Bice Ristorante Restaurant Review
425 Island Ave. (Fourth St.) 
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San Diego, CA 92101
619-239-2423 | Make Restaurant Reservations
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Bice Ristorante Restaurant is one of our 2012
| Top 10 San Diego Italian Restaurants
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Cuisine
Open
Dinner nightlyFeatures
- Romantic setting
- Private room(s)
- Full bar
- Reservations suggested
- Valet parking
- Business casual
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 Milano chef Mario Cassineri helms the kitchen with creative flair while managing partner Mark Spears commands the floor deftly. The sprawling cheese and salumi bar is eye-catching; try the various Italian formaggio served with chestnut, cranberry and mille fleurs honey, plus sweet tomato jam and Mediterranean olives. The menu begins with antipasto like fava bean and fennel salad with pears, tender Castelluccio lentils with Chino beets and crumbled goat cheese, and a trio of tartares (ahi, salmon and sea bass). But it is the pasta---handmade, al dente---that transfixes: gnocchi speckled with Asiago and pesto; orecchiette holding nuggets of hot Italian sausage and broccoli rabe; plump ravioli hiding a treasure trove of braised beef, veal and spinach in a subtle mushroom and Marsala sauce. Next, the branzino appears whole on a cedar wood plank---a good example of Cassineri’s skill---the delicate white fish infused with smoky flavor and elevated with a fresh herb-truffle emulsion. Desserts may include a chocolate lava cake and almond panna cotta with strawberry sauce. The knowledgeable waitstaff is both intuitive and relaxed. Don’t miss the wine and cheese tasting flights on Mondays or daily happy hour.
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RESTAURANT AWARDS
We just published the 2012 edition of our annual restaurant issue, featuring the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. and much more. Check it out!
