Upscale Italian Restaurant Lucrezia Opens at Westfield UTC | Eater San Diego

"Set to open Thursday, August 3 at the Westfield UTC Mall, I describe Lucrezia as a chic, upscale Italian restaurant that brings the spirit of “la dolce vita,” evoking the vintage look of a Fellini film with servers in white jackets and narrow black ties. It's the first San Diego outpost for Grupo Hunan and was designed by Cuaik Comprehensive Design Studio; I note Paulo Sergio Mendoza is helming the kitchen while culinary and wine director Miguel Torres Flores lends his expertise. Menu highlights include grilled baby lamb chops, Florentine steak, housemade pasta and Neapolitan-style pizza from a green-tiled Marraforni pizza oven, and a dramatic glass-enclosed wine cellar houses over 65 Italian varietals served in signature crystal limited-edition glasses. The dining room seats up to 300 with a piazza-style outdoor terrace, cozy date-night tables for two beside a model vintage red-and-white-striped Italian speedboat, a large wrap-around Italian marble bar with swiveling green-striped stools, and two private indoor and outdoor dining areas (the enclosed indoor space even has its own bar and TV). To capture Italian authenticity, ceramics like playful rooster jugs and candle bases plus imported green and red tiles were used. Lucrezia will eventually be open daily for lunch and dinner, with initial hours listed as 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday–Saturday; dinner service only continues until mid-August and a midday happy hour (cocktail, oyster, and pizza specials) is planned to begin in September." - Helen I. Hwang