Mimmo's — Restaurant in San Diego

We enjoyed lunch at Mimmo's Italian Village on India Street, in the Little Italy area of San Diego, on 11/14/22.

It was a beautiful sunny day, so my wife & I decided to dine on Mimmo's outdoor patio. You could tell it was Fall, by the golden leaves that occasionally dropped on our table, whenever an intermittent breeze kicked up.

We were greeted by Cesar, our server, whose kind welcoming manner instantly put us at ease. He asked if we were ready to order drinks. I'd perused the menu beforehand, & requested a glass of the 2015 Ruffino Red Blend, as well as a couple waters.

For starters, my wife ordered Pulpo, a cold appetizer, which is very similar to Ceviche, only with cut up chunks of octopus, instead of fish. It's mixed with tomatoes, celery, lemon olive oil & red pepper. They give you a generous mound of this, with 3 thin slices of garlic bread rising like a teepee, above it. We loved this starter dish! It's the first time I'd tried octopus, & this, mixed with everything else, made for a tasty appetizer. I squeezed a bit of lemon on it, as well. We polished this one off completely.

My wife & I really enjoyed sipping the Ruffino wine. It was so smooth & drinkable, with a delicate mix of fruit flavor up front.

I chose Pasta Pescatore for my entree- which had mussels, calamari & shrimp, artistically arranged around the outside edge of the plate. In the center, is a lemon, white wine cream sauce-covered mound of mushroom linguini.

After my first taste, I was hooked. I figured out after a few bites, to twirl my fork into the pasta, until I got a nice bite size portion, then I'd fork a piece of seafood, so you get that delicious creamy pasta, with a flavorful seafood bite, in each fork full. The sauce was divine, with mild lemon undertones, so rich & creamy. The incredibly tender calamari was my favorite, of the 3 choices, & the shrimp was killer, as well. The mussels were a tad fishy for my taste, but I still polished off half of them.

My wife got the Pappardelle Bolognese-which had long wide noodles, covered in a rich, slow-cooked tomato, vegetable, beef & pork ragu. She loved it!

We ended our food fest with a Cannoli, which we split, for dessert. This was a perfect capper to a most excellent lunch. Rich whipped cream & Mascarpone cheese is sprinkled with chocolate chips, & oozing out each end of a very crisp rolled pastry. There were fresh blueberries & blackberries on the plate, as well.

My good friend recommended this place, &...

Don't go if you're not a regular. Even with reservations a week ahead of time expect to be treated like a 2nd class citizen.

We made reservations for my birthday over a week ago. We showed up at 6:20 for a 6:30 reservation. They seated us at 6:25.

They seated us at what I consider the worst table in the restaurant. It was "tall" bar table between the bar and the inside area of the restaurant. It was dark and there was wait staff traffic whizzing by.

We asked to be seated at one of the low tables on the inside part of the restaurant. They indicated they couldn't because the other tables were reserved. There were 3 other tables for 4 that were vacant. We were told that they were for the "regular" customers. I offered to wait for a low table because we were with my 6 year old daughter but they indicated that nothing was available.

My daughter was exceptionally hungry so we decided to stay. I ordered a bottle of Prosecco and we "thought" we ordered pasta for our daughter. We asked the waiter to bring it out as soon as possible. After about 10 minutes he brought out the Prosecco we ordered.

About another 10 minutes elapsed, and the waiter came over to take our order. When we asked where our daughter's food was the waiter indicated he was going to put the order in' 'together'.

After another 10 minutes, they seated 2 other tables in the main dining area in normal sized tables. At that point, I complained to the hostess that our seats were too high - they came up to my chest and my daughter's shoulders and that there had been any empty table in the main dining area for over 40 minutes.

She indicated again that those tables were reserved by regulars - customers that evidently were not there for 50 minutes (by the time we left). She also said that many people sit at those table with their children.

At this point we walked out. The owner came over and at first apologized. When I asked if he could reseat us, he repeated what the hostess said.

I'm sorry, but both the owner and hostess supported my thesis. That it was a dark uncomfortable seat in a high traffic area that would be unsuitable for their regulars. They proved it without a doubt.

I've been a dishwasher, busboy, waiter, bartender, and worked in kitches while working my way through graduate school. I routinely tip 25% or more for great service. This "guests from out of town are 2nd class citizens and can't sit at a normal table"...

Once you start walking down the busy streets of Little Italy the smell of garlic wafts by with each step. The smell of garlic lead us to Mimmo's Italian Village. I have to say, what an amazing experience. I kind of felt like I was having dinner at a friend's house, fantastic hospitality. As "O sole mio" played through the space, I couldn't help but feel transported to a charming Italian plaza. Plenty of good vibes!

Wine and Food was off the chart perfect! Our server helped guide us through menu choices like a pro. Below are some highlights and must try's when visiting Mimmo's.

Wine: Montepulciano - Valle Tritana - light and fruity this was perfect for our appetizer and pizza courses.

Red Blend - Ruffino - more robust and full bodied, stood well with the acidity from Mimmo's fresh and bright tomato sauces.

Dinner:

Apps: Burrata Crostini - Delicious though under seasoned for our tastes. A little salt made this app a must.

Meatballs - Thick, juicy and tender slather in red sauce and cheese. A real home run.

Risotto Arancini - epic! A must have. Creamy, salty, crunch, a must.

Pizza: Prosciutto & Arugula - pan pizza leveled up! Crust was light and fluffy like a good focaccia. Toppings ample and so delicious. This pizza was large, so could easily be an entree shared between two.

Entrees: Baked Cheese Lasagna - didn't disappoint. So much cheese, so it really is a try cheese lasagna.

Chicken Parmesan - what's not to love?! Tender chicken breast, pounded thin, breaded and fried until crisp. Served on top of a pile of handmade pasta with a bright delicious red sauce, oh and a ton of cheese.

Dessert: Triamisu - by this time with we're all with food babies and didn't have much room for this. But we managed to eat the whole thing, it's your basic tiramisu. Was good and a nice finish. We were celebrating a friends birthday so Mimmo's made sure to make the dessert extra special, sparkler!

So much for love Mimmo's! Cannot wait to get back. However with so many places to try in our new city, it might be a little while but until next time,...