Tuscan Dining & Lounge Appeal at Trattoria La Strada

When walking town Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter it’s easy to get lost in the great sea of restaurants. From straight face value, it can be hard to tell what restaurants will truly deliver a quality meal and experience. The next time you’re looking to impress family or friends with a downtown dinner, trust Trattoria La Strada – one of San Diego’s oldest family run Italian restaurants. 

From a delicious menu of traditional Italian specialties presented with modern flair to a spacious indoor/outdoor setting fit to accommodate groups of all sizes, and a contemporary bar with lounge appeal, DJ entertainment and late night happy hour specials, Trattoria La Strada offers a taste of everything, without compromising anything.

Before we get to the new age draw, let’s look back to how it all began. The tradition was started in 1991 when brothers Carlo and Antonio Giovannini opened first Trattoria La Strada, utilizing their collective knowledge of running fine dining restaurants. They combined fifty years of experience to create an authentic Tuscan restaurant with an elegant interior design.

Trattoria La Strada exemplifies the quaint yet urban atmosphere of downtown San Diego. Fanciful paintings of knights and horses adorn the red brick walls of the dining room, otherwise reminiscent of a tame Italian country villa with white tablecloths and polished leather upholstery. The contemporary style bar, on the other hand, is illuminated by hanging blue lights and emits a trendy, modern European vibe – perfect for pre-dinner drinks and late night happy hour paired with live DJ beats until 2am on weekends. 

While the bar entertainment always makes for a great time, what has kept patrons coming back for more over the decades is Trattoria La Strada’s Tuscan-style Italian cuisine and excellent classic service.

Start with Millefoglie di Verdura – a tower of grilled vegetables layered with warm mozzarella and drizzled with a warm basil dressing; Polenta alla Valdostana – polenta pillows stuffed with ham and fontina cheese topped with porcini mushrooms and a fresh gorgonzola cheese sauce; or Carpaccio di Filetto con Rucola – thinly sliced filet with arugula and shaved parmesan cheese. Opt for a salad to share, with choices ranging from the Caprese with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and basil dressing; and Proscuitto di Parma con Pere e Gorgonzola – imported prosciutto di parma served on a bed of arugula with shaved pears and gorgonzola cheese. You must save room for dessert and try the delicious Torta di Cioccolato – a flourless chocolate cake layered with rich Belgium Dark Chocolate. 

For your main entrée, Trattoria La Strada offers four diverse sections: Favorites, Chef Specials, Seafood & Meat, and Pasta & Rice. We recommend the Cotolette di Agnello alla Milanese – Milanese-style lamb-chop served with mashed potatoes; or Pollo Toscano – chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, mozzarella and prosciutto di parma, served in a white wine and Porcini mushroom sauce with vegetables and potatoes; Farfalline al Pollo e Broccoli – bowtie pasta, grilled chicken, sun dried tomatoes, broccoli and shallots in a light cream sauce; or Risotto alla Pescatora – Italian Arborio rice with scallops, Manila clams, shrimp and calamari in a fresh tomato sauce.

Happy Hour Specials: Trattoria La Strada offers Happy Hour every day from 4 – 7pm featuring half-price appetizers, $4 drafts, wells and house wines. You’ll love coming back for Late Night Happy Hour featuring a different special every night of the week, including $6 Martini Tuesdays, 3 Wines for $15 Wednesdays and Sweet Tooth Thursday includes a sampling of Torta di Cioccolato, Tortina al formaggio and Semi-freddo alla Fragola with a cappuccino, espresso or macchiato complemented with a shot of Bailey's, Kahlua, Sambuca, Frangelico or Amaretto all for $12, as well as $4 Bellini and Mimosa Specials all weekend. Think that sounds good? Just wait until you have your Happy Hour with a side of live DJ entertainment on weekend nights!

Private Events & Holiday Parties: Trattoria La Strada is an ideal venue for your group’s holiday party or special event. The restaurant can accommodate over 200 guests, while the bar and lounge area can accommodate approximately 60 people. You’ll be well taken care of with customized menus to choose along with a generous selection of Italian and domestic wine. The private bar is equipped with state of the art sound system, a DJ booth, wireless microphones, plasma TVs which are connected to VCR, DVD, cable TV and satellite TV, plus capabilities for interactive presentations and company logo projection. E-mail lastradasd@yahoo.com for reservations!

For more information and reservations, please call 877.785.6451 or visit Trattoria La Strada.