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An Italian restaurant in the heart of Little Italy in San Diego, Civico 1845 has become incredibly popular with it's fresh ingredients, from scratch pasta and breads, and a menu for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike!
We popped into Civico 1845 on a random night a while back when they first opened.
Even then, we absolutely fell in love.
The food was amazing, and we still talk about the delicious plate of prosciutto. SO GOOD.
Recently we decided to check it out again, as we have been having some not-so-great experiences with Italian food lately.
We were both seriously craving some good pasta.
This time around, we couldn't just mosy on in. This place is super popular and we had to make a reservation to secure our spot.
I don't like to wait, so I will only go to popular restaurants with a reservation.
So we got there at 4:30. Yes, I said 4:30. We were a bit late in making reservations and that's what they had.
Which is great because I like to eat early anyways.
The restaurant was already quite busy even at 4:15 (yes we are always early).
They have a regular menu and also a vegan menu. I've heard the vegan menu is quite good, though I haven't tried any of the dishes. The vegan menu has made several appearances on some "top vegan menus" of San Diego.
They also have several gluten free Italian dishes, as well as some light and healthy options.
Let me tell you, the food certainly did not fail to impress.
The food at Civico 1845 was amazing. If you're looking for awesome Italian food, great service and a laid back friendly atmosphere, this place is a must try.
They drop off a basket of bread with some olive oil pesto style dipping sauce. Great way to get those taste buds primed while you're checking out the menu.
We started with the ricotta stuffed squash blossoms. So, I've had squash blossoms at other places before, and they are usually good. But these blew those others out of the water.
Lightly battered and fried squash blossoms stuffed to the brim with ricotta cheese and served with an awesome marinara, they were so tasty. Plus, they were huge! Definitely worth a try.
Then we ordered pasta, and we quite excited to finally (hopefully) get some good pasta.
We were not dissapointed.
The boyfriend ordered the Pappardelle Brasato which is a Cabernet slow braised short rib ragu served over fresh pappardelle pasta and garnished with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. It was rich, delicious and had that "been cooking all day" flavor to it.
I ordered the Scialatielli Civico, which is homemade calabrian chili pasta with Caledonian prawns. And OMG, the fresh pasta was cooked to absolute perfection and had the perfect amount of kick from the Calabrian chilies. It was love at first bite.
And the prawns were some of the best I've ever had. So fresh with a wonderful sweet flavor. Plus, they were served with the heads on, which I LOVE. If you though pasta was a utensil dish, you've never been to eat with me. Never thought I'd be sucking the head of a shrimp in an Italian restaurant.
It's possible I ruined my shirt though.
Totally worth it.
They also serve a lunch menu that is basically the same as the dinner menu, but a couple dollars cheaper.
They have an extensive wine list and a pretty decent selection of beer as well.
The design of the restaurant was done exquisitely, using mostly reclaimed, natural materials.
They are open from 11 AM to 10 PM weekdays, and 11 AM to 11 PM on weekends.
If you haven't been to Civico 1845, you've got to it out for an amazing food experience.
For some other awesome San Diego restaurants, check out these articles:
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Where to Find Soup Dumplings in San Diego
Best Spots for Breakfast in San Diego
Phuong Trang - Our Favorite Vietnamese Restaurant
Best Cajun Food in Downtown San Diego
Best Tacos in Downtown San Diego
Best Cambodian Food in San Diego
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