Cucina Urbana

After passing on Laurel Restaurant for its high-priced menu, Cucina Urbana popped up giving those in the down economy a light with its reasonably priced rustic Italian dishes with a Californian touch. Rave reviews and word of mouth contributed to the popularity of the restaurant. Calling in Tuesday morning for reservations that evening, tables were already booked out aside from early and late dinner times. Seeing the packed dining room and bar, there was no way you could get a seating without a reservation.

The wait staff was very personable, friendly, and welcoming even though we were late arrivals and walk-ins were vying for our table. They invite diners to visit their wine retail store / "private" dining room as they only charge US$7.00 corkage fee for bottles purchased at retail. Excellent! The wine selection and menu placed a heavy emphasis on hot catch words like "organic," "local," and "sustainable." The food menu also featured daily specials for those looking for dining deals. The concept of the establishment was well-thought out. Diners help their tummies, their banks accounts, and the world.


The two starters we ordered were the barbecue octopus with salted fingerling potato, endive, radish, chili herb vinaigrette and lemon aioli ($11.00) and stuffed squash blossoms (herb ricotta) with purple basil pesto and cured lemon dressing ($9.50). The barbecue octopus was incredibly tender and not tough at all, especially after expecting a texture somewhat similar to tako from previous octopus experiences. It was meaty, yet very light and had a light smokey flavor from the charring. The salad also had a bit of baby octopus or some other cephalopod, which was a little bit chewier. The endives gave a nice crunch to the otherwise softer textures on the plate. The stuffed blossoms were amazing and light, not over-breaded. The pesto served as a savory compliment to the the saltiness from the ricotta and tang from the lemon dressing. The stuffed blossoms really hit the spot.


Each main course was selected one from each area of the menu: pasta, piatti, and pizza. The crab ravioli seemed promising, but fell flat when it came to the actual crab filling. The crab was a little bit dry and could have benefitted from using chunks instead of whatever was centrifuged from the shells. However, the buttery sauce and cheese in the filling did not overwhelm the crab flavors allowing the crab to be the star of the dish. The tower of thickly sliced aubergine in the eggplant 'parmigiana' with gigante bean and escarole salad and shaved grana ($15.50) was easy to cut into. The eggplant was not bitter had a thick, breaded, crispy crust and layered with fine slices of mozzarella complimented with a light sauce using fresh and flavorful tomatoes. The fig and gorgonzola pizza with caramelized onion, candied pecan, arugula, and aged balsamic ($14.00) had a lovely, charred crust. The toppings were mostly hidden by the forest of arugula, but the peppery green did not overwhelm the entire pizza. Each bite was a surprise of sweet and savory from the ripe, deep-colored figs and the bite of the sweet balsamic acid. This combination was particularly pleasant for warmer summer days.

Dessert came out and we shared the bittersweet chocolate bundino ($8.00). The chocolate was incredibly rich and you can taste the higher percentage of cacao. The chocolate was creamy and smooth. Two small bites were almost too much, but chocoholics would definitely love this dessert. The espresso ($3.50) rounded off the meal nicely.

Looking around at the end of the early dinner, the dining room and bar were seated primarily by women sipping summer whites and roses and sharing antipasti plates. The occasional male present was claimed by a female counterpart by the looks of the suggestive body language. Regardless, Cucina Urbana definitely has the food and ambiance at a great price to make this a regular spot.

Cucina Urbana. 505 West Laurel Street San Diego, CA 92101-1634, United States. +1.619.239.2222. Open Tue-Thu 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-12am; Sun 5pm-9pm. www.cucinaurbana.com