Right in the heart of The Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego, this Italian restaurant really hit the spot. They have a very lively fun out door patio in the front of the building, so you can watch the world go by, I choose to sit inside and experience the fine dining room ambiance, I was not disappointed.
Here’s what I tried:
Stares Tortino Di Garnchio Dungeness crab cakes served over baby arugula. This a one huge crab cake that had all of the bells and whistles, lots of great crab made me very happy.
Fritto Misto Con Calimari – Fried crispy calamari and vegetables served with spicy red sauce. The perfect combination of calamari and vegetables with a light breading, a true winner.
Salad:
Cesare Salad, with romaine lettuce hearts, croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese, tossed in Asti’s famous traditional Ceasar dressing. A terrific salad with very little ingredients, but everything very high quality and super fresh.
Pasta:
Fettuccine with lobster shrimp and scallops. This dish for me was a showstopper; with very delicate garlic light sauce it is just a treat for your eyes and your stomach. The lobster is a large tail and it is cooked to perfection, yum!
Tagliatelle Bolognese E Funghi Fress Fettucini pasta with meat ragot, and wild mushrooms. A nice full-bodied sauce, but I would go for the Lobster fettuccine if given the choice.
Fish & Seafood:
Salmon Mare Chiaro Grilled, with red wild king salmon, topped with capers and shallots, in a brandy Worcestershire sauce, served with seasonal vegetable. The sauce is very unusual, but super hearty and delicious. It’s thick and brown in color, but it adds specific flavors that blended great with the salmon.
Dessert:
Tiramisu, they make a fantastic tiramisu, you got to try it.
Crème Brulee, this dessert was the best ever, it’s just a creamy wonderland of goodness.
Wine:
Chardonnay Saintsbury, Carneros, 2015. This wine is the perfect choice for all of the seafood dishes; it’s a great blank canvas for all of the seafood flavors.
Zinfandel, Steele, Old Vine, Mendocino, 2015. I would pair this jammy wine with any if the meat dishes at Asti Restaurant.
Adding to the already very Italian atmosphere they play lots of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin ballads, which make you feel like you could be somewhere in The Bronx or New York City. Whatever the case you too will be pleasantly surprised by all of this delicious fare.
My server, Eric Garcia has been with Asti for 3 years and he made my dining experience unforgettable. A non-nonsense type of restaurant with truly wonderful food, it’s just the right place to try when your in the Gaslamp district, you know what they say, “When in Rome”…
Asti
728 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA
www.astisandiego.com