanes was almost as bad as the noise from the inside of the restaurant. Too bad, because the food is good.
Let me know when – and where – you want to go in December. And anyone else that would like to join me on a review – let me know.
Happy Holidays.
Excellent review: sounds wonderful…nice to know about dining outside of OB and Pt Loma…thanks.
I just have to ask why you make pizza and pasta possessive but not beer…hmm, no smiley EMOJI available.