Trattoria I Trulli Restaurant Review
by: Rebecca Lutz
Trattoria I Trulli is a small italian restaurant off to the side of S Coast Highway 101. Right behind the check-in desk stands a staff member ready to attend to any customers who enter the double doors, numerous fine wines displayed on the walls and a sense of hominess that permeates the room.
Trattoria I Trulli was founded by Salvatore, Antonio, and Daniela. They met by chance working at a small restaurant in downtown San Diego and bonded over their shared love of cooking.
When I arrived I was quickly taken by a smiling waiter to a table covered with a clean white tablecloth and numerous ice-cold water glasses. After some deliberation I ordered my appetizer; calamari adriatico. The food soon arrived and I was pleasantly surprised with the speed of service. The calamari was well cooked, if not a little bland. Overall, the starter was entirely satisfying.
The main course itself took some time as I had ordered various dishes, but I spent that time admiring the hand painted walls, styled to look like a real Italian café overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The warmly lit room combined with the beautiful murals created a pleasant effect and made the room seem somehow more spacious and more open than it actually was.
When the food finally arrived I dug in and immediately I could taste the amount of care that the chef had clearly put into seasoning their foods. The capellini alla checca I ordered was wonderfully light and the tomato sauce drizzled on top enhanced the taste beautifully. The only complaint I could have is that the mozzarella balls were a little overpowering and spread unevenly throughout the dish, making it so that I couldn’t taste any of the basil in the meal. The spaghetti principessa was very fresh and well made. The sauce was spread perfectly - not too light, not too overpowering. The proportions on all of the dishes were rather large, and the spaghetti was no exception.
However, the gnocchi that I ordered was good, but the proportions of the sauce and mozzarella cheese were a bit heavy handed which took away from the dining experience. The mahi mahi that came was well made, and the lima beans sprinkled on top added interesting pockets of flavor throughout the dish. Lastly, the salmon risotto, the special of the day, tasted absolutely delicious, but it was very rich and there was quite a lot of it. I couldn’t quite finish the entire thing, and as a result I took it home for a rainy day.
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend Trattoria I Tutti as a restaurant to go to if you are looking for a tasty Italian meal to eat with your family. Just make sure to be ready to eat your fill!