A Taste of Italy in Linda Vista
Plus: New Trolley Extension at Tecolote Station, Fern Street Circus visits Linda Vista, and Upcoming Community Events
On a recent warm day, I told my co-editor that we should review a restaurant that would be good for a lunch date or light meal. Since I’m first generation Italian and love Italian food, I suggested we try Giovanni’s, the restaurant that took the place of Pacific Time in the Presidio Shopping Center at 5277 Linda Vista Road. In my mind this was a “new” restaurant that we had previously not tried.
We went to Giovanni’s that afternoon. The restaurant interior is much larger than it looks from the outside and very attractive. There is one wall that is lined with wine bottles, and the set-up is somewhat the same as I remembered from eating at Pacific Time.
The menu was extensive with many food items you would see at most Italian restaurants, but also included other items that I found intriguing and that called out to me. For lunch there was much to choose from including starters, salads, wraps, burgers, deli sandwiches, and pizza. If you are there for dinner, Giovanni’s has a whole array of entrees and specialties that sound mouth-watering such as lobster ravioli, chicken gorgonzola, shrimp marsala, eggplant parmigiana, Fra Diavolo and more.
But since we were there for lunch, we tried to focus on having some small bites rather than a full meal, which would have resulted in naps for the rest of the day.
Our carnivore sidekick was not available to join us, therefore we could not review any meat items, but everything looked amazing.
I ordered the Roasted Asparagus and Zucchini from the starter’s menu as well as garlic bread (An Italian must have bread at every meal). The veggies were $8. Steve ordered a Grilled Veggie Sandwich on Ciabatta from the deli menu. $10.
The garlic bread arrived crispy and tasting of herbs, garlic and smelling delicious, accompanied by a bowl of marinara sauce. There were about 6 good sized pieces and I vowed to eat just one but, of course, you know how that turned out. Steve also tried it and we both thought it was excellent, especially after dipping it into the sauce.
My grilled roasted asparagus and zucchini was one of the best things I have ever eaten. I am a big fan of both veggies, but never had them like this. As you can see from the picture, there was a good amount of both asparagus and zucchini, and they were dressed with a balsamic reduction and large strips of Romana cheese. The asparagus and zucchini were roasted perfectly and the seasoning and sweetness of the balsamic made this a dish I will order again. The cheese was a perfect addition and delicious. There was enough on the dish that I was able to take half home to eat for dinner.
Steve’s sandwich looked very appealing. The ciabatta was crispy, and the sandwich was loaded with roasted veggies including zucchini, artichokes, roasted tomatoes, red onion, spinach, avocado and garlic herb aioli. He was generous enough to give me a taste and I know it is something I will order in the future.
We were too full to try their sweets, but they have tiramisu, cannoli, cheesecake, and more. Maybe next time we will come for dessert and coffee.
I knew Giovanni’s had been around at other locations since about 1980; I asked our server how long they had been at this location, and he told us 3-1/2 years. You will remember in the beginning I told Steve we should try that new restaurant – well, not so new as it turns out. That’s what happens when you lose over a year and a half to the pandemic and the fact that time has started flying by much faster than it used to when we were younger.
Giovanni’s remained open during the pandemic for carryout and delivery. The restaurant is very spacious, and the tables were arranged for social distancing. The staff was masked and very friendly.
We would highly recommend you try this restaurant for either lunch or dinner. . Their hours are 11am - 9pm Wed - Sat; 12pm - 8pm Sun; 11am - 8pm Mon. Giovanni’s is closed on Tuesdays. They also cater, deliver and have takeout.
5277 Linda Vista Road,
San Diego, CA 92110
619-293-3333
Ribbon Cutting for New Trolley Extension
A number of prominent elected officials gathered at the new Tecolote trolley station on Tuesday to celebrate the first ride on the southern end of the Mid Coast extension of the Blue Line Trolley. The celebration marks what will ultimately be a major improvement to the San Diego transportation situation. The new Tecolote trolley station, located adjacent to the building that once housed Toys R Us, played host to San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, City Council members Dr. Jennifer Campbell and Raul Campillo, County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, Tijuana Mayor Karla Ruiz MacFarland, Encinitas Mayor/SANDAG Chair Catherine Blakespear, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla.
Speeches delivered during the ceremony noted the Blue Line extension’s capability to transport riders all the way from the San Ysidro/international border area to University City, facilitate veterans’ access to the La Jolla VA Hospital, as well as give students another option for commuting to the University of California at San Diego campus. The speeches also expressed the extension’s role in recognizing the value of Tijuana’s proximity to the San Diego economy, the importance of new transportation infrastructure, and public transportation’s role in combatting climate change.
Everyone present at the ribbon-cutting event was able to ride the trolley through the Clairemont Drive station and onto the Balboa Avenue station.
The entire 11-mile long extension to University City will become fully operational in November.
Readers eager to check out the new extension will be happy to know that everyone is invited to the Mid-Coast Extension of the Blue Line Trolley Community Appreciation Festival, to be held this Saturday (August 28) from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Details regarding this event are outlined in the below poster.
Fern Street Circus Entertains in Linda Vista
During this past Saturday, a happy crowd of Linda Vista residents—both young and old—enjoyed a sunny summer afternoon at the Linda Vista Neighborhood Park while being entertained by the Ferm Street Circus.
The Circus performers included a host of jugglers, acrobats, clowns tumblers, wire walkers and musicians. The audience reacted with a combination of laughter, oohs and aahs, and an overall appreciation for the amazing abilities of these circus performers. Linda Vistans in the stands left the performance with smiles on their faces. They also enjoyed the various messages regarding masking, learning and health expressed in the course of the performances.
The Fern Street Circus, a San Diego local favorite, has been existence for 30 years. As mentioned in a past SD Union Tribune article, the circus includes circus veterans, but has also “taught hundreds of local kids and teens the fine arts of juggling, clowning and acrobatics through its free after-school circus program.”
According to the non-profit organization’s web site, the Fern Street Circus, “aims to create social change, neighborhood by neighborhood. Circus tradition transcends barriers between people of varying cultures and languages, combining physical and theatrical skills, merging the magnificent and the lowbrow, and is uniquely suited to be the medium of social exchange and social good. Circus combines art with sport, changing the way kids feel about exercise. Children, teens, and their families join together in a nurturing, portable, creative place for making friends, growing up and marking milestones through collective achievement.”
Funding for this Linda Vista performance of the Fern Street Circus was provided by the San Diego Parks Foundation.
Upcoming Community Events:
—Francis Parker Football Game: The Lancers play their first home game of the season this Friday (August 27) at 7:00pm. They will go up against The Meadows School from Las Vegas, NV.
—Bayside Free Backpacks and School Supply Giveaway: On Saturday August 28 (from 10:00am to 1:00pm), the Bayside Community Center will be aiming to distribute 200 free backpacks and accompanying school supplies. Any K-12 student is eligible to receive the backpack/school supplies while supplies last. Students must be present to receive a backpack or school supplies. Distribution will be conducted in the back parking lot of the Bayside Community Center. See poster below.
—Trolley Community Appreciation Festival: Take a ride on the new Mid-Coast extension of the Blue Line Trolley on Saturday August 28 (10:00am to 1:00pm). See the poster above for more details.
—Kearny High School Football Game: The Kearny Komets Varsity Football team will host Morse High School in its first home game of the season on Friday September 3 at 7:00pm.
—University of San Diego Football Game: The Toreros will play their first game of the season against Cal Poly on Saturday September 4 at 1:00. The game will be played at Torero Stadium on the USD campus.
—Community Clean-Up: The next Bayside Community Center Community Clean-Up will be held at 10:00 on September 12. Volunteers meet in the Linda Vista library parking lot. If possible, let Bayside know in advance that you plan on volunteering for this task so that they can have supplies ready.
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