Mangia Italiano
on December 31st, 2013 at 9:24 pmI spent the last Thanksgiving weekend in San Diego where I visited and dined at local restaurants. I went with a group to Mangia Italiano located at 3rd Avenue in Chula Vista which is an Italian restaurant.
You could tell from the décor that Mangia Italiano is an independent or family owned restaurant. The décor is not “polished” which is typical of small and family owned and operated restaurant. There is a lot of stenciled painting on the wall (e.g. faux bricks and tiles) with one wall painted with a mural of a seaside village. But I was not there to look at the décor but rather to eat and dine.
We were served with garlic bread which is warm and soft; must be the best garlic bread I have ever tasted. We started with a caprese salad which is alright. The slices of tomato is not the most red (it winter season after all), the basil leaves are fresh (served whole, typically chopped) and the olives are good.
I had the Florentine shells which is filled with spinach and ricotta cheese and baked with white sauce. The white sauce is not overly rich and the ricotta cheese and spinach blended very well, the cheese is slightly sweet and spinach is savory. Overall the dish is worth ordering again.
The service is very good with the server very attentive considering the restaurant is almost full of diners. Mangia Italiano is recommended for regular weekend dining, good service, reasonable price and relatively good Italian food.
Their website is www.mangiaonthirdcom; they are located at 248 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista 91910 in San Diego County.
Very good Italian place in Chula Vista, decor not so great a hodge podge and eccelectic but hey the food is great.
I went to Mangia last Christmas season, they have very good Italian food and good service too but the decor is so tacky, my opinion.
The capresse looks very yummy.
I like Mangia, it is very homey and they really have good food and great service too. I agree, their garlic bread is very good and one of the best garlic bread I have ever tasted.
The caprese looks delicious.
I have been to Mangia Italiano last summer when I visited San Diego, love it the food is home cooking, true nothing fancy on the decor but food is great.