Viva Pasta

I happen to miss the resturant. We were totally shocked that it was closed when we went to have lunch there and it was closed. The owner was a resident of our building and he did the dinner for our holiday party and it was great.
We ate at the resturant several times for lunch and also had hot food and good service even if the owner wasnt there. Never had to wait.

It was nice to see them actually make our pasta right in front of us, and the staff seemed nice and friendly, but the food is pretty mediocre. You get several sauce, meat, pasta shape, and vegetable choices but it wasn’t as exciting as I had hoped.
Probably a better place for quick takeout or delivery — but not really the place you sit down and eat. It wasn’t too cozy.

Good place for a quick and relatively inexpensive meal (considering whole food across the street would charge almost double for that make-​your-​own salad because of the weight), the ingredient used are fresh. But somehow it seems like they always run out of certain things that I want…
The curry chicken is good, so is their pesto sauce. I didn’t like the turkey meatball though, it has no taste…
The service is not fast, but every time I’m there the person working is always nice and has a smile, that just brightens up my day.
PS no more free ice tea, these are 1 dollar now. Although I think they’ll be better off just raising the price by $ 1. I just feels so much better when the ice tea is «FREE» or pre-​charged.

The group from work went here yesterday, despite my protests about the slow service. We figured we’d give it another shot.
We walk in, and see four ladies off to the side waiting for their order, and two other people standing and waiting too. We become nervous and my friend asks the guy at the counter how long it’ll take for four orders. «Ten minutes» he says. We decide to tempt fate and place an order.
About 20 – 25 minutes later, the food arrives. We were pretty much the only people in the place the entire time. Three of the entrees are hot but the fourth is stone cold. My friend took his meal up and complained, and received a new one about 5 minutes later that was pretty good. It’s really a shame because the food is fresh and good but it’s just not worth the wait.
The owner came to our table afterward and apologized, said my friend would not have to pay for his meal and gave us each a voucher for a free meal on the house. It’s admirable he’s willing to do that but who wants to wait that long for fast pasta? A friend of mine suggested giving the vouchers to a homeless guy and I may very well do that.

So, I gave Viva Pasta one more shot the other night. Seems there have been some changes going on in there. Verdict is still out on whether that is a good thing. Due to the dismal economic times we live in, iced tea is not longer included with your meal. And the raspberry tea didn’t taste the same.
But on the positive tip, the service was very friendly and attentive. Hopefully, this is a good sign for things to come, because I get a serious hankering for that curry chicken sandwich and blue cheese salad!

Italy is one of the only countries in Western Europe I cannot trace part of myself back to, so I supplement by eating a lot of Italian food. A lot. I’m also reasonably interested in health. I come from the family that didn’t allow soda or anything with what could be considered «excessive plastic wrap» for years.
So, from what I heard, it seemed Viva Pasta would be a hit. I admire to concept, but it simply doesn’t play out. I don’t remember exactly what I got, but it was something I would have made at home were I not lazy and had a ton of veggies laying about. It was simply not good. It was okay. I ate it. It filled me up. It took a long time for my food to arrive, which is usually a good sign, but it wasn’t in this case.
The whole place felt like it was dropped by martians in the middle of San Diego after studying what they think humans will like. Objectively, it makes great sense, but the vibe is all wrong.

I usually have a hard and fast rule that I don’t eat Italian food at restaurants. I mean why would you? It’s so much easier to cook it yourself and it often tastes better too.
So…I broke my rule tonight. Just threw it out the window. I went all maverick on it. I was cavalier. I tried Viva Pasta, a cross between IKEA and your favorite little trattoria.
I was hungry, I didn’t want to cook, and I didn’t want to pay a lot for dinner. I scored on all three categories. I’m no longer hungry, I didn’t cook and dinner for two was only $ 16.00. Seriously…$ 16.00.
And the food was really decent. My wife and I split a salad loaded with broccoli, tofu, bleu cheese, cranberries, carrots and mixed greens with a nice vinaigrette on it and a plate of linguine with spicy marinara sauce, mixed veggies and a ton of cheese. We didn’t get free iced tea, but it was only .75 each.
I wasn’t too sure about the place, but it turned out to be pretty good. I’d definitely try it again.

I went to this restaurant because they were part of the Eat Drink and the Freedom to Marry where they gave part of their proceeds to the defeat Prop 8 initiative. A girl’s gotta eat right? Might as well be for a cause other than my thighs.
So you walk in and you are immediately greeted by the person at the counter who directs us to a table where you fill out your own order. The pasta possibilities are endless. I myself got the wheat penne (helps me prevent carbo coma) with pesto, tomato marinara, and spicy marinara, turkey meatballs, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, and garlic. I could have added ten more ingredients if I wanted for no extra charge. It was fabulous. Very tasty and more than enough. I had to get some of mine to go. Also the day we went they were handing out free brownies. Could this meal get any better? Well yes it could because they also carried my favorite wimpy beer MGD 64 for only $ 2.50. Also the employee behind the counter checked on us often and was so cheerful and adorable that I wanted to take him home but he didn’t fit in my to go box. =(
So I will be BACK and when I do I’m gonna show up dancing around, shaking my bootay and snapping my fingers. VIVA PASTA!!!

My advice: Do the salad…
Holy mound of delicious vegetation!!! I LOVE how you can pick everything on the menu and make a huge and mouth-​watering salad for $ 7. Seriously… strawberries, walnuts, blue cheese, zucchini, carrots, apples, chicken… YES! I want more, and I want it immediately.
The guy that helped us was SO nice, too. I am all about this joint and will definitely be back when I need my salad fix.
Oh, but minus one star because my friend’s sandwich (turkey meatball) looked so sad and small next to my glorious mound of fresh veggies and fruit. He totally had plate envy… And also, when we walked in the place, it smelled like cleaning chemicals. (Hey– at least it’s clean though, right?)
I am all about the magnificent salad… it was so big, it coulda fed two people. For reals, I had to take half home. Nice work Viva!
Should be renamed to: Viva SALAD… (wiping drool from side of mouth)

So once in a while, the husband and I like to spend an entire day shopping. That’s right, an entire day. I am usually able to talk him into such a venture by suggesting a mid-​afternoon sojourn at the Home Depot — he loves him some hardware stores. For some reason, Saturday was one of these days — we did every bigbox retailer within a 30mile radius *and* bought a couch. Needless to say, by 6.30pm we were exhausted, starving and BROKE.
What to do? Why Viva Pasta, of course. I recalled reading some pretty positive reviews and noticed they had turkey meatballs (my fave), so we rolled in and grabbed one of the fill in the blanks cards.
I selected the cappellini pasta with spicy marinara, turkey meatballs, mushrooms, zucchini and garlic. The husband had the penne with turkey meatballs, bell peppers and spicy marinara (sometimes when we are tired we share a brain).
The food was fresh and tasty, though the vegetables were done at a very small dice and there could definitely have been more. Also, I thought the sauce was a bit bland for a spicy, but it wasn’t *bad* by any means. For a quick, cheap meal this place totally fit the bill. I’m not going to go rushing back, but the next time I want to grab a fast fresh meal for under $ 20 for two, I’ll think of this place for sure.

Viva Food! Viva Choice! VIVA PASTA!
Just thinking of this yummy place
Can put a smile on my face
Recall the warm and friendly air
Pervading through this restaurant, where
You’re greeted with a big HELLO!
As cute staff points you where to go
So pick your pasta! Sandwich! Drink!
Just trust your gut, don’t overthink
And then your order’s on the line
For a mere $ 8, maybe nine
And soon the steaming plate comes out
To show you what we Unilocal about
A mound of pasta (laced with crack?)
That once you taste… You *will* be back.

I was skeptical, and a little bummed that Capriotti’s had been squeezed out, so it took me a while to try Viva Pasta. I was getting some copies made at Stinkos across the way, and decided to finally roll in and sample their cheap eats. I literally had $ 8 and no credit card on me, so I was in desperate need for something light on the wallet. Viva was light, indeed.
They let you make your own meal. Not literally… they’re not slappin’ an apron on you and sending you to the kitchen, but they let you create your own little masterpiece. You choose the noodles, the sauce and the protein. There are like, 5 or 6 options in each category, so no matter what you preference is, you’ll likely find something you dig.
Additionally, they hook you up with a free glass of iced tea while you wait! REALLY good tea too. There were three options, but I went with the Indian Chai tea. It was delicious and refreshing.
Food lagged just a little bit, but it was all good. The entire meal/​drink combo only set me back $ 6.95, so who was I to complain? That’s a deal, son! It wasn’t gourmet by any means, but it most definitely hit the spot, without blowing my wad.
If you’re low on the funds and you’re sick of Budget Gourmet from the frozen foods section at Ralphs, you should give ‘em a try!

Viva Pasta is the only place I’ve found nearby where I can get a fresh cooked, well rounded, healthy, and delicious meal *with* a drink for $ 7. The «build your own» meal approach actually works very well for their pastas and salads. Now I’m just waiting for one to open up downtown.
Bonus: if you’re wondering whether they are open at a certain time of day or night, chances are the answer is ‘yes’. Open ’til midnight, woo woo!
Update: Economy claims another victim, I’m sorry to see VP has closed. :(

Went back last night, this time to try the pasta.
Got the penne with a spicy marinara, turkey meatballs, and added (for free) eggplant, onion, mushroom, and garlic. This was fantastic. The sauce was bold and spicy (kinda like me) and the combination of flavors worked extremely well together.
Still love the free iced tea, but had to pay $ 2 for the salad (which is still reasonable). Still open until midnight. Service as good as the last time. I shall be back.

Viva Pasta Good in theory…
So let me just say that first off, my expectations were very high coming here as I am a sucker for spaghetti and I have been wanting to come here for a while. Viva Pasta is located in a very strange little strip mall that seems somewhat out of place in Hillcrest… strip malls are so Clairemont… East County too. Now I’m not trying to be pretentious or anything, but a strip mall just brings up many images in my mind, and good food isn’t usually one of them.
So the interior of the place is pretty modern and very Ikea-​ish… that means it is kinda cute but very cheap. So the meal you get is a bowl of pasta (a few different choices here, the only really but the only real unique one was the spinach linguine) and four different sauses; three tomato based and one white sause, some different «protiens» and veggies.
The lady that took our order was very nice and polite, but she also seemed very rushed as it seemed there was only one other person working with her. They did a good job with the steady flow of customers that came in, and seemed to keep the place looking clean and relatively well stocked with condiments and napkins. Service was 5* for this type of venue.
Well the first thing that I noticed was no beef on the menu… well my choices for meat were sausage, turkey (!!!), chicken, and tofu… well I chose none. They had a nice variety of veggies and I loaded up on these. I chose to add on a salad and a baguette. The salad and baguette were like $ 2.50 together, and then the pasta came with an ice tea. They sold sodas and other drinks, but they were super over-​priced. The salad was good, the ingredients pretty fresh, although there was hardly any salad, and hardly any dressing either. The bread, on the other hand, was very meh; no flavor whatsoever, and no butter or salt for flavoring.
The pasta was brought out and was nice and hot. The lady offered us fresh pepper for our pasta, which seemed very strange but when in Rome… So the first thing I noticed was the lack of salt and crushed red pepper at the table. They had Parmesan cheese and that was it. The pasta filled me up but while it was not bad at all, it tasted very bland, and lacked any real unique flavor. Maybe it just needed a bit more of a bite, but everything else was good; it was just al dente, hot, the veggies looked fresh. There was just nothing special or unique about the taste.
I suppose I would come back here sometime, but there are just so many different restaurants in this area that I would like to try, and I am in no hurry to come back here, as you should be too; but if you decide that you must, remember to bring along your own crushed red pepper.

This place has a Starbuck’s complex: way too much emphasis on convenience and choices/​options, and not enough emphasis on quality.
People seem to love this place because it is fast. I have not been the least bit impressed by Viva Pasta. I keep giving it more chances because I want it to be good, I want a healthy fast food alternative, but at the end of the day I have to face the fact that this place is very ordinary. Not worth the money.
My list of grievances:
–Don’t get the tofu unless you like your tofu soggy. (I don’t)
–Their «healthy» Alfredo sauce (not sure that’s even possible?) is very bland (maybe that’s why it’s healthy?). I went home and poured garlic salt and lemon juice on it.
–They are very stingy with their veggies. Maybe one zucchini slice in my whole dish and two slivers of bell pepper. Not acceptable.
–I don’t like Iced Tea and they don’t let you substitute for a different free drink.
So, after paying for the soda and $ 2 for a side salad, I was looking at $ 11. Far too much for a mediocre meal. I would rather go down the street to Bacione Ristorante, a nice Italian restaurant that has fast service, where I’ll get an excellent pasta dish, bread, and a salad for the same price if not cheaper. I’ll be taking quality over convenience from now on thank you very much. Lesson learned!

Taste of Hillcrest Review: I was excited to try this place since I love pasta so much. I think it’s pretty new; or I haven’t noticed it before. Looks like they’re opening a new one downtown and another one on Nobel Drive in UTC. The guy at the door was incredibly enthusiastic, warm and inviting. He seemed truly into this place and what it was all about. It looked like it could be something like a Pasta Bravo, but maybe a bit more options? The concept seemed cool. There’s a «Create Your Own Pasta» or «Choose Your Signature Pasta» menu for $ 6.95 plus free iced tea. Two of my favorites — pasta and iced tea. Anyway, it looked like something I’d dig.
Unfortunately though, I didn’t. And I’m hoping it’s because the pasta had to sit in a warming dish waiting for people to come try it. There were two options for Taste — one was a marinara with broccoli on fusilli. It was completely soggy and the broccoli was brown and also overcooked. Totally like it’d be at a cafeteria. The other option was some sort of alfredo on penne. Didn’t even bother.
Since this place is supposed to be made to order and fresh, fresh, fresh, I’m thinking that Taste of Hillcrest just wasn’t a good idea for this type of food. Pasta never tastes good soggy and when it’s been laying around for hours. So I will give the one in UTC a try. The bowls of pasta in front of people that weren’t on the food tour looked good. So, we’ll see…

Viva Pasta — IKEA Meets Organic Goodness
The sign advertising «organic» caught my eye, so a friend and I entered this fast-​casual eatery yesterday after tooling around downtown San Diego. I should note that ever since we got back to San Diego, we’ve been incorporating a lot more organic food into our diet. I’ve noticed many more restaurants advertising it as well, which is exciting for us. Viva Pasta didn’t disappoint.
For $ 6.95, you get your meal and an iced tea (chai or jasmine was today’s choice). Upon entering, there’s a table with laminated order cards (brilliantly reusable!) and you:
1. Pick the base meal: pasta, salad, or a sandwich (which comes with a side salad).
2. Customize the base as you see fit, which means pick your pasta and sauce, choose your bread and filling, or tell them what kind of salad you want.
3. Add one of seven or so proteins as you see fit (they’re cool and will let you do half and half if you’re like me and couldn’t choose between the turkey meatballs and the rosemary chicken).
4. Add unlimited veggies and/​or fruit (as appropriate).
5. Pay, then wait the short time for your meal to be delivered to your table!
The whimsical dining room is a pleasant study in IKEA meets Jamba Juice, and there were signs reminding you that a portion of the cost of your meal supports children and education through their ViVA Foundation.
I tried the flavorful chicken curry salad baguette and the whole wheat pasta with turkey meatballs and chicken. I ate half of each and brought the rest home for my husband. My friend got one of the salads and pretty much licked her bowl clean.
The staff was personable, the food delicious, and the atmosphere spot-​on. The portions are large for the price, and we both left pleasantly full (as opposed to what I call «fat cow full» — you know, so full that you want to explode and have to undo a button on the way home).
I highly recommend taking the drive to Hillcrest to enjoy the inexpensive organic goodness of Viva Pasta.

I went there for the second time recently. The owner could not be friendlier or more entergetic if he tried. They have set up a new system where you just check off the type of pasta, sauce and toppings that you want on a plastic card. They also have sandwiches and salads but all I have tried is the pasta.
The portions are good size and the ingredients all seem very fresh. The food comes out quickly and you get a meal plus a drink for $ 6.95 total. Really hard to beat. Now this is not gourmet food but for $ 7 what do you expect. The owner said that they are busy for lunch but for dinner on a weeknight it was not crowded. Definitely worth giving this place a try. I really liked the pesto sauce.

Two visits in two days — I am in love with this new little place.
We were a bit hesitant going in because of some of the «lacks flavor» comments, but we were starving and figured what the hell. Almost ordered the spicy tomato sauce just in case, but then changed my mind and I’m glad I did — penne, rosemary chicken, light Alfredo sauce, pesto sauce, broccoli and garlic is a GREAT combination, and didn’t seem to be lacking flavor at all. And the portion size was totally perfect — enough to be filling, but not so much that I felt like I’d stuffed myself after eating it all.
AND the place gets an extra star at least for making their pesto without nuts! I almost never get to eat pesto since they usually put either walnuts or pine nuts in it (and an ambulance ride in the middle of lunch can ruin your entire day), but Lisa asked these guys about nuts in the pesto and they said they make it without since some people are allergic. YAY, Viva Pasta!!! (And for the people who want them, you can get walnuts added to your dish.)
Like Jim G said, lots of options for build your own everything (pasta, sandwiches, salads… plus a kids menu with Parmesan pasta that the boy went nuts over). $ 6.95 including iced tea (the raspberry is very good and unsweetened, which is a plus as far as I’m concerned), additional drinks to buy if you want something else, side salads and low-​fat brownies to add on if you want. $ 3.95 for kids dishes, which from our experience looked just about the same size as the grown up stuff.
Terrific service, genuinely friendly and helpful. Clean and bright inside, tables outside too.
Now my only problem is breaking out of the penne/​chicken/​Alfredo/​pesto/​broccoli/​garlic mold and trying something different…