Restaurant Review: Giovannetti’s

IIf you have been searching for a cozy, classic Italian restaurant with red booths, warm lighting, and the kind of food that makes you want to linger, look no further than Giovannetti's in Vista. We had been on the hunt ever since our beloved Carmela's in San Marcos closed and after a quick search Giovannetti's menu caught my eye immediately. We went on a Saturday night to a full restaurant of relaxed, happy people, always a good sign.

We started with the Garlic Bread and Calamari Fritti, both served with a house marinara that was authentically delicious. For mains, I had the Lobster Ravioli, decadent and light at the same time. My husband Andy had the NY Strip with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and a beautiful red wine demi-glace. The kids had pizza and the table favorite was the Baci, a white sauce pizza with speck, pecorino, gorgonzola, arugula, walnuts, and spicy honey. Next visit I have my eye on the Carciofi Ripieno for an appetizer, roasted artichoke hearts with parmigiano-reggiano, garlic, kalamata olives, and melted mozzarella. For my main I want to try the Pollo al Saltimbocca, chicken topped with Italian prosciutto and marinated in sage and white wine.

The wine list was simple and well curated, one excellent choice per variety. I had a chianti with my appetizer and a sangiovese with dinner. Both perfect.

The dessert menu was an Italian dream, Limoncello Cake, Cannoli, Tiramisu, Spumoni Cake, Affogato, and more. We were too full to order but next time we will save room! I already know my choice will be the Torta Nocciola, a chocolate hazelnut cake.

A special note on the service, it has been years since we experienced service this impeccable. Attentive, classy, and perfectly timed. They let us enjoy our meal while quietly making sure we had everything we needed. A well deserved A+. We even overheard other patrons mentioning the restaurant will be expanding into the space next door. We can absolutely see why and we cannot wait to go back.