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Lunch of the Month: Sante Ristorante

Award winning, celebrity-discovered and most definitely a local favorite, Sante Ristorante provides exceptional traditional Italian fare at its charming location alongside La Jolla’s busting business district.  Owner Tony Buonsante brings the insipration for the restaurant’s authentic, Northern Italian cuisine from his small hometown of Mola Di Bari, Italy, where he resided before working his way up the ranks to become partner at La Fenice restaurant in New York City.   Sante recently celebrated its 20th anniversary and has won countless awards, including its yearly recognition in Wine Spectator magazine for one of the most outstanding wine lists in the world, The California Restaurant Association Gold Medallion Award of Excellence for Best Italian Fine Dining, The Gourmet Magazine Readers Favorite Top Restaurant, and Top San Diego Restaurant from Zagat Surveys.

Everything about Sante Ristorante is supremely traditional, from the generous portions to the homemade pastas and rustic Italian entrees, to the welcoming family-style atmosphere.   Sante’s interior is spacious (the restaurant has five rooms, which can accommodate groups from 10 to 200) yet intimate and cozy, with a beautiful Tuscan décor.  Menu offerings are prepared with local and seasonal ingredients, as well specialties, such as white truffles, which are flown in from Italy.  Chef Franco Howard, who studied at culinary school in Piedimonte Matese (in the province of Casarta, Italy) and has cooked his way through Europe, stressed to us that he can customize or create any dish, as long as the kitchen has the ingredients on hand.

Sante’s menu features a variety of pasta dishes, meat and seafood entrees, antipasti, salads and paninis.  Not to be missed at the start of your meal is the focaccia bread and olive bread, served with sundried tomato and rosemary olive oil and a vegetable puree dip, which changes daily depending what’s freshest (on our visit, it was a tasty combination of bell peppers, zucchini and carrots).  We recommend that you try the calamari, breaded and fried to perfection and served with a home-style marinara sauce, as well as the Mista salad, a light and refreshing combination of arugula, Belgian endive, almonds, apples, goat cheese and honey soy dressing. 

My dining companion and I sampled two of the restaurant’s most popular entrees, the Grigliata Mista, an earthy combination of grilled shrimp, scallops, king Salmon and halibut, all herb breaded and crusted with garlic, parsley, cognac and white wine, and the Agnolotti d’Astice, homemade ravioli filled with a generous portion of fresh Maine lobster in a hearty tomato shrimp sauce.  We also tried a few seasonal dishes, a Parmigiana de Zucca, a tender pumpkin parmesan with delicious red sauce and Parmesan cheese served with an antipasti dish - garlic-seasoned bell peppers and ground beef; and a ricotta and spinach ravioli with a delectable pumpkin cream sauce. Both the ravioli and Parmesan dishes were unique (and great for vegetarian diners!) and although seasonal, the Chef reassured us that we could call ahead if the craving for pumpkin struck.

Last but not least, Sante’s dessert menu covers all the traditional Italian favorites – Tiramisu, homemade gelatos and sorbets.  The chef surprised us with a delicious coffee mousse, which was rich yet light, the perfect end to our meal.  Sante offers exceptional service, and often Owner Tony Buonsante is often on hand to greet guests.  Sante’s warm, inviting décor and atmosphere makes it perfect for holidays or special occasions, as well as an intimate business lunch.  We agree with Sante’s numerous fans – this is traditional Italian fare at it’s best! 

Sante is open for lunch, dinner, and a new weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, featuring crepes, frittatas, salads and more.  Sante also offers a full to-go menu.  For more information and complete menus, visit www.santeristorante.com.