buona forchetta

best pizza i ever had. i was born in brooklyn .

my to go order that blew me away

i’m visiting encinitas and decided to get some to go pizza. this place had good ratings and i loved the oven they cooked the pizza in. i arrived to a friendly hostess and a man who might have been the owner or manager. either way i was blown away by their hospitality and the pizza was amazing. definitely authentic neapolitan from the oven to the cheese and the crust. i’ll be back before i leave.

indulgence

very rare place that combines authentic italian cuisine, great service and nice people. be prepared to wait for a table, evenings especially. however - it's worth it.

they ruined our anniversary lunch.

we arrived today around july 22nd at 2 pm the lady at the front was very sweet and show us where we should sit also told us you can sit anywhere you want but we still choose where she told us to sit

little after we sat down, italian dark skinned skinny girl waitress came to us rudely without saying anything else yelled us in front of everyone "when you arrive a restaurant you should wait in the front and have them sit you, you guys should have know this already." first of all you are not a mom and check with your coworker before you yell at us.
some bald guy came right after her and told us we need to get up because we were not seated from the beginning. this was so embarrassing i was treated like a beggar. they did not even let us talk or understand why we are there.

when the front lady heard this she came over and told the other she was the one sat us and she apologize from us. we still left right after because this was the rudest treatment ever.

buona forchetta is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods in san diego, south park. as you pull up on beech street, you can’t miss this authentic italian eatery… just stick your head out the window and you will smell the wood-fired oven. heavenly.

this neighborhood favorite is very community driven and philanthropic. in fact, i am here for the first time as a part of a separate event – one in which the restaurant is providing a portion of all proceeds to a local non-profit organization. buona forchetta not only serves up wonderful italian cuisine, but they also are ready to lend our city a helping hand in times of need. such a beautiful thing, thank you!

to start things off, we decided to share a few different appetizers. after reading many recommendations, it was a no-brainer. we ordered the pizza in a jar, polpettine and the sottoterra. all great choices, by the way, and i highly recommend.

the pizza in a jar is exactly what it sounds like. it’s made with fried dough, burrata (grape tomatoes and spinach), san marzano tomatoes and basil. i literally couldn’t keep my spoon out of this awesome jar of goodness. i’ve never tasted anything like it! every flavor you savor while eating a traditional slice is strategically placed in a mason jar. the dough balls are amazing and each bite is filled with cheese. what great way to start the evening!

i like to enjoy a salad at every meal, so i ordered the sottoterra – a tasty medley of carrots, fennel, parsnips, onion and goat cheese piled on a bed of fresh mixed greens. you can tell how fresh a restaurant is from its salads. buona forchetta is as fresh as it gets! if you are looking for a tasty salad, then look no further.

what italian dinner is complete without house-made meatballs? the answer is none! so, i had a smile from ear to ear as i watched our lovely server arrive with three huge beef & pork meatballs smothered with tomato sauce along with parmesan. love at first bite! the beef and pork mixture has just the right consistency and robust flavor. and the tomato sauce is something else! it brings another layer of richness to this starter – making it another must-try when dining here at buona forchetta.

we enjoyed all three of these starters with a velvet devil merlot – the perfect compliment. this complex merlot has hints of tobacco and cherry with a blend of herbs and spices. divine.

now, for the main course. we ordered the regina margherita pizza, the marcello pizza and the veal chop. since chef marcello is a world champion pizza-maker, you have to order at least one pizza for the table!

regina margherita pizza here at buona forchetta is an outstanding creation! this masterpiece is built with tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, basil and parmesan. this pizza is not overly complicated, but each flavor adds its two cents to make it complete. the crust is not to be reckoned with – sofia has fired us up the perfect slice!

the next pizza we sampled just happens to be the house special and winner of the 2010 gourmet world pizza championship. i like a champion and i loved this unique creation named after chef marcello. i was told that this secret recipe cannot get out, so let me just say… it’s stacked high with fresh vegetables and cheeses on that wood-fired oven crust i can’t get enough of, along with just the right amount of herbs and spices. there is a reason this is a world champion. take a look at the photography and let me know what you think!

everything i have put in my mouth here at buona forchetta has been fantastic. the large-and-in-charge veal chop definitely held its own amongst the array of pizzas we enjoyed. the milanese style (breaded and then fried) reminded me of one of my favorite meals in texas – chicken fried steak – only better. this healthy portion of veal just melts in your mouth. the lightly-breaded crust has so much flavor and blends just perfectly with the veal. a nice touch is the salad that comes with it. the balsamic drizzle and lemon wedges just add another flavor profile to this entree. this is my first taste of this dish and i can guarantee it won’t be the last!

now for dessert… i love this part of the experience! the tiramisu is always a must when eating italian and the tiramisu here at buona forchetta is absolutely breathtaking! this coffee-flavored gem is layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese. you have to try this dessert. ahhmazing.

grazie! everything about buona forchetta shouts excellence – from the mainly italian staff to the authentic italian cuisine. i have a new favorite italian restaurant in town. if you have not experienced this wonderful eatery, then wait no longer. you can thank me later!

italian food=delicious carbs galore. the best pizzas, pastas, gnocchi, you name it. buona forchetta is located in downtown san diego and is one of the best places i’ve tried so far in little italy. we came here a couple of months ago to celebrate my roommate’s birthday, and she’s in love with this place, so choosing this restaurant was a no-brainer. outdoor seating is gorgeous.

yesterday, we took cooper down to a great dog park in the south park neighborhood of san diego (grape street dog park at grape and 28th street).  since we were so close, we decided to stop by one of our favorite south park restaurants, buona forchetta. buona forchetta is the vision of matteo cattaneo.  it offers an assortment of pizza and homemade pasta dishes.  they have a diverse menu with enough selections to please any palate.  they can even prepare any of their pizzas gluten free!

first time here. we came right when they just opened for lunch. we ordered the nicola pizza, lasagna, and tiramisu. nicola pizza was really good, one of the best pizza we've had and the best in san diego we've had. the lasagna was amazing!!!! "so good, so good!" hehehe. tiramusu was very creamy and not over powering, delicious! the staff here are very friendly, love their italian accents.

wish we had found this place sooner. we will definitely come back when we're in town again.

located on a sleepy corner of the south park neighborhood, buona forchetta serves one of the finest napoleon-style pizzas in town.

buona forchetta is a neapolitan-style pizza restaurant that opened last year. it has been on my to-do list after reading very positive reviews from various san diego food writers.

sex trafficking signs funny? not so much.. went to buona forchetta in san diego tonight. i will never go to this restaurant again.

this evening i used the men's bathroom because the women's bathroom was occupied. i noticed that all the signs in the bathroom were about victorian bordellos, and specific services that could be purchased at these places, bordellos that specialized in virgins, etc. ewwwwww.

even though the signs were intended to be amusing, are signs about sex trafficking funny? not so much. if they h...ad sex trafficking signs about men in the women's bathroom, would i then find them amusing? mmmm...still not funny.

if they're going for an "outdated and offensive" look, perhaps they could do a series of old-time posters of slave auctions next.

i felt excluded enough to never want to go to this restaurant again, and to tell everyone i know that they might want to reconsider too.