In the restaurant business, location is everything for success. "Location, location, location!" If that is the only factor, Trattoria La Strada is one of the most successful restaurants in the Gaslamp.
Trattoria La Strada is very successful, but not just because of its location. The quality of cuisine and the standards of service are superb, bringing guests back again and again.
It is strategically located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and G Street, the heart of the dining and entertainment area. Its wide glass windows allow diners to watch the action on the street (after all, "la strada" means "the street" or "the boulevard" in Italian). Passersby also can gaze in appreciation of the wonderful dishes being served.
The restaurant has been at the location since 1991, when Carlo and Antonio Giovannini and Chef Roberto Bernardoni pooled their experience and talents to create it. Combined, the Giovannini brothers had more than 50 years of experience in building fine-dining establishments. Chef Bernardoni owned several highly recognized restaurants in Florence, Ital, but sold them to devote full-time attention to Trattoria La Strada.
Chef Bernardoni said he learned how to cook from his grandmother Alba and continues to use many of her concepts of fresh, full flavors. The secret to great food, he said, is to keep it simple.
"It is all about maintaining simplicity," Bernardoni said. "Food can become very complicated, if you let it."
The ambiance of the restaurant is very European. Tables gleam with white tablecloths and shiny table settings. They are large, comfortable and well-spaced. Attentive servers wearing white jackets hover nearby, always ready to offer service or make suggestions for wines or entrées. An archway leads to the bar, long and comfortable, resplendent with shimmering bottles of liquor on the mirrored shelves. There is limited seating in the bar for diners who prefer the more casual area.
The restaurant's wine list is very extensive. Its cellar has excellent choices of both Italian and American reds and whites. The wine-by-the-glass listing is limited but still permits an inexpensive way to compare Italian and American vintages. The "Owner's Cellar Suggestions" lists more expensive but rare wines, available by the bottle only. Overall, wine prices are fair.
The cuisine is decidedly Tuscan, with a menu that lists antipasti, primi, secondi and desserts. Food is very important in the Italian tradition, so meals include lots of dishes, large portions and time to enjoy it. At Trattoria La Strada, service is paced so diners can relax.
Antipasti (appetizers) includes such favorites as Bruschetta Toscana, grilled Tuscan bread topped with chopped tomato, fresh basil and fresh garlic, and Calamaretti Friti, fried fresh calamari, served with spicy tomato sauce on the side. The Tuscan bread was crusty but soft in the middle, a perfect platform for the tangy basil and garlic. The calamari was superb, lightly battered and very flavorful. Gamberoni in Salsa Bianca, large Mexican shrimp sauced with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper and parsley and flambéed with vodka in a white-wine sauce and a touch of cream, is a wonderful presentation.
Among the salads, Insalata Augustus (probably named after the emperor), with fresh Belgium Endive, corn, hearts of palm, shrimp, crabmeat and avocado in an orange-citrus mind dressing, makes a wonderful light meal.
Italian food is all about pasta. The pastas at Trattoria La Strada -- spaghetti, linguini, ravioli and others -- are homemade and very authentic. I had a side dish of linguini with tomato sauce that was superb.
The menu lists a variety of chicken, seafood, veal and meat dishes. The ossobuco (lamb shank) is excellent as is the rib-eye. Grilled Fresh Ahi finished with citrus, capers, fresh tomato and mint sauce and served with a side of grilled asparagus and roasted potatoes is one of the best dishes I've enjoyed.
Don't pass up the dessert, which include traditional favorites such as tiramisu and cannoli. The Volcano, delicate chocolate sponge cake filled with homemade chocolate mousse enriched with Galliano liquor and served with fresh berries, is a great finish to a magnificent meal.
Trattoria La Strada is located at 702 Fifth Ave. in the Gaslamp. Call (619) 239-3400 for reservations and information.
Rottenberg is editor of Dining San Diego Magazine and member of the California Restaurant Writers Association. Send comments to the editor@sddt.com. All letters are forwarded to the author and may be used as Letters to the Editor.
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