"A new Italian restaurant has moved into the former Fern Street home of Eclipse Chocolate. Il Posto is the second venture from the trio behind Maurizio’s Trattoria Italiana on South Coast Highway in Encinitas — Maurizio Carbone and a pair of lifelong friends that hail from Naples, Fabio Montagna and Antonio Pappagallo. Their aim with Il Posto, to offer affordable handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza, is aided by pizzaiolo Alfredo Pappalardo, a decorated pizza chef who’s earned various honors including an award for best traditional Napoletano pizza at the International Pizza Expo. A grand opening is scheduled for Friday, December 15, when the restaurant will be hosting giveaways including complimentary bites and desserts for all customers. Open for lunch and dinner, Il Posto serves a menu ranging from antipasti like mortadella and burrata with pistachio cream and Roman-style roasted artichokes to larger dishes such as cioppino and chicken marsala. Its broad selection of pizzas includes classic Margherita along with a white pizza riff on spaghetti alla Nerano, a famous dish from the Amalfi Coast, that features zucchini cream, a mix of cheeses, pancetta, crispy zucchini, and basil. It also offers an extensive list of pasta shapes, sauces, and toppings for build-your-own plates. Both the pizza and pasta are available in gluten-free and vegan options." - Candice Woo
