Pezzi del mio Cuore — Restaurant in San Diego

Like many others, I saw the rave reviews and high ratings and decided to come out and support this newish independent restaurant, but it was just very underwhelming. The service was great and the staff working there were very attentive, but the food just wasn't very good. Generic, mediocre, run of the mill Italian food reminding me of an independent Olive Garden. Yes, the portions are large, but I'd rather have smaller servings of mouth watering food vs. humongous plates of not amazing food.

Our party of 8 had the fried calamari and seafood salad as appetizers. The calamari was chewy and the zucchini that came with it was fried thin ribbons which didn't add much since the breading to zucchini ratio was about 1:1. The seafood salad was better, but could have used a little more seasoning.

For the main course, I ordered the beef short ribs. When I got my place, I was surprised to see a thinly cut piece of beef that looked like a steak. It was edible, but nothing to rave about.

We also ordered a kid pizza which was a store bought flatbread with sauce and cheese on it. It was a nice gesture, but kind of disappointing to be called a "pizza."

Overall, the food was just meh and I would not go back even though I really wanted to like the place. I'm continuously surprised at all the rave reviews and folks who compare this place to Cessarina, Solare, or Buona Forchetta. It comes no where close to any of the 3 local places. Another reviewer mentioned that most of these reviews must be written by friends and family of the restaurant and I can't help but think the same since many of the social media platforms have been inundated by rave reviews or dedicated posts highlighting this establishment. Try it out for yourself! At least you'll be supporting a...

I’ll admit- I was skeptical of this place before going. It’s new, it’s next to a grocery bargain market, and it’s Italian (I am SO picky about Italian). I came in and did not have high expectations but I live within walking distance so thought I would check it out.

I was EXTREMELY pleasantly surprised. The vibe is not bougie/upscale but more casual and relaxed (one other review mentioned plastic chairs- they were comfortable but yes not upscale) BUT the service was phenomenal and friendly without pushing upsells AND the food was delicious. I have tried many many Italian places around SD and so far the only ones I particularly cared to return to were Cesarina and Elvira. Well, now I’ll add this to the list.

We tried the calamari which tasted fresh and had a flavorful yet light batter. I tried a fettuccine special with scallops and shrimp as recommended by staff and it had a delicious flavorful sauce and was a HUGE portion. I’m talking 2-3 meals so it was very generous and fairly priced. My boyfriend had a ravioli which also had a delicious sauce. I also ordered a cassata cake to go which I just tried and was rich and creamy and sweet without being overpowering. They also very generously gave us a panna cotta on the house which was light and fruity. Honestly, I was shocked that I enjoyed everything we ordered because it seems that places around San Diego have more commonly been providing subpar flavorless dishes for high prices. This place was generous with portions and everything had excellent flavor. We...

Pezzi del mio Cuore has only been open a few weeks but it has become "a piece of my heart" for my whole family. Our first visit was phenomenal, and for his 15th birthday my son wanted this place for his birthday dinner. It was a few weeks between visits but the servers both remembered my family and greeted us warmly. My parents emigrated from Siracusa, followed soon after by my father's family. I am not a finicky person by nature, but my heritage does hold authenticity in high regard. I'm not sure if it was deliberate, but having an only male wait staff is what I grew up with in all the goomba joints in my neighborhood of North Beach in San Francisco. And my Nonna's insistence on a disciplined cucina is a high bar that was instilled in me. Our first visit was fantastic, but our dining experience last night was nothing short of exquisite. My 8yo daughter had Scallopina Marsala, and despite already having some healthy servings of Calamari and bruschetta put down her entire plate. My son had a braised lamb shank with risotto. Wife had the New York Steak and that was the only meal that survived to become leftovers. We ended sampling about half of the desert menu. My son ordered the cassata cake with some espresso, but he ended up with cassata cake and an affogato (espresso over vanilla gelato) compliments of the house. All the desserts were incredible, but the Panna Cotta was the best I can remember.

Stop in and say hi to Bryan, he will...