Travel Anecdote: Little Italy, San Diego

At first glance, “Go to Little Italy in San Diego” sounds a bit like “Try the burritos in Paris”. After all, San Diego is only 17 miles from Mexico. Famous foods like the carne asada burrito are all you really need to complete a stop in Southern California. But San Diego also has a vibrant Little Italy with a deep history and connection to the immigrants who arrived generations ago. And the neighborhood is the PERFECT place to rest and fuel up for the amazing array of outdoor activities available in town.

Our Stroll Through Little Italy, San Diego

For a half dozen or so blocks, sidewalk seating takes up would-be parking spots. Trattorias and corner stores selling artisanal pasta, breads, and more pack in customers despite the hour being well between lunch and dinner.

There is a Roman water fountain up a short hill, and children race around it in an apparent game of tag. We walk through two pop-up art markets. The sounds of busing tables and the low murmur of restaurant clientele’s conversations are occasionally pierced by a car horn in the street’s slow-moving traffic. We pass by multiple window displays of canoli. At times it smells fragrant, of freshly-prepared foods and espresso.

I forgot my sunglasses and find myself squinting in the warm, bright afternoon. We sit down under an umbrella, across the sidewalk from the inside of a restaurant. The waiter is quick to attend us, but offers no pressure when we say we just want a coffee for now. And a tiramisu.

The espresso dopio was exactly the jolt I needed. With that and the tiramisu, I have the energy to explore. A steady line of people are coming in and out of the adjacent corner store. I join, walking in and admiring how expertly organized the rows of sauces, noodles, and special ingredients are in the small space.

The store owner is a woman with dirty blonde hair and a green apron. It flies about as she flits around the store like an elementary teacher who needs to assist almost every student during test-taking time. I buy a bottle of Calabrian peppers. I can’t wait to add them to sauce the next time we make pasta.

My East Coast bias told me there couldn’t be a Little Italy worth visiting in Southern California. But that was way off. This was a perfect way to relax and refuel after days of paddle boarding and sunset runs on the boardwalk. I recommend you try it too!