A Review of Asti Ristorante
by Melanie Jennings
copyright 2003 All Rights Reserved

For over ten years the consistently excellent food and service of the Gaslamp’s Asti Ristorante has earned the loyalty of local regulars who appreciate quality northern Italian cuisine. What these diners enjoy is a comfortable dining room with both indoor and patio seating, and the knowledge and rapport of servers they know by name. The exposed brick walls and Italian-themed paintings and banners of the dining room lend a warm and relaxed atmosphere to a meal that is sure to please. The night we visited, big southern accents from the next table let us know that tourists, too, find Asti a gem among the many fine restaurants of the Gaslamp Quarter. I know a few convention goers always book their banquets at Asti, so if you’re planning that kind of event, be sure to reserve your date.

What I like about Asti is that if you never bothered to read the menu–and I certainly am not advocating this–you’d have an incredible meal from the plentiful daily specials, among them, appetizers, pasta, seafood, and Meyers Natural Meats. We appreciated that our server made recommendations and was knowledgeable about the daily specials in particular. He assured us that the calamari fritti was "the best in the city," and after tasting it, my companion and I had to agree. Nothing beats fresh calamari lightly dusted and delicately fried. Asti serves theirs with a delicious warm, tomato-caper sauce that we ended up soaking our crusty bread in after we devoured the calamari. If calamari isn’t your thing, try starting with the caprese (tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella, roasted peppers, and basil vinaigrette), the zuppa di cozze (steamed mussels in white wine), or the carpaccio all’albese (raw beef with a truffle vinaigrette). We tried the spinach salad and were pleased with the light lemon vinaigrette and healthy slices of reggiano.

For entrees, again, the daily specials are the most tempting place to start, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. Fish is selected daily and the chef’s signature dish is a stuffed veal chop. For a romantic first date, share the gorgeous seafood platter. I tried the risotto- and crab-stuffed halibut, which was tender and had a hint of red pepper. To accompany my halibut, our server suggested the Martin Ray chardonnay, which, as promised, provided a buttery complement to the halibut. In addition to a full bar, the wine list is well selected and features Italian wines. For his entrée, my companion enjoyed the capellini ai tre crostacei. He said the shrimp, lobster, and scallops were each juicy, and the white wine basil sauce, delicate and delicious. I’m convinced you can tell a great place when your accompanying side selections are perfect as well. Next time I’m at Asti, I’ll ask for an extra helping of both the sautéed spinach and steamed garlic carrots. Instead of potatoes, you can replace them with pasta upon request.

While I may think the side dishes indicate a great place, those big southern accents at the next table disagreed with me. I overheard one woman say she could tell Asti was going to be good because the desserts are listed on the menu’s first page. Indeed, the tiramisu at Asti is not to be missed. The espresso-dipped ladyfingers and cocoa-dusted top will keep you chatting about your meal for the rest of the evening. For a less buzz-inducing treat, try the pistachio cannoli or chocolate cake.

While our reasons may differ, I think we’d all agree that Asti is a great place.

Asti Ristorante is located in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter

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