THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Trattoria Acqua

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Trattoria Acqua Restaurant Review:

Trattoria Acqua is one of several restaurants that line the picturesque La Jolla Cove; maybe because it’s family-owned, it has a looser, less pretentious atmosphere than other restaurants on the row that focus more on the social scene than the food. A sense of intimacy is achieved through the use of several small, dimly lit rooms (one is a partly covered gazebo) surrounding a small, heated patio. The food is Italian by way of California, traditional at times, but adventurous more often than not. We are charmed by the smooth texture and balanced flavors of the pastry-crowned lobster-lemon grass bisque. Creamy baked Brie is paired with light, flaky phyllo and honey-white truffle sauce. Chef Hugo Lee serves some of the finest pasta in town: of note is the agnolotti with mushrooms and black truffles, the lobster ravioli and the basic cappellini al pomodoro. Entrées include the intensely flavorful osso buco with garlic, tomato, olives and capers, as well as the hearty cassoulet with duck confit. For us dessert equals the decadent banana fritter topped with Belgian chocolate and caramel; for the traditional, the tiramisu is nicely done.