Week 74: 1% Italian

Week 74: May 26th-June 1st, 2024

I've always joked that in another life, I was a middle-aged, Italian American man from either Boston or New Jersey. You would find me working in a family cannoli shop and yelling all my sentences, positive or negative. I know this sounds like a stereotype and is a questionable thing to say, but I assure you it comes from a place of admiration and affection for Italy and all my Italian friends. I've always loved the big, expressive personalities and I identify closely with anyone who is animated, motivated and feels things deeply. According to my updated 23 And Me report, I am 1% Italian! This feels like a validating nod to my possible past life as an Italian American man.

One of my closest friends Bella, is half Italian, and her birthday is May 29th. Unlike most stereotypical Geminis or Italians, Bella is pretty quiet. She is an incredibly humble and reserved person. She is beautiful, always down for some shenanigans, and deserves to be celebrated all year long. However, big, over-the-top birthday celebrations are not her style. But, since she is one of the nicest and coolest people in my life, I always make it a priority to celebrate her birthday in a Bella-approved way each year.

This year, the big 25 for most of my friends, we've done birthday trips, held big parties, and have planned for extravagance on every level. For Bella, though, I kept it simple and booked a dinner reservation at Elvira. Elvira is an authentic Italian restaurant in San Diego. It is in Ocean Beach, right by the chaotic round-a-bout near the soccer fields. Driving there right before sunset was a great way to get stuck in traffic from the hoards of people flocking to Sunset Cliffs. Despite the congested roads, I made it to Elvira with some time to spare and headed to the restaurant. It was honestly hard to find, despite the GPS saying I'd arrived, because they didn't have any large signage outside. The building looked almost like a house, and I would never have guessed it was a restaurant without going inside. I was reassured by a massive "Elvira" doormat, and checked in at the host stand.

From the outside, Elvira looks like a normal house!

A reassuring door mat

Since I was on time, ("early," if you ask most of my less-than-punctual friends), I had a chance to wait inside before anyone else arrived. I noticed they were playing Italian pop music and could hear activity from the kitchen. There were a ton of art and photographs on the wall that came together for a very styled look. I apologize in advance for the poor quality photos accompanying this post. The lighting was dim and I wasn't trying tro be a screenager at dinner. There are more photos on the Elvira Yelp page if you want some better quality ones.

The bar seating at Elvira by the door

One thing I failed to get a photo of but found on Yelp was the poster on the wall of a horse made of pasta. It was honestly one of the most incredible things I've ever laid my eyes on. I stole this photo from Yelp.

I mean... THE PASTA HORSE! Are you KIDDING!?

Cute decor makes a restaurant!

A closer look at the decorative plates on the wall

I immediately felt welcomed because they quickly sat me at a booth table and supplied me with menus and water while I waited for the rest of my party. The menu was absolutely adorable, and as someone who can appreciate art and design, I thought it went perfectly with the theme of the restaurant. The drink menu was a calendar-style flip book and had the same design as the main food menu. You can see a better version as a PDF on their website here.

The art style of the menu was awesome

The other side of the menu

Right before Bella arrived, I notified the server that we were celebrating a birthday and he immediately got very excited. I told him we had to keep it lowkey, since the birthday girl was shy and would actually hate a large production with singing. He said he would bring out a small dessert after our meal if I pointed out who to bring it to. I agreed. The only mention or sign of a birthday occurring was the big gift bag taking up the seat next to me.

After everyone arrived and ordered food, we enjoyed some drinks and a meatball appetizer while we waited for the main course. Our dinner was amazing. I ordered the Rigatoni Alla Norcina, and would eat that every single day if it was healthy.

The appetizer of meatballs and pita!

My drink was a blueberry and cassis cocktail

The heavenly rigatoni alla norcina!

Toward the end of our meal, one of the workers looked at our half-finished plates and in a heavy accent asked, "Ladies! What happen! You not like?" and we assured her we DID like, we were just SO full. With how rich the food was, it was impossible to finish our plates after appetizers and drinks. She gave us a knowing look and brought some to-go boxes. Despite being stuffed, I pretended to look at the dessert menu to give our server some time to bring out Bella's birthday dessert. They brought out a delicious affogato with a small candle on top. The cutest part of the night was the surprise Polaroid photo they insisted on taking of us to honor Bella's birthday. It was just the right amount of over-the-top for us, and I was so glad to celebrate my friend.

I rarely write my own Yelp reviews, but I am considering one for Elvira. The level of care and attention they gave us was amazing, and the food was absolutely incredible. I loved the homey, retro feel of the decor and plan to return ASAP to try some more dishes. I also want a shirt with the pasta horse on it.

See you next week.