Dominic's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Oceanside

Inamorata in Oceanside, CA

When my wife and I arrived at Dominic’s Italian Restaurant in Oceanside Harbor Village, we were so weak with hunger we could barely walk. I had eaten here alone a few years ago and remembered that it was delicious so my hopes were high. We were greeted immediately by the lovely young hostess who must have stepped out of a 1940’s Raymond Chandler Detective Novel. Even in my delirious state, I was taken back by her film noir style and I dubbed her the ‘Lady in Black’, the legendary femme fatale that adorned the arms of Los Angeles pin-striped gangsters and Hollywood moguls. She had alabaster skin and dark, curly hair and was dressed in black from head to toe but with a reserved demeanor and few words. She wore a slinky black cocktail dress with dark, seamed nylons that clung to her sculpted legs accentuated her short, with jet-black curly hair framing alabaster skin, thick, jet black eyebrows arching above her dark, long-lashed eyes, full blooded-red lips parted slightly to reveal two perfect rows of ivory teeth, a firm jaw, and plunging neckline revealing the cleavage of her bulging breasts that threatened to burst forth from their black silken curtains like budding flowers. “This way, please,” she said quietly as she glided ahead of us to our chosen table in the main dining room on clicking black stilettos that completed her film noir ensemble. There is patio seating with a panoramic view of the harbor but it was too cold that day. As we sat down, we told her, “We are starving. Could we have an appetizer?” She nodded knowingly and said to one of the nearby chefs, “Please give them some bread as soon as it is ready.” Piping hot bread sticks soaked in Olive Oil, garlic, and salted to perfection soon appeared at our table and we attacked them ravenously. I briefly stared at Lady in Black’s retreating figure while my wife shook her head and forced a smile. She’s used to my wandering eye and doesn’t make a big fuss about it. The waiter brought our menus that included all of the standard Italian delicacies, including salads, soups, pasta, pizza, eggplant, sandwiches, and veal. Driven by hunger, we raced through the menu and made our choices in several minutes. It was Linquini with Clams in a white sauce for the wife and Veal Marsala for me, which is Veal cutlets, lightly floured and sauteed with mushrooms in a Marsala wine. I chose a glass of Merlot from the extensive wine list that proved to be a perfect pairing for the Veal. I’m sure any of the many reds on the list would have paired well. Dominics at the Harbor, which is a member of the Trupiano Restaurant Group, is a bit pricey, at least for this area, with most entrees in the $15 To $20 range, but it is worth every penny. We get what we pay for. I put it on my ‘A’ list and plan to return whenever I am in the area. I think they serve Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza and if so, I intend to try it next time. If you are ever in the Oceanside area, don’t miss Italian cuisine that rivals the best of San Francisco’s North Beach. You will be glad you did. Be sure to tell the Lady in Black I said hello, but tell her sotto voce so my wife doesn’t hear. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself humming “I'm at heaven's door Inamorata….” Note: to see my full review,...

A healthy 4 stars. First and foremost, a shout-out to our server who was one of the friendliest servers I've met. She is also a great ambassador of her home country so kudos to you!!

They are dog-friendly. We had reservations and arrived half an hour early but got seated right away. There were 3 cars in our party and we all managed to get parking in the parking lots around the pier without issue for around 8 pm.

The food was very very good. We ordered a lot of things - the caprese, the mozzarella in carozza, the new England clam chowder as appetizers, and the Mediterranean salad, the lobster ravioli, penne al forno, and the cappellini al pomodaro. The best of them all was the clam chowder followed by the complimentary bread sticks. Simply delicious and an absolute chef's kiss. Everything else was also very good. I had the lobster ravioli and can attest that it was creamy with a hint of vodka sauce. My aunt couldn't stop commenting on how creamy and delicious her penne al forno was. The entrees were very pretty heavy so we got a lot of leftovers. We ended the meal with the lemon gelato and the bombe. The gelato was very lemony and fresh. The bombe was a dessert to share with chocolate, vanilla, almonds, cherries...utter delicious but we should've left more stomach space for it.

All in all, this was a great place to bring family to. Their food is very good, their servers are friendly, parking isn't much of an issue and you can get your dogs! You also get a lot of leftovers.

We will be back for the pizzas!

P.S. if you love clam chowder, definitely order it here. P.P.S if you don't like clam chowder, try it here and you may...

We went to Dominic's on Saturday, as we had been at the beach that afternoon. I had raved about how good this place was to my friend who had never been there before. (It has been about a year and a half since I been but we use to go here everytime we went to the beach). First we got seated right away inside, took a while to get drinks. My friends Shirley temple had a rotten cherry in it that she almost gagged on. She just spit it out and did not drink the drink. She did not want to make a big deal as the waitress was rushing us and had a hard time understanding us. My family ordered a pizza, which this use to be my favorite place for pizza... not anymore. The pizza was doughy and not cooked correctly. We did not say anything as my kids were hungry and they just ate it. My friend however ordered Chicken Marsele which is one of her favorite things to eat and has had it many times and other Italian restaurants. Unfortunately it was not edible. IT had a sour taste and was not a normal chicken marseille . WE would have tried to tell the waitress but she NEVER came to check on us till it was time for the check. My friend told the waitress she could not eat it and the waitress asked if she would like something else, well it was too late as we were all done. So then the owner comes out and questions my friend as if she is being interrogated about why she doesn't like the food. My friend tried to be polite and explained and he berated her and said that she must never have been to an Italian restaurant. I understand coming and asking what is wrong but he was a jerk about it. WE all felt so uncomfortable and we will...