La Spiga Ristorante Italiano Awards

La Spiga Ristorante Italiano Restaurant Review:

It's a taste of Tuscany --- with décor to match --- along bustling El Paseo. Once open just seasonally, La Spiga is now a year-round restaurant catering to locals and visitors alike. Owners Vince and Connie Cultraro divvy up the duties, with Vince manning things in the kitchen as chef and Connie overseeing the front of the house. The place has a comfortable patio overlooking a garden with herbs, vegetables and flowers; a gazebo; and an outdoor pizza oven that operates when the weather permits. Cultraro’s subtle dishes change with the seasons, often using vegetables he grew here himself, though there are many permanent items that he could never drop for fear of an uprising. Try his spicy sausage with mustard sauce or the delicate calamari with tomatillo reduction. Polpette, veal and pork meatballs, surrounded with a moat of fresh tomato sauce, are a signature. Pastas are also a pleasure, as are the veal dishes. Desserts include profiteroles, tiramisu and chocolate terrine.