Valentina: Neighborhood Restaurant in Leucadia

New restaurants are popping up almost weekly in North County.  It's hard to keep up.  We dined a few weeks ago at a new restaurant on Coast Highway in Leucadia called Valentina.  We enjoyed our meal, but felt it was pricey, with just average service.  It has only been open for a few months, so hopefully things will improve. 

Valentina is  a cute little restaurant right on the Coast Highway.  Parking is a problem.  There isn't any.  Most people end up parking in the dirt near the train tracks across the street.  I was with Ron, in a wheel chair, and getting Ron into the restaurant and getting the car parked, was a real challenge.  Once we did get seated, the tables were difficult to accomodate a wheel chair.

I think the theme of the restaurant is Spanish, as they have Spanish language music playing and other references to Spain.  The menu itself is all over the map.  Starters include frites and aioli, albondigas and marinara, beet terrine, and gazpacho soup.  Mussels in wine, mac and cheese, grilled salmon and veggies, gnocchi pesto and steak and fries are just some of the offerings.  I had a tomato and burrata salad which was absolutely delicious.  It was drizzled with thick aged balsamic vinegar, and was my favorite part of the meal.  Richard ordered the gazpacho soup, which was only fair.  I also ordered steak tartare.  It too was only far.  Laura ordered mussels in wine, and was disappointed .  Ron had steak and fries.  The first plate came with cold fries, but when it was returned and brought out again, it was delicious.  They cooked another steak for us by mistake, and we took that one home.  Pepper enjoyed it over the next few days.

Valentina has lots of room for improvement, and I hope they will do just that.  It's a family run restaurant which I like to support, and the owners are trying hard to please.  Some of the dishes were excellent, others only fair, so I will probably give it another try.  For us, the challenge is parking.  It is tough for the handicapped, so food has to improve for us to make the effort.