Trattoria Fantastica

We came to this place for our anniversary. Seating wasn't that great but the food was really good. Service was a little slow because it was valentine's weekend and rainy outside. The rice balls had a fresh tasting tomato sauce that paired well with the cheesy Arancini. Soft and flavorful on the inside with a nice crust. The braised short rib was fork tender with a nice sauce. Galic mashed potatoes were perfectly seasoned. I don't like broccolini because of the harsh flavor but these ones had a very light taste. Great dish all together.

Can I relive my experience here every day for the rest of my life please??

Erin and I wanted to do something fun for dinner. As I live in North Park on the border of NP and UH you can imagine I don't leave the area too much for fun. Other than La Jolla and trips to my office in North County, I'm usually in the 92104 doing work.

Debating on cuisine we decided Mexican or Italian. I've been craving some fresh mozzarella and some home made pasta so that being said... I went looking. Decided to check out Little Italy and make a reservation. While looking I saw that this place had been reserved 40x that day and the reviews were pretty good. The main thing I saw was authentic which was what I was looking for.

Leaving the bubble we get to TF and are about 10 mins late for our reservation. Hostess comes back and says "all I have open is the back patio". No prob. I asked if it's covered and heated she said yes so it's a wrap. We get to walk thru the kitchen en route to our table. A gorgeous two top on a platform looking down.

Our waiter comes up sweet as can be. Ask about wine, and tells me about this killer bottle that's 65.00 (nice mid range) and is from Toscana. The grapes are a little stronger but the blend assist in it being strong yet subtle. He also informs me that since I have Yelp I can get 50% off any bottle. So now we go with his recommendation. Winner! Best wine I've had in 2016.

As we are looking at the menu, Erin and I debate on our app. We ask again for a recommendation and he says he Caprese. The mozzarella is the best you'll ever have right now. He was right. Blew out anything I've had out or in the country.

Dinner wise we decide to mix it up. Split a pasta and a pizza. Got the procuitto pizza and a rigatoni with sausage, peppers and olives. Unsure of the name off the top of my head. Both were so good. We couldn't even finish taking half the pizza and a third of the pasta back to her place.

It's nice being me. After our meal my dude comes up with the greatest cannoli you'll ever have. On the house per usual.

After the meal I notice our to go came in a bag from the Bussalacci family restaurants. Mind you I went to school with the younger part of the family and our waiter yells at Vince "You know this guy?" Go up and get a huge hug from him and PJ. That's the type of love you'll get when you go into any of their restaurants.

Overall, you need to get your butt here. I'll be here Tuesday drinking a Barbera that I passed on and enjoying some top quality food.

Thank you to everyone who made our experience so memorable and magnificent.

Food was okay -
Service was fast friendly and efficient
Ambiance is nice and the outdoor seating is comfortable.

During our first trip to San Diego, we went to Little Italy with the intent of grabbing a great Italian dinner. From the restaurants we walked by, we picked Trattoria Fantastica because it seemed to have a great atmosphere and a decent, reasonably priced menu with a wide variety of options. They have a nice outdoor sidewalk dining area, but we sat indoors because it was getting a little chilly in the evening.

To start, we were brought complimentary fresh crusty bread and olive oil. We ordered a bottle of chianti and Caprese (Tomato Slices, Buffalo Mozzarella Cheese, Basil, Olive Oil & Balsamic Vinegar) as an appetizer. The Caprese was delicious and oh-so-fresh.

For my entree, I wasn't too much in the mood for a red sauce dish, so I went with the Agnolotti (ravioli) that was filled with butternut squash and smothered in a sage/fontina cheese cream sauce. It was literally...to die for. I savored each and every bite of the dish and it wasn't over-filling. I probably wouldn't order anything else during a future visit because I'd crave this rich dish.

I did sample someone's Nero dish, though. It was risotto with calamari and shrimp, soaked in a squid ink sauce. The dish came out black, of course, and it was good, but perhaps a little too fishy for me with the ink. Everyone else couldn't finish their various pasta dishes because they were very generously portioned.

The service was pretty good, even though our server may have been a bit abrupt at times.

All in all, though, we had a fantastic -- er, fantastica! -- time.

This is a must visit spot.! From the service to the food to the music to the scenery. Vincenz was my server and he was the absolute best server I've had in a while he knew when to show up and when to stay away and let us enjoy this hot spot restaurant has a cafe on one side that has music and the world best desserts. I'll definitely be back for now you'll have to roll me to the car cause I'm stuffed.!

Thank you Vincenz for the amazing experience the best part was your smiling face and dancing me to the dessert you know the way to a girls heart -dessert that is-

Xxx Nani thoughts xxxx

The first day in san diego, we were so hungry
We stayed near by hotel; so decided to eat dinner in little italy area.
A lot of people on sunday night; took some time for looking for street parking.
Anyway, we walked one or two blocks to see what kind of rest in the little italy area.
I was hungry, did not want to wait in a line.
So decided to try this place, no waiting time
I did not have a high expectation because inside of sitting was too casual.
Appetizer, we had bruschetta. It was good.
I Had seafood pasta..my husband had gnocchi with red sauce. omg
Both of our pasta Sauce were so delicious and food were hot until i finished the meal. I was so happy to leave the rest with full and was ready to eat pastries next door.

Amazing atmosphere, great food, great champs, wonderful dinner followed by an even more incredible array of desserts!!!
Highly recommend this to you!!
Service was really top notch.
Menu is large with many options from anti pasta appetizers, steaks, sea food, pizza, salads, and naturally.... PASTA!!

Not a bad choice when you're looking for good simple, yet authentic Italian food. After recently going this weekend, Trattoria Fantastica was pretty good considering the atmosphere, the service, and food. It's the not the fanciest, nor is it just ok. For a little easy "I want Italian food" get together with family, this place was the perfect choice. With all the dishes they offer, anyone can find something that pleases their taste buds (and stomachs).

Highlights? The outdoor patio is great, with a decent amount of tables. Considering it was able to accommodate my sister and I, along with my baby in her stroller, that's definitely a plus. The menu is pretty straight forward, which is great. No complicated Italian deciphering, and the quality is much better than an average chain restaurant, and feels more authentic. I had the angel hair cappellini pasta with meatballs which was tasty and comforting - I couldn't go wrong with that choice. My sister had the prosciutto basil pizza which was even better than my pasta. I will definitely be getting that next time. The prices? All reasonable, especially when you pair it up with the FULL glasses of wine they offer for $8!! And I do mean full! They also have a gelato stand inside with delicious stracciatella and pistachio ice cream, a great plus to the restaurant!

Fantastica is a great choice for an Italian dinner with friends or family. Not overpriced, generous wine portions, and our server was Italian (for real) and very attentive to our needs. I won't hesitate to go back!

"I didn't know I was starving till I tasted you."

A little pop music reference to what was going through my head. My leftover imbottiti had me wishing I had more! It's extremely delicious, delightful and not very carb dense. It comes in two small portions of a few pasta noodles wrapped in sliced up eggplant, covered in fresh housemade marinara sauce, and topped with a few shavings of parm. I could of had a full dish of this today. Its nearly perfect. I wasn't even missing the fact that there's no meat (I'm a live to eat meat person).

Last night's dining experience was good, BTW. Service was good, and the arugula salad had such a wonderful raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Loved it! Though the risotto ball and the wine could of been better.

However the tiramisu (to continue my pop music reference), "You do things to my body" *mouthgasmic* oh, yeah! Yet I think it may have tipped me over to feeling like I had a little food baby growing in my belly. Good thing I was wearing stretchy leggings. But damn, it was just so good! Was well worth getting that baby bloat of indulgence.

Came here on a Thursday night and it didn't seem that packed so that was a plus. We got seated right away. Our server was really friendly and attentive.

I ordered the Boscaiola dish. This dish has chicken, mushrooms, garlic, penne, and tomatoes. It tasted really good, but almost like any other pasta dish. The tomato sauce complimented the pasta really well. In my opinion, I thought $16.95 for this entree was a little overpriced. I probably won't go again since it was too expensive :/