Tre Porcellini

closed.

My best friend and I have two spots that we frequent for dinner, and this is one of them. The food is consistently fresh and delicious, and they have an excellent happy hour: 4 – 7 everyday you can get house wine and draft beer for $ 3.50 and select appetizers for $ 4.00. You can easily make a meal out of the appetizers. Our favorites are the caprese salad and the bruschetta.
I’ve had almost everything on their menu that doesn’t contain meat, and each dish has been excellent. I especially love the cannelloni (I included a photo!).
The only bummer is that the last time we went there, the staff told us they would soon be moving to La Jolla… We plan to still go when the move, but we probably won’t be able to make it there as often!

This place is legit. I waited to visit (and revisit) until a few months had passed so that any glaring opening kinks had been worked out. Score one for my stomach.
Don’t let the abundance of bright lights and pink fool you.
If you’re on a diet, this may not be the place for you. Sure, their salads are fan-freakin’-delicious (salads with strawberries and pancetta! Salads with pears and gorgonzola!) but as soon as the meals for your dining companions arrive, you’ll be overcome by dish jealousy. My favorites to date?
–Mac and Cheese risotto: I have a thing for risotto. I have a thing for cheese. I have a thing for Mac & Cheese. I think you can see why this works.
–Gnocchi: any of them. Soft, plump pillows of dumpling deliciousness stuffed with more delicious.
–Arancini di riso: a risotto ball with a mozzarella in the center? Please refer to my notes on the Mac & Cheese above
Word of caution: richness ahead — it’s probably not wise to order all of these dishes at once or to try to consume one single-​handedly. Definitely love on that salad — it will balance out the flavors and decadence.
Everything I’ve had has been solid — I just happen to be obsessed with the risotto and gnocchi. The bread comes out with this salsa-​esque mixture — nice departure from the typical olive oil and vinegar offerings. And service is excellent — very friendly staff.
Parking is hit or miss — it’s Hillcrest after all, albeit in the outskirts.
OpenTable and
friendly — earn points towards free money AND get steeply discounted gift certificates. Pricing is moderate even without all of the discounting goodies. And portions will leave you rolling out the door crying «Wheee, wheee, wheee want some more but there’s no room left in our digestive tract», all the way home.

A craving for Italian led us to Tre Porcellini. I have been wanting to try them since a co-​worker who recently moved from Italy (born & raised) recommended it as being authentic.
The décor hasn’t changed much from when this place was Bite. We were greeted by the Italian owner and seated right away.
After briefly looking at the menu, we ordered the following…
*Crostini di Polenta (baked polenta cakes topped with mushroom & gorgonzola): These were good. They had a nice amount of garlic.
*Complimentary Focaccia bread served with a roasted tomato sauce: Warm, soft bread paired perfectly with their sauce.
*Penne ala Zucca (butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, & pancetta in a cream sauce): This was creamy and delicious! The butternut squash also added a slight sweetness which went well with the saltiness of the pancetta.
*Tagliolini Neri (squid ink linguini, shrimp & asparagus in a creamy saffron sauce): This was just okay. The flavors were really subtle. The squid ink linguini wasn’t as good as what I’ve had at other places.
They do make their pastas fresh and use fresh ingredients. You can even purchase their homemade pastas there. Service was fast & friendly. The owner made sure to pass by every table, with a smile, to ask how everything was going.
I do recommend they get a better wine list. They didn’t have a good selection. And they call themselves a wine bar.

The food was not bad, but not exceptional either. To start, our party shared the zucchini and calamari appetizer and beef carpaccio. Both were really good, I enjoyed the marinated artichoke with the carpaccio.
For dinner I had the penne con salsiccia (sausage) It was ok, the penne was not al’ dente so the noodles were chewy. Sausage had good flavor. I tried my friend’s squid ink linguini. Now that was good! It had a smooth smokey flavor and the sauce had good bite.
Service was great, nothing to complain about.

I love the atmosphere here — it’s clean and fancy looking, but also has a comfortable vibe where you feel like you can really relax. Don’t know how they accomplished such a thing. Perhaps subliminal messaging in the music or mood lighting? Either way, it’s wonderful.
If I could swim in the Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi in Sage Butter Sauce, I would. The heavenly pockets of gnocchi are enough to satiate you but not too much where you walk away feeling like you have to run a marathon to undo the night’s gluttonous acts.
We started with the sampler and really enjoyed all three dishes. The polenta had a perfect texture and the mushrooms with it were melt-​in-​your-​mouth good.
We will be back to try the $ 1 house wine special!

1.28.12: So walking into this place I had no idea what to expect.
The place looked small we were greeted immediately. All we saw was three bar tops and a bar. Ok, but then the guy kept walking and we realized the place was much bigger. The décor is nice nothing too fancy.
The food was G double O D good. We started with the Calamari & Zucchini app, it had right amount of crunch for the calamari, but the zucchini was softer than expected. For our entre we had the Penne with butternut squash and the potato dumplings with four cheeses. Since the potato dumplings were handmade we were expecting a lot from it and it did not disappoint. I never had pasta melt in my mouth before, it was tasty and amazing. The Penne was yummy as well, but since the potato dumpling had so much flavor the penne was compared to it and it was still good just not amazing.
I was quite surprise how much I enjoyed the food here. With the
certificate we did not pay that much for dinner either. Overall this is a restaurant that I will come back to.
Until Next Time!

Looks can be deceiving…
It doesn’t look like much from the outside but on the inside this place is pretty cool.
Great little italian place. When I walked in I wasn’t expecting much but was presently surprised.
I had the breaded pork loin and pasta. Great flavor and very delicious. Not overly done and tasted very fresh and home made. 5 out of 5 sporks
Had the mashed potatoes which was light and fluffy. 5 out of 5 sporks.
Fried calamari which was ok, pretty average in my opinion. But the aoli sauce was pretty good and saved the fish for me. 3.5 out of 5.
They gave us this bread with some infused olive oil sauce which was fantastic. I would come to this place just for that alone. 5 out of 5 sporks.
The décor is very simple and contemporary. I don’t think they meant for it to be a x-​mas theme but it just works out that way with red and silver all over. Very cool.
Service is friendly and fairly attentive.
Price is a little high, but the food is good and probably worth it.
Happy hour house wine is only $ 1
My ONLY problem with this place, and which keeps me from giving it 4 or 5 stars is that there were fruit flies in the restaurant. And some got in my food. I’m not ready to blame this place for that but I’ve never seen that before so it makes this place a little suspect to me.
Nevertheless, I would be willing to try this place again.

Surprising inside, from the street it looks small, a narrow corridor perhaps, but once inside it opens to a versatile lavish red an white dining room. I say versatile lavish because there are no carpets but it looks enticing with the beaded chandlers (beads over the lights) and this a place you could take a date, or even the family. The music was perfect, I could hear the person across from me, but also head the music in the background.
The water in the bottle (left behind on the table) was great when wanting a refill, and the bread with tomato sauce/​spread was fantastic and unexpected.
We shared a pear salad which was very very good! The walnuts were perfect, not soggy the pears were crisp and the lettuce was fresh.…and of course, the dressing! All excellent!
Half way through my penne bolognse I thought, «I can’t finish this, I’m getting full» followed by me picking up my fork again for more because it was so tasty!
Took my mom here, she ordered the roasted pork loin, and even she who is self proclaimed «particular» about her food, loved it!
I will definitely be back for more! This is one place I hope lasts, with all the great food places in San Diego, it must be difficult, I however will do my part by returning, with friends!

Very happy with EVERYTHING we ordered. The fried artichoke, carpaccio and nutella crepes were a perfect combination. I enjoy eating the anti pasti menu vice the large primi menu.
We wandered over after a fun run in Balboa so we were in sweats. We had the dog with us and were comfortable in their small outdoor seating area out front.
Of Note: Beer and wine only.

Modern Italian restaurant with good food and a nice vibe.
We had a reservation, but it was unnecessary for a Tuesday afternoon, because the place was lightly busy. A mixed crowd, which seemed to be mostly comprised of Hillcrest locals. Although there was an awkward first date we witnessed at the table next to us. Tres Porcellini is perhaps not the best first date/​blind date spot if you needed a spot with a bit more action to deter from a possibly awkward encounter since it is more intimate. It’s a casual place, although the décor is somewhat Miami-​esque.
— Polenta al Cinghiale: I am such a sucker for polenta and any form of it. This was pretty decent. It had a good consistency and was seasoned well.
— Fusilli con Salsiccia: The mushrooms and sausage complimented each other well and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente.
— Tagliatelle al bolognese: Also delicious with good seasoning and hearty feeling left in your belly.
The service was good and attentive. And all around a good experience. I would come back if I was in the area and wanted italian food.

Tre Porcellini
SD: Hill Crest
July 29, 2011
Four Stars
Yesterday I tried the Hopping Pig and Today I tried Tre Porcellini. It’s been a swine-​tastic 2 days. We started with a Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Collio Gorrizia $ 24. The wine was slightly sweet and not too dry. We tried their house specialty: «Mac and Cheese Risotto» –Parmigiano, Aged White Cheddar, Champagne, and Truffle Oil. The big bowl creamy risotto was so good, the Arborio rice had just the perfect amount of bite to them that balance the creaminess of the dish. I ordered the Ravioli con L’Osso: Homemade Ravioli Stuffed with Braised Veal and Ossobuco topped with a Red Wine Reduction/​Mushroom/​Sage Cream Sauce. On the side was the ossobuco bone with the marrow still inside. The whole dish was delicious but the ravioli was a bit hard at the corners. The Gnocchi was perfect. Definitely going to return here.

First impression was that it’s a really cool chic spot. The restaurant is decorated like an upscale lounge. The food took almost an hour before it got to our table but our server offered us both a free glass of wine or dessert. He was very friendly with an authentic Italian accent.
Unfortunately, they were also out of bread but offered us polenta instead. How an Italian restaurant runs out of bread I don’t know…
BUT
lucky for them they’re food was superb. My italian sausage was soooo good. The sausage was high quality meat, the mushrooms had a dark and flavorful taste to them and the sauce was rich and creamy. Mmmm mmmm.
My boyfriends smoked salmon vodka pasta was really good as well.
We also had the mac n cheese risotto which was pretty good. I thought it was ok but my boyfriend really liked it. The risotto texture was well done.
This is a great place for date night, and if groupon offered another coupon deal I would probably buy it again.

Make a reservation. This place is AWESOME. They are not playing around… they know exactly what they are doing… and GOD BLESS THEM FOR IT!
I got the salmon pasta and my friend got some veggie dish… we practically ate it all… we went for hh … you have to get the Caresse martini… they have AWESOME prices.

4 star average? Apparently San Diego in 2011 is as impressed by bad waiters with thick Italian accents as much as housewives in 1965 Gary, Indiana must have been.
Maybe Guido or Giuseppe should go back into the kitchen and give Chuey and Guadalupe some fucking lessons on how to cook Italian food. Like how about not serving rancid shrimp on top of fishy-​tasting pasta as your special of the day. Or how about not serving tomatoes and mozzarella that are fucking ice-​cold.
Have some respect for yourselves!

I purchased a Groupon for Tre Porcellini a few weeks ago and have been anxiously awaiting the chance to use it. So we made a reservation for Tuesday evening at 6:00 PM. The location was interesting. It was right next to a crowded and loud bar, but once inside the restaurant, we heard no noise from the bar.
It turned out that we really didn’t need that reservation that we made, as the restaurant was basically empty. The atmosphere was nice. The décor was modern and fun. We were immediately seated and the bus boy was incredibly friendly, and he filled up waters for us right away. Our waiter came shortly after and took our orders. Shortly after that, we were served with delicious warm bread and an insanely yummy tomato and olive oil salsa type thing. It was delicious!
I ordered the Tagliatelle al Pomodoro. It was excellent. The tomato basil gravy was fresh and flavorful, and the pasta was fresh and very good. Hubby ordered the Vitello Saltimbocca and he really enjoyed it. He said it was one of the best things he’s eaten in a long time! It looked good, even to my vegetarian eyes. We also ordered the Truffled Polenta Fries, which were to die for! Wow! I couldn’t even believe how good they were! Poor hubby only had a couple. I chowed down on those things! The portions were perfect; not too much and certainly not too little.
Our waiter was great, the food was incredible, and the overall experience was a wonderful one! We will be back, and I grabbed a few business cards that they had in the front to pass along to friends and family who I’m sure will also agree– this place is great!

Truffled Polenta Fries. done and done.
Okay just kidding. I’ll review the rest, but really. truffled polenta fries. It just has to be done.
Décor is modern, but still cute and cozy. Everyone is insanely nice here, and the food is pretty tasty. We got the bruschetta trio, tagliolini neri, and gnocchi. Oh, and the bread they give you is paired with this delicious fresh tomato bruschetta-​ish salsa. The actual bruschetta appetizer comes in a hearty portion — the olive bread, though I hate olives, is a nice touch. Each one is unique, fun, and flavorful.
Tagliolini Neri. generous portion of seafood in the sauce, super tasty pasta (cuttlefish ink, delish).
Gnocchi. well I don’t love gnocchi in general, but the boy liked it enough. For a gnocchi *con salsiccia* though, there wasn’t a lot of sausage, or mushroom, present.
Overall a good experience. Will be back, definitely for truffle fries. I put it on par with Origano though. Decent place to grab some tasty and unique pasta. Hint: get a
coupon for this place when they are doing the 80% off deals.

Hillcrest has its fair share of bars and restaurants and I figured that I give this place a shot since it was in the vicinity of the some of the bars I was to going to partake in this particular evening.
The establishment was pretty clean with some art and paintings on the walls. I chose to sit at the bar… as usual, one of the stools was wobbly, no not like a wobbly H, but just wobbly.
Started off with the brushetta trio. Three different brushetta pieces for about $ 10. One of the pieces had some mushroom, had a pretty weird flavor to it. The other two were pretty decent. Had I known in advance that they were serving warm bread and tomato sauce, I probably would have skipped the brushetta.
For the main, I went with one of their specials. Pappardelle with wild boar. Honestly from the first bite, it tasted like Prego slash Ragu sauce with ground beef. Couldn’t really tell if it was «wild boar» but overall it was just a standard long thin wide noodles with meat sauce.
For dessert, I went with their homemade Coppa all’Amaretto. Pretty sweet mascarone cream, amaretto cookies dipped in Disaronno and shaved chocolate (bunch of Italian words I don’t know). Yum.
Still it’s a pretty decent place to hang out and take advantage of their happy hour specials, daily from 4−7pm. Draft beers and house wine for $ 3.50, domestic bottles for $ 3, and appetizers for $ 7.

After reading all of the reviews on here I have to say I was super excited to try the mac n’ cheese but unfortunately I was let down terribly. I’m pretty sure it was just rice and cheese. Everything else we had was very good (I had the gnocchi con salsiccia & my boyfriend had the pappardelle alla vodka.)
On a different note, our waiter was slightly rude and was about as welcoming as a coroner but the bartender was extremely nice so that kind of made up for it.
The food & the décor will certainly be the reason we would come back, we’ll just hope for a different waitress.

We had a
certificate for Tre Porcellini.
We started with polenta fries which were delicious. The complimentary bread and tomato sauce/​dip was also good. They refilled it for us after we inhaled it.
My eating partner got the pork 3 ways. He said the braised pork belly was quite good and the best of the 3. He did not care for the other 2 preparations.
I got the pesto al pistacchio, which is pasta with speck and almond pistachio pesto. The speck was the highlight of the dish, giving it a tasty salty punch. The rest of the dish was really bland. I couldn’t taste pistachio or almond in the creamy white sauce. I actually had to salt it. I have to admit we were both a little disappointed.
The waiter was fantastic. I actually commented to my eating partner that we got the best service I’d had in a long time. He was just great. Very personable and checked up on us enough but not too much.
(I saw someone else mentionin a review how «everyone working in this restaurant is Italian»… um. Maybe some of them are, but I’m pretty sure no one we talked to was Italian. Not that that really matters anyway).