Buona Forchetta feels like home

Neighborhood: Liberty Station

Price: $$

Vibe: Lively and bustling (there is usually a wait, unless you eat in the bar), large, open-air restaurant with great seating options both inside and out on the patio.

My love and I don’t always agree on where to go out to dinner, but we can always agree on Buono Forchetta. Once this option gets put on the table, it’s rarely taken off. To get our pizza fix, we visit the Officine Buona Forchetta in the Liberty Station neighborhood of San Diego. It can get busy, but our favorite table to post up at is in the bar, which is open seating. There is a tall-boy table pinned between the two cooking stations - the pasta station and the pizza oven —and this is where the action is! Sitting here, one must pay attention to the servers flying in and out of the two open-air kitchens! If you can handle the bustle, it’s a fun spot to watch these amazing chefs do what they love.

The Officine Buona Forchetta restaurant always welcomes us like a warm hug. I’m not Italian, but this lively, family-style restaurant just feels like home. It’s casual, the staff are friendly and happy, and the food (the pizza in particular) is just phenomenal.

So is watching them make the pizza — tell me this isn’t just mesmerizing!

This visit, we managed to share a pizza, which is a rare occurrence as we typically do not align on which pizza to get! We tried a special pizza that had a little of everything that we liked. It was delicious, but let’s be honest, there is not a bad pizza option at Buona Forchetta!

Don’t pass up the Specials Menu - constantly evolving and offering new seasonal ingredients.

Lucia: Sausage, Artichokes, Arugula, Sundried Tomatoes, Truffle oil and Provola.

I really love their appetizers, but my favorite is the calamari. It’s quite possible that this is because of the homemade marinara that it’s served with, which is fresh and vibrant, just like Italy.

Calamari Fritti

I also adore their salads here. My favorite is the Fattore, a perfect accompaniment to your Buona Forchetta pie.

Fattore Salad: Mixed greens, grape tomatoes, walnuts and shaved parmigiano

The above video is a view from our favorite table in the house. I don’t know why but I always love sitting in or near the kitchen so I can watch the magic happen. There is nothing better than eating delicious food cooked by people who just love cooking it for you.

If you’re looking for some real good Neapolitan-style pizza, and a fun, lively atmosphere (who isn’t?), check out Buona Forchetta.

Officine Buona Forchetta

2865 Sims Road

San Diego, CA 92106

(Liberty Station)

American Pizza Mfg. for delicious home-baked pizza

Neighborhood: La Jolla, near Wind and Sea Beach

Price: $

Vibe: This is not a dine-in restaurant, but if you stop in to place your order, they’ll offer you a small glass of wine while you wait

I wasn’t sure about this new take n bake pizza joint that opened up in La Jolla during the pandemic, but I am so glad I gave this place a try! Located right up the street from my favorite neighborhood beach (Marine Street) on La Jolla Blvd. this wonderful little spot is perfect for your next pizza night at home. It’s super easy to place your order online and is usually ready in about 15 minutes to pick up and take home.

I’ve heard some naysayers claim they don’t want to have to “bake it themselves” (the nerve!) but trust me, once you try the crunchy delectable crust, you will be a convert! I now crave this place ahead of any other “already baked” pizza restaurant in the area.

10-15 minutes in the oven at 425 degrees and voila, dinner is served! The pizzas come on parchment paper that you drop right onto the oven rack (no pizza stone or baking sheet required) and the salads are just delicious.

Here’s what we like to order at American Pizza Mfg,:

The Edsel - wild mushrooms, truffle oil drizzle, parmesan sprinkle. We added prosciutto, YUM!

The Flyer - you can’t go wrong with fresh mozzarella and spicy pepperoni.

Fresh garden salad with organic greens, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, chevre, garden peppers and balsamic dressing makes my heart happy!

The finished product…..

American Pizza Mfg.

7402 La Jolla Blvd.

La Jolla, CA 92037