Michael C.
Yelp
Winding around downtown Coronado saw the Garage from the main drag (Orange St). From the street it looked like it was a trendy burger joint. Oh boy was that the wrong impression, and what a terrific surprise. Shame on me for missing the full name of the restaurant, as Buona Forchetta literally means Good Food, of course, in Italian!
So be it; walking into the side door, we encountered a small market shop filled with Italian spices, pastas, sauces, etc. Proceeding further in, you realize this WAS a former auto shop (you can't miss the small car/table in the middle of the restaurant). Oh, and you will be greeted by wonderful smells of what will inspire your palette soon.
A robust menu of Italian delights is accompanied by another almost full menu of specials, so choosing your path is not that easy, but literally, you could not go wrong. Our party, of particular fondess for the purple plant, kicked off with the Egg Plant appetizer with a side of Garlic Foccia. When they arrived I thought why on earth did I order an entree as these two items were not only delectable, they were huge! Our main choices were in the traditional space, a Penne Bolognese and Fettucine Alfredo. The Bolognese was wonderful; plentiful amount of a homemade red sauce with remnants of small tomatoes and a ton of penne pasta covered with just the right amount of baked mozzarella. The Fettucine deserves a special shout out as many times when served, the sauce is too thick (starchy) and sticks to your fork (as well as the inside of your stomach). Not this dish; it was wonderfully prepared, just the right consistency and flavoring in the sauce and very large, and fresh shrimp mixed in. Oh my!
As mentioned, there was a LOT of food, so sadly we couldn't attempt a dessert, but we made note to go a bit easier (that will be difficult with so many enticing options) on the mains to save room for them on our next trip.