Monthly Archives: March 2024

Buona Forchetta

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I’m Italian.  Like, very Italian.  So Italian that Donovan isn’t even my real last name.  I had to pick something else because my real last name is so Italian, it can’t be remembered, spelled or pronounced correctly by anyone at any point ever.  Friends I’ve known for a decade still screw it up.  I’m pretty sure at this point, I’d even have to write it down first before I say it. My Grandfather, Guiseppe (not even kidding) was from Calabria, Italy.  My Grandmother, Maria Graciela (no, really) was from Sicily.  They immigrated to the United States in the early 20th century to live in a new world, create new opportunities and spend the last decades of their lives using a language they barely spoke to correct millions more people on how to say our name.  Once upon a time, years after having their 8th and alleged final child, my Grandparents (now in their 40’s & 50’s) discovered they were going to be parents again!  Oh to have been a fly on the wall in that perfect sitcom moment (hopefully with subtitles).  That surprise baby was my Dad.  This unique timeline of events meant that I grew up surrounded by a huge, mostly pretty old and VERY Italian family.  Two things I can tell you about Italians: We make being Italian our entire personality better than perhaps any other nationality and we are some judgy bitches when it comes to Italian food.  It’s just like in the movies.  I’m not gonna say everything you saw in “Lady and The Tramp” was true, but I often sing love songs to my dog while I feed him and every cat I’ve met has been a murdering racist caricature.   

According to family lore, my Grandmother (who passed the year before I was born) was an incredible cook.  She couldn’t read or write in English but she could throw down on a meal that would shame the most classically trained chefs.  Friends, neighbors and even other family members were allegedly terrified to cook for her because she was the best and ol’ girl graded HARSHLY.  My parents would often tell me that the greatest compliment Grandma was capable of giving someone’s food was to say “Like mine.” Her highest level of praise for someone’s cooking was to liken it to her own.  Straight Queen shit, right there.  I wish I could’ve known her.  To see her shaking her head in disgust as I try hopelessly to recreate her best dishes before she finally snaps, punches me in the ribs and forces me to have dinner alone at The Olive Garden.  While she’s cussing me out in Sicilian, my Google translate tells me I have shamed the family and must now change my last name to something unforgivably Irish, like Donovan. 

(These are my Grandparents.  The one on the right, a dear sweet man who loved me to pieces for the first 8 years of my life and the last 8 of his.  The one on the left is a legend.  A series of stories pieced together from the memories of others.  She has lived in my head rent free my entire life.)

While everyone has opinions (including yours truly) about what great Italian food is, the truth of the matter is there is no one kind of Italian food.  It varies by region, by neighborhood. Hell, even by household.  To say nothing of the fact that I’ve never set foot in Italy (I’m hoping to change that, who wants to start the Boy Who Ate Italy GoFundMe?!?) so the food my family makes has always been, like, mid-century Italian/American food at best.  I’ve had some great Italian food in San Diego and some not so great.  I grade on a weird curve, too.  Does it taste good?  Does it evoke that feeling?  Does it taste like something I grew up eating in New England?  For the proper East Coast Italian/American old world Italian food, hit Mona Lisa in Little Italy.  For the authentic, real deal Italian, you go to Buona Forchetta.  Every person I know who has either lived in or visited Italy has pointed to this place as the closest thing you’ll find in San Diego.              

Buona Forchetta prides themselves on providing an authentic Italian experience from it’s authentically Italian owner, Matteo Cattaneo.  The atmosphere is cool, the servers are all <strike>hot</strike> Italian, the pizza is award winning, the pasta is handmade, the OVEN is handmade.  It’s name is Sofia.   They did not come to play.  This place is more Italian than a spaghetti stain on Madonna’s bra strap.      

A San Diego staple with multiple locations since 2011, Buona Forchetta was actually recommended to me for the original Boy Who Ate San Diego blog and I didn’t get to it.  Thankfully, it survived in an unstable economy and, a few years and one global pandemic later, here we are.  I have eaten at Buona Forchetta several times before but I felt like it’s a place people in San Diego should know about.   

I pulled up with the usual Paesanos:  

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy J-Chief science officer, Michigan Football loyalist, a common floozy

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves sandwiches.  Like, a lot.

David-Wonder Woman superfan, musical theatre enthusiast, the narrator’s love interest

Harry-The I.T. guy, equal parts Type A and goofy as all get out, He probably knows how to fix that.

Kelsey-Project manager, Keeper of Christmas, has been known to drop it like it’s hot

Joseph-Music educator, loves just about every food I won’t touch, masterclass Dad joker

Shannan-Medical examiner, pumpkin enthusiast, drives the coolest car you’ve ever seen

We’re not the mob but I promise you the women in this picture could effectively dispose of a body if needed.

Our visit was on a Wednesday night, which made parking easier.  It can really tricky in South Park, especially on the weekends, so you’ll want to give yourself some time to get there.  The neighborhood really is super charming but that charm wears off quickly when you’re circling the same charming block for the fourth time, waiting for a parking space to open up.  

We started the night with some antipasti.  Aimee had the Calamari Fritti with Marinara.  She enjoyed it, calling it tender and nicely fried.  Shannan also loved the texture of the calamari.  Kelsey and Joseph shared a chef’s original creation called Brushettone.  It’s two pieces of toasted bread with Tomato and Mozzarella.  Kelsey enjoyed the flavors of the first one and loved that the toppings didn’t make the bread soggy.  The second slice was Eggplant, Tomato and Zucchini, a little more veggie heavy than she likes, so that all fell to Joseph to finish.  Even he found it awkward to eat and preferred the first slice with it’s sweet tomato flavors.    

Chris and Amy shared the Burrata Caprese (with organic tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze) .  Amy chose the Sangiovese as her wine to pair with dinner, which the waiter confidently agreed with.  At $12 a glass, she said it was very good.  Love that for her.  

Pizza is the house specialty of Buona Forchetta but what makes their pizza menu really stand out from the pack is how good their gluten free crust is.  Having a partner who is gluten free has led me to try many a GF pizza crust, cooked from frozen and tasting like it has slightly less flavor, texture and chew than the box it arrived in.  The Gluten Free crust at Buona Forchetta is soft, chewy, tender and masterfully executed.  Seriously, you wouldn’t know the difference.  It’s that good.  

Our two GF panelists, Shannan and David, both gave it their stamps of approval.  Shannan had the Nicola (a Tomato-less pizza with mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto di parma and truffle oil).  She said it was amazing and I gotta say, I had a slice, and it’s the best pizza I’ve had there.  The earthiness of the mushrooms was boosted by the truffle oil and the prosciutto added just the right amount of salt.  The crust was soft, chewy and toothsome.  Damn.  So good.  She also contacted me the following day to praise how well it reheated, which is a must for good pizza in my book.  David ordered the Daniela (Mozzarella di bufala, brie and speck).  While he enjoyed the crisp, saltiness of the speck, the brie was bringing a little too much butter to the party for his liking.  But David agreed, this is the best GF crust he’s had anywhere.

You would never know this wasn’t gluten free. The texture is miraculous.

Joseph and Kelsey shared the Vito Pizza (Spinach, Speck, Gorgonzola, nduja and Onion).  Joseph called the flavor combination “fantastic”. He did say the Nduja (a spicy, spreadable pork sausage) got a bit lost.  While he usually loves the crust at Buona Forchetta, this one was either too packed with toppings or underdone in the middle.  He would have preferred lighter toppings and a more structurally sound slice.  Kelsey echoed that same opinion, calling it a disappointment.     

While not one of her go-to’s, Amy was craving the Lasagna Vegeteriana, so she got that.  Called it very good and loved that there was extra sauce and mushrooms on the side, so you can mix as you want.  

Harry ordered one of the specials; a pork chop with lemon risotto.  He said the risotto was creamy, al dente and very tasty with a delicious, well-seasoned pork chop.  He and Shannan also shared a side of sauteed mixed mushrooms with parsley and garlic.   Harry enjoyed the dish, calling it loaded with umami.  Shannan agreed the mushrooms were delicious.  

Aimee built her dinner from some of the small plate offerings, trying the meatballs and side of roasted potatoes.  She said the meatballs were tender, juicy and paired really well with the marinara sauce.  The potatoes were a swing and a miss for her.  Aimee had previously been to Buona Forchetta’s Liberty Station location and enjoyed the way the potatoes were prepared there (with garlic butter and rosemary, opposed to topped with smoked mozzarella at this particular location).  I also had a side of roasted potatoes and I’ll agree I’m not sure the smoked cheese was the right choice to pair with homefries-style cut potatoes (which were very well cooked)

In the realm of pasta, Chris, Joseph and Kelsey all had the Fettucine with Buona Forchetta (Cream, egg yolk, parmigiano, spicy marinara and black pepper) While he initially worried it would be too heavy, Joseph said the sauce gave layer after layer of rich flavor.  That richness was also why he felt sharing the plate was the best move.  Kelsey says the pasta alone was amazing and reason enough to go back.  

While I was tempted to order one of my go-to’s (the gnocchi is a sure-bet favorite and I’ve never had a bad slice of pizza there,) I decided instead to really put them to the test and order the most basic Italian dish I could imagine:  Spaghetti and Meatballs. Corner a restaurant that frequently pulls out all the stops into a place where there are no stops to pull.  Like my own social experiment.  

Buona Forchetta, of course, met the moment in glorious fashion.  The handmade pasta was tender, perfectly al dente and was cooked in just the right amount of salt (hint: it’s always more than you think you should add to pasta water).  The Duo Pomodoro (a mix of tomatoes, basil and garlic) gave the dish  the perfect blend of acidity, herbaceous notes and just a gentle touch of sweetness. While my Dad’s meatballs are still the best ever (Even my Mom had to concede and hers were FIRE), these were pretty damned good.  The mix of pork and beef kept it moist and tender.  A dish so expertly crafted that anyone who would ever dare to look at this plate and call it “Noodles with red sauce” deserves to be slapped on the back of the head into a concussion.  Whats-a-matta-you INDEED.  It gave me the same feeling I get when I have my own family’s recipe for “The gravy”.  IYKYK.  

I miss my Mom. I need to call my Dad. I need to stop crying over this plate of spaghetti before people around me get weirded out.

While it didn’t seem like anyone at the table was going to order dessert, once someone decided to break the seal on that, the chain reaction was immediate.  Next thing you know, there were sweet plates all over the table.  This is so common for my friends, I couldn’t even tell you how it still manages to surprise me every time it happens.

David and I shared the chocolate Mousse (a favorite of ours).  Never ones to back off from the “Best life only” approach, Buona Forchetta doesn’t play when it comes to this dish.  Unlike the traditional wine glass or sundae cup, they serve chocolate mousse in a BOWL.  It was dense and landed on the table with a thud.  The small handful of berries on top almost appear as though they were placed there as a joke.  We both found it to be not cloyingly sweet, fluffy and rich.  It needed whipped cream but was otherwise great. 

“Hey Rocky, watch me demolish this comically large bowl of chocolate!” “Again?!”

Aimee had the Delizia Di Bosco (Nonna’s mascarpone and ricotta cheesecake topped with berry preserve).  I grew up eating ricotta pie and while my Brother would demolish an entire pan in one sitting without blinking an eye, I was always more a fan of American-style cheesecake.  That having been said, the texture on this was gorgeous.  So well made.  Aimee felt the pie was under-sweetened and found the fruit sauce surrounding the plump blackberries to be a bit watery.      

Shannan got the Cannoli (fried pastry shells filled with ricotta cream, chocolate chips and pistachio crumbs.)  Cannoli was never a favorite of mine growing up, which is so weird considering the ginormous sweet tooth I’ve had my whole life.  While Shannan enjoyed them, after a while the cannoli shell was putting up too much of a fight so she dedicated to just break them open and eat the filling.  I support it.

Curiosity led to the ordering of Stracceti Alla Nutella (Fried pizza dough strips, Nutella cream, mixed berries and powdered sugar).  When the dish arrived, the reaction can only compared to what theatergoers in 1997 looked like watching the final scene of “Boogie Nights” on the big screen.  None of us were sure what “Stracceti” even meant, so the front-door-sized Christmas wreath of funnel cake that clunked down in the center of the table was a marvel to behold.  The menu hilariously states “Serves 2 people”.  Between 7 of us, we couldn’t crush it.  For me the dough was fried a bit too chewy and tough, but it was tasty.  Don’t know that I’d order it again but damn, did it make an entrance.    

While food is always great for me at Buona Forchetta, I must say I’ve never understood why there isn’t a bread course.  They might be the only Italian restaurant I’ve ever been to that doesn’t serve bread before the meal.  I was missing it when enjoying my Spaghetti Pomodoro.  Also, if I’m being honest, the service has been better on other visits.  For a party of 9, we weren’t checked on a whole lot and at one point I had to ask for the 3 empty carafes on our table to be refilled with water.  Aimee also took note of $4 for a canned soda, which is a bit much to not offer refills.  Not great aspects of the visit but none were deal breakers.

Even given those small hiccups, I’m prepared to keep coming back here over and over again.  I highly recommend if you’re in or around San Diego, that you do the same. Mangiare!

Be sure to watch this week’s You Tube Episode!:

Hear the full discussion on the Podcast!: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-47zkb-15c598f

Further reading: https://buonaforchettasd.com/

Chicken Pie Shop

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In the culinary landscape of San Diego (and I reckon any other city), so many places come and go.  Some in the blink of an eye.  But there’s still those rarest of spots that stand the true test of time.  The kind of place that lasts so long it boasts generations of customers, all the while never changing who they are.  They do what they do and just watch the world change around them while they stand securely in their place, frozen in time, it’s zeitgeist solidified in amber, beloved by locals for decades.  In San Diego, that place is the Chicken Pie Shop. 

The San Diego Chicken Pie Shop opened in 1938 and even typing that out seems unbelievable.  In a world where most restaurants don’t stay open past the 5 year mark, do you even know how much of a flex it is to say your place has been open for 85 YEARS?!  Still here.  Still family owned.  The fourth oldest restaurant still operating in San Diego County.   I’ll save you some Wikipedia scanning and tell you the other 3 are Waterfront Bar, LA Cuatro Milpas and Tobey’s 19th Hole Café.  So impressive. 

Here are just a few things that the San Diego Chicken Pie Shop is OLDER than:

-Air Conditioning in cars

-Instant Coffee

-Batman

-Thin Mints

-World War II

-Canasta

-Francium (the last chemical element discovered in nature)

-Dolly Parton, Sir Ian McKellen, Nancy Pelosi

Also, when the Chicken Pie Shop opened, Sigmund Freud, Virginia Woolf and Lou Gehrig were all still alive.   What I’m saying is the place is OLD. 

Originating downtown and in Hillcrest on the corner of Fifth and Robison, the Chicken Pie Shop was a staple for 52 years reigning as the oldest thing you could find in Hillcrest not glued to a barstool at the Caliph (That one was just for the locals) before getting the boot and eventually becoming a Starbucks that recently closed. I feel like there’s some symbolism there.  They relocated to El Cajon Blvd in 1990, where the shop resides to this day.

Painting a picture of such a beloved San Diego institution has me feeling a kind of way about what I’m about to admit to you but I promised to keep it a buck with y’all so here goes…

Full disclosure:  I’ve been to the Chicken Pie Shop once before and I hated it.  I went there on a date in 2009.  Both the meal and the relationship fell far beneath my expectations.  And it was difficult going on this visit without the rave reviews and expectations from all my local friends weighing heavily on me.  The restaurant that is.  No one was hyping up the guy I was dating.  In retrospect that would’ve been hilarious.  “But he’s awesome!  My family would date him all the time when I was little!”

I recall the décor giving something between nursing home and my elementary school cafeteria.  The clientele, sights, sounds and smells were definitely familiar to me.  As a former nursing home employee and Florida resident, I know the vibe of which I speak.  The whole thing was like stepping into the early 80’s to have the early bird dinner special with folks in their early 80’s.  I also remember the place being in dire need of a facelift and it got that a few years ago.  It looks great!  Every time I’ve driven by it, my curiosity to see the inside got stronger. 

Details of my overall dining 2009 experience are lost to antiquity but I do remember the signature double-crust of my chicken pie being very dry, unable to rehydrate itself back to life from the neon-highlighter-yellow gravy contained therein.  My corn and fries on the side managed to create a palette of indistinct beige on my tray, creating this 3-D map effect of the Mojave desert.  The blueberry pie was decent.  I did come away with that positive memory.  Anyway, that was a long time ago.  Both the Chicken Pie Shop and I have grown up a bit and enjoyed a fresh new coat of paint.    

Enough years had passed that I felt like it was time to give it another go and, in the process, maybe figure out just what it is about this place that has endured for 85 years in San Diego.  It’s iconic.  Legendary. The chokehold this place on the locals is ironclad.  I knew I had to make this trip with a mix of people who both loved and hated it.  I’ll let you decide, gentle reader, who’s who…

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves sandwiches.  Like, a lot.

David-Wonder Woman superfan, musical theatre enthusiast, the narrator’s love interest

Kelsey-Project manager, Keeper of Christmas, has been known to drop it like it’s hot

Nicole-Stage Manager par excellence, Scout Leader, Red Menace

Shannan-Medical examiner, pumpkin enthusiast, drives the coolest car you’ve ever seen

Over 100 years of combined San Diego residency here to solve the mystery of this place’s appeal.

I was unsure if I should go the route of ordering exactly the same meal I had on my last visit but I ultimately decided that I should go another route.  Besides, I knew others would for sure order the classic chicken pie meal and I’d get to try it (a requirement to joining me for a BW8SD review is I get to try anything on your plate).  I chose the Fried Chicken Breast entrée with whipped potatoes, daily vegetable, soup a roll and dessert.  Honestly, a Helluva deal, even with the inflation acknowledged by some CPS lifers at the table. 

The Soup was chicken and rice (a welcome arrival at the table, given the winter-timed visit).  A little salty for my taste but it had good flavor.  Shannan also enjoyed the big comfort factor of the hearty, thick, almost stew-like chicken soup.  She found it to be delicious and likened it to a “mouth-hug”.  Chris found the soup to be pretty standard but, like Shannan, enjoyed the fact that the celery still had a crisp texture. 

The rolls were decent.  Not too dry and oddly sweet?  Shannan and Aimee found them fluffy sweet and very dunkable in the gravy.  Chris was not so much a fan of the rolls or the gravy, calling it “gelatinous chowder”; a phrase that will haunt my dreams for a good long while. 

The undisputed upside to my dinner was the chicken breast.  I gotta give credit where it’s due.  It’s really good.  Hand-breaded, well fried, tender and juicy.  Had my dinner just been this on a plate, It would have been perfect.  But much like your really cool friend who you invite to your parties, she always has these two tired skanks with her in tow.  Said skanks in question were the sides.  I understand that nostalgia makes these sides popular with fans of this place but just because it’s the same as you remember it as a child doesn’t mean it’s great food.  When I was 4, I used to sit on the arm rest in the front seat of our ’77 Chevelle with no seatbelt jammed packed with adults who were ALL SMOKING with the windows up.  Nostalgic?  For sure, but that doesn’t mean it was good or I should want to experience it now.      

Was the chicken that good or did the sides just permanently throw off my taste buds? I don’t know what’s real anymore.

Unsurprisingly, our group was divided on the mashed potatoes.  For me, they tasted like the mashed potatoes I had in the cafeteria of Stadium Elementary school.  Like, the very same potatoes.  Chris really nailed it with his description of “Gluey”.  Shannan was into them and praised the abundance of gravy included with the potatoes.  Aimee said they were great but under seasoned.  Nicole gave the pro tip of abandoning the vegetables altogether for double taters, which Aimee did and eventually regretted.

The vegetables were terrible.  Revived frozen medley of mush.  Couldn’t get through it.  I tried, you guys.  I really did.  In fact, the vegetables were universally panned.  Kelsey did mention that it wouldn’t take much to elevate that aspect of the dinner and I have to agree.  Steam some broccoli, maybe?  I’m sure they’d be happy to take suggestions on altering an 85-year-old recipe from a douche bag with a food blog, right?        

I feel like mashed potatoes and vegetables are sides that our generation got used to coming from a can or a freezer.  I blame depression era rations and the instant/frozen food boom of the mid 20th century.  Most people didn’t cook vegetables the right way because it never occurred to us that we could.  It’s the same reason brussels sprouts were once reviled in our culture because all they did was boil them.  Once modern cuisine adapted to the better way, now we can enjoy brussels sprouts the way they were intended to be enjoyed:  Charred with pork belly, chopped almonds, maple syrup and served on a 4” plate for $15.  I’ve never liked coleslaw so that was an instant no-go for me but Aimee did say it was good and gave a nice crunch without being overly dressed.  She likened it to KFC coleslaw, which I can only imagine is praise. 

Chris ordered the Chicken Fried Steak.  He said the texture was not quite right.  Not exactly chewy with tough meat that hadn’t been properly tenderized and found it to be bland.  David went a very opposite route from everyone, skipping chicken entirely in favor of the cheeseburger with fries.  Sometimes going off script is the way to go.  He loved his burger, calling it juicy with perfectly cooked bacon and a generous amount of avocado on top.  The fries were crispy (exactly how he orders them).  It’s also really nice to know that the gluten free folks have options here.  I was honestly surprised. 

Aimee, Kelsey, Shannan and Nicole all ordered the classic chicken pie.  I tried some of Aimee’s and I have to say, it was SO much better than I remembered.  While Aimee LOVES the lack of vegetables in the chicken pie, I found myself missing it but the chicken, gravy and crust were all miles ahead of what I remember having years ago.  Full redemption in my book.  Shannan swears by the pie and loved hers.  Kelsey found the pie met her full expectations, even if it needed more gravy for her. 

The classic. The OG. The old broad that has kept the lights on since the great depression. Long may she wave.

Dessert pies varied across the table.  Since I enjoyed it so much last time (and it’s a longtime favorite) I got the blueberry pie.  It was what I expected.  Nice crust but the filling had that artificial Hostess-like gelatinous taste that I didn’t love.  Or rather, I could’ve loved more with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but props to our server who brought me extra whipped cream because, when it comes to whipped cream, too much is almost enough.  Nicole and Aimee had the banana cream pie, which was a bit off texture-wise for Nicole.  Aimee (a professional baker) was let down by it.  She said the bananas were turning brown and had a soggy crust, which means it wasn’t very fresh.  David and Chris had the peach pie, which was shared with Aimee.  They all found the crust to be a letdown.  Shannan loved her apple pie.  While she called it heavy on the spices, she enjoyed the texture of the apples and crust.

Ask for extra whipped cream. I don’t recommend raw-dogging this bad boy.

I will be honest here.  I have a complicated relationship with my feelings toward the Chicken Pie Shop after this visit.  Was it better than my first visit in 2009?  Absolutely.  Did I have a fantastic meal?  No.  I left hungry.  I don’t know that I would go back but I have come through this review with a newfound respect for the place.  I might not go back (I say might because the chicken breast was really great) but I want you to go.  I think everyone should at least once.  I love that it has such strong roots in this town.  I love that generations of families have come here.  I love that they do what they do and don’t pretend to be anything other then what they are:  a no-fuss, elbows on the table comfort food meal at a reasonable price.  I love that you see so many senior citizens eating there.  It’s a lost vibe you don’t get many other places and makes me wish I could’ve brought my own Grandparents here.  It warmed my heart to see the glee in the faces of my friends who have loved this place since childhood.  The owners mentioned in a print article a few years ago that their main goal is to make it to the 100 year mark and I will say without a shred of sarcasm:  I absolutely want that for them.  I don’t have the same reverence for the Chicken Pie Shop that some of my friends do but I respect the Hell out of it.           

This place is a living, breathing time capsule of San Diego history and you should experience it.

Further reading: https://chickenpieshops.com/

Check out the YouTube Episode! https://youtu.be/nNLKClVG_Q8

Check out the full podcast episode! https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-wg7z2-15aa1a1