[Restaurant Review
Rural Getaway and Fine Dining at Firenze Trattoria
"Where am I?” I ask myself in a curious manner as I drive down a two-lane road in a rural area of Encinitas, scenery that is not knowingly expected from a beach community. I scavenge the area for any signs or signal, looking for the correct path while I pass great open plains, extravagant yet cozy houses, and gated pastures for livestock to graze. Then over the horizon, Firenze Trattoria appears, North County’s hidden gem tucked away from the busy world. Firenze Trattoria and its backcountry location allow patrons to leave the busy 9-to-5 lifestyle to enjoy rustic Italian entrees that are hearty and fulfilling. These two aspects of location and cuisine might seem detached at first, yet at the end of the night I end up finding a correlation between them. And let me tell you a little something without spoiling the night, I feel right at home.
Owner Barry Podwell opened the Firenze Trattoria gates in 1994. The Restaurant owners before Podwell tried to open their own establishment at this location yet it ended with a “Closed” sign and a vacant building. Podwell, however, considered this to be a perfect location for the type of restaurant he wanted to open. As a result, Firenze Trattoria emerged. After 18 years, with the support from locals and a major remodeling, Firenze Trattoria stands anew and is not going anywhere.
To the rear of their dining area, Firenze offers a private dining area for large parties up to 50 guests. Recently renovated, Firenze’s private dining room gives guests an area closed off from the main dining room, creating a secluded area for you and your company. Dark wood fixtures mix with soft colors from the walls and table cloths providing guests with an experience classic Italian theme dining area.
Firenze Trattoria offers a great selection of wines ranging by location, specifically from California and Italy. Popular choices to go along with your entrée are Napa Valley red wines like the Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition, Firenze Trattoria is a proud recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, a list that recognizes restaurants that offer interesting selections appropriate to their cuisine, as well as an extensive selection of wines. Also, every Monday most of their bottles are half-price all day.
With dim lighting casting a classic glow, Firenze Trattoria offers a full bar alongside their vast wine selection. Decorated with dark wood accents, a granite top, and high seating, their bar looks and feels like a classic Italian bar. It’s also worth noting that their selection of liquor is comparable to their wine selection. Behind their bar, liquor and spirits fill three rows of shelves, offering patrons to order most classic cocktails or mixed drink. Their bar area is perfect for a quick bit to eat during lunch hours.
Speaking of lunch hours, Firenze offers patrons a modified menu of a handful of dinner entrees for a fraction of the cost. Served until 3:00pm most days, Firenze offers popular dishes like Rigatoni alla Vodka e Fungi for lunch. Also, Firenze adds a handful of panini sandwiches that are only available during lunch hours. Grilled on Tuscan bread, these paninis are hand crafted with different protein combinations and are topped with fresh ingredients like Salsiccie con Peperonata, grilled homemade sausage with roasted bell peppers, Bermuda onions, and fresh tomato sauce. Firenze continues to promote their rustic Italian cuisine during lunch hours and provides dinner entrees for a similarly great price.
I arrive at Firenze Trattoria with minutes to spare on my expected arrival time. My guests wait patiently under Firenze’s front awning, which is lined with a contrasting stripe pattern and provides protection from today’s sun. Taking a peek past the grand doorway, General Manager Steve McCartney and our server, Jeanette, await us to enter with welcoming gestures. Accepting their welcome, we walk right in to begin the night’s festivities.
Firenze’s daytime environment is soft and welcoming. Natural light seeps through their windows, filtering the harsh rays with shear, decorative drapes and leaves only subtle lighting to enter. Plus with Firenze’s warm taupe tones and the sound of water cascading from an indoor waterfall, the dining room aura feels like a dream scene from the movies.
My guest and I opt to have dinner on their open patio. When the sun settles under the horizon, their patio lighting flicks on and a romantic setting ensues. Each individual table has its own spot light illuminating everything around, gradually blending negative space to positive and creating an invisible barrier that separates each table from the other. Equipped with heat lamps, Firenze’s patio is a great choice to take in the environment on even the coldest of nights. Complemented by the calming sound of trickling water from their fountain and colorful flower arrangements placed around, Trattoria creates a charming oasis perfect for a dinner date for two.
After soaking in the environment, we settle into our seats and dive headfirst into the menu. Firenze Trattoria’s menu selection is vast, with rustic Italian entrees served with your preferred protein. In addition, they offer vegetarian dishes and are happy to modify any entree to your dietary needs. With so much to try—from the Scampi Casanostra to the Carbonara to the Vitello Marsala—I know at least one or two will catch my eye for my entree of the night. Yet my decision for the right entree doesn’t come to me as clearly as expected. Multiple dishes jump right from the menu causing my stomach to grumble vigorously. However, Jeannette walks us through the specials for the week and recommends dishes. Her knowledge and insight into the menu helps my guest and I pick the right dish we were searching for.
For our appetizers, Jeannette offers a sample of their Butternut Squash Ravioli and we gladly accept. This dish is one of the many vegetarian dishes Firenze Trattoria offers and is a definite crowd pleaser. Presented on a bed of spinach and topped off with a light butter sauce, a bit of sage, and diced tomatoes, its arrangement is simplistic yet visually appealing. The ravioli, stuffed with butternut squash, leaves a subtle and satisfying taste yet it doesn’t stop there. The ingredients slowly blend together, complementing each other and allowing each part to stand out. The hint of cinnamon peaks out of the bunch, and then the soft and savory butter sauce makes a quick appearance on my palate. The Butternut Squash Ravioli takes me and my guests for a gentle ride that allows frequent stops to experience all the ingredients in the dish.
Accompanying the Butternut Squash Ravioli, we sample the Calamari Fritti as well. Confetti-like lettuce strands decorate the plate along with diced tomatoes, a lemon wedge, and marinara sauce. Lightly battered and fried, the Calamari Fritti melts in my mouth at first contact. The interior is hardy and plump yet the consistency isn’t tough and is cooked just right. We add a drizzle of lemon juice and dip the calamari rings into a pool of marinara sauce to complete the experience. The additional flavor from the lemon juice brings a zing to my palate following with a sweet taste from the marinara sauce.
Lastly, we sample the Firenze Zuppa di Verdura; a home-style, pureed, all vegetable soup. Jeannette recommends this comfort dish and says that we will not be disappointed. The Firenze Zuppa di Verdura arrives and at first glance this soup looks plain and simple with only its green appearance popping through. However, at first spoon full a nostalgic feeling overtakes my body while warming my stomach, making me feel right at home. The texture is soothing and creamy yet no milk is added to this soup. The consistency is thick from the pureed potato base, and like the Butternut Squash Ravioli each ingredient jumps out and make an appearance from the carrots to the peas.
After our appetizers, my guest and I are thoroughly satisfied with the food and service. Our stomachs are in a state of comfort and ease after the first round. However, things get even better when our entrees start to come out. Jeannette suggests their most popular entrees, highlighting different parts of menu. We take her word and aren’t disappointed with the choices.
First to our table is the Seabass Oreganato, a pick that one of my guests announce we have to taste. The main feature in this dish is a thick sea bass filet sautéed in garlic, olive oil, and white wine covered with a breadcrumb crust and presented on top of a comforting amount of mashed potatoes. I’ve rarely ordered sea bass, yet this dish turns me into a believer of this aquatic specimen. The sea bass’ moist texture is thick, hardy, and again comforting. Also, the hint of garlic and olive oil complement the taste of the dish. The bread crumbs, in addition, add a crust and crunchy texture to the filet’s moist initial character. A creamy bed of mash potatoes and a side of vegetables come with the filet and complete the dish.
The Rigatoni alla Vodka e Fungi is next on the table. Jeannette states that this is the most popular pasta dish that Firenze offers. It’s a healthy serving of rigatoni tossed in a creamy tomato sauce with beefy mushrooms, peas, and shallots. The pasta (imported from Italy by the way) taste as if the chef made it right there and then; its freshness is impeccable. Combined with the thick slices of mushrooms and hearty yet creamy tomato sauce, I see why this is the most popular pasta dish Firenze has on its menu.
Following is our chicken portion of the night, Pollo e Gamberi Rosemarino. This dish offers a new take on the traditional surf’n turf dinner. The dish combines chicken and shrimp sautéed in white wine, shallots, extra virgin oil, and fresh rosemary. Right off the bat, the shrimp is enormous! The chicken breast and shrimp are actually the same size. The combination of ingredients complements each other greatly. The taste of rosemary glazes over my palate and then the smooth consistency of the extra virgin oil has its turn right after. Not one ingredient over-powers the others and they all work in perfect harmony.
Wanting to be adventurous, we order something not on the daily menu for our last dish. In addition to the many nightly dinner entrée choices, Firenze offers daily specials that change frequently. After much discussion with my guest and consistent badgering for this particular dish, we decide to order the Duroc Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Prosciutto. Imported Duroc pork tenderloin from France stuffed with prosciutto, broiled to tenderness and served in a pool of pesto sauce, house vegetables, and pasta. Right when the plate leaves our servers hand, I drive knife-first right for the centerpiece with no regards. My first bite showcases the tenderness from the center cut: juicy and succulent. However, I’m taken back because the pork tenderloin is foreign to my taste buds. Its flavor reflects the animal’s natural grazing diet rather than its commercial swine counterpart’s eating habits. Its hearty and “real” taste goes with the other dishes and complies with Firenze Trattoria’s rustic cuisine statement. In addition, the pesto sauce adds a clean finish on my palate.
The night ends with a full belly and a farewell to my guest, thanking them for their company. Alone, I walk through the dining area noticing a drastic change. The scenery has transformed with dim lighting for a romantic feel compared from its initial setting during the day. I bid farewell Jeanette, the management, and staff, bidding them high regards for a great night and service. On my drive home, I reflect on tonight's events. Firenze Trattoria’s hearty and comforting dishes, serene establishment, and back country surrounding takes me to simpler time where everything slows down and just be. They embody their fine dining ethos of rustic Italian dishes and combine that with their surrounding environment and its simplicity. I hold on to that feeling until I had to switch back into the fast lane, physically and mentally. Firenze Trattoria provides a dining experience that not only showcased fine rustic Italian cuisine but also exhibited the feeling of comfort by taste, feel, and location.
Insider’s Tip: On Monday’s, selected wines are half off. Also every month Firenze Trattoria offer new and exciting Special Entrees that are not on the menu. Consider asking your server for the Special Entrées that are featured every month.
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