Aqua AL Due

Since I had such a great experience at TOAST Enoteca, I figured it was time to give their sister-restaurant a try. Like TOAST, their menu seems to be focused on authentic Italian recipes made with few ingredients. An excellent strategy when you get it right.

I have been cutting back on the calories, so I went with what I thought was going to be a light meal. I tried out their appetizer sampler, and the arugula salad. FYI...the appetizer is a chef's choice sampling consisting of five of AA2's signature pasta dishes. The pastas were served one at a time. I won't go too far into the details of each, but they were all cooked to a perfect al-dente (except the gnocchi, which was also my favorite) with sauces that were simple but expertly crafted. I will say, though, that in each sauce that was served had a touch (or more) of cream.

On the night I was there, they had a wine tasting/pairing event going on; apparently, they do these regularly. While I was dining at the bar, I got to hear the sommelier educate and entertain the group with in-depth stories of the wine's origins. Even though I wasn't participating in the event, I was impressed with the content and passion with which it was delivered.

With decent Italian food being so rare in SD, AA2 was a pretty nice find. I think I enjoyed TOAST just a bit more, but both make for a delicious night out.