Jack M.
Yelp
Acqua E Farina is located in the same building as Farmer's Table in Chula Vista. Farmer's table will continue to serve breakfast and brunch through the morning hours, and Acqua e Farina will serve dinner at 4 pm daily.
Let me start by expressing that Acqua e Farina is an outstanding place to have dinner. The food and service were quite exceptional, not to mention they newly renovated space very inviting.
For dinner, I had the acqua e farina house salad with wild arugula, the Pappardelle with beef cheek ragu, and the acqua e farina pizza with salame picante and mushrooms, not mention a nice glass of Italian dry red wine.
The salad was light, simple, and refreshing. The wild arugula was great and paired well with roasted peppers, pickled onions, and truffle croutons. The pecorino added nice saltiness. The balsamic olive oil was mild and not to be overbearing.
The pappardelle was definitely the highlight of dinner. The pasta was prepared to perfection and had a terrific chew. The slowly rendered down beef cheeks developed a great rich flavor. I thought the sauce was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this item.
The acqua e farina pizza was great, too. The new take on the neapolitan dough is very successful. It was super soft and chewy with a very light crisp exterior. The spicy salame was tasty, and the San Marzano tomato sauce was very delicious. The pizza also came with red onions, mushrooms, mozzarella & stracciatella cheese, not to mention fresh oregano, which took the pizza over the top.
Oh yes, the canaloni are wonderful. I had the pistachio and chocolate chip, and they both were bliss. Both came generously filled, and the plate was beautifully presented.
The meal was excellent and so was the service. Claudio, an old-school Italian, offered mannerisms of an old word Italian gent in a good way. Barbara, the manager, took the time to provide details regarding the menu and some of the new interior design. Great new spot for dinner.