Ron and I recently celebrated our 42nd anniversary, and on the suggestion of my friend Karen, headed to Del Mar to try a new restaurant DaVanti Enoteca. It's in the Del Mar Highlands, just across from the new Cinepolis theatres. I called the day before to see about a reservation and was told they do not take reservations. So we got there on a Thursday night and discovered that they were closed for a private party. Just our luck. However, the same owners have a more traditional Italian restaurant, Mia Franchesca, right next door. We were lucky to get the last table and enjoyed a wonderful meal.
Executive chef Scott Harris opened his first restaurant in Chicago in 1992, and now with a group of partners, has dozens of restaurants in Illinois. They also have a few in the San Diego area. Mia Franchesca is a contemporary, casually sophisticated trattoria, with simple, rustic cooking in a friendly modern atmosphere. The manager on duty the night we ate there was Dana, who was warm and friendly and helpful in every way.
Our meal began with bruschette with spinach and goat cheese. Just delicious. I enjoyed the ravioli con carciofi, a ravioli filled with artihoke and basil, topped with a tomato basil topped with mozzarella. Ron had the linguine all sora assunta, sauteed sea scallops and spinach in a light tomato cream sauce. Everything else I saw looked rustic and delicious. The desserts looked fabulous, but we were too full to try. A cast iron apple pie in a skillet looked incredible. It's a small menu, with great choices, and the portions are very generous. Mia Franchesa was a good find, and I'm looking forward to DaVanti Enoteca, by the same owners, next time I'm in Del Mar.
Friday, April 6, 2012
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