This summer Supernatural Sandwiches moved into a spot just across the parking lot, leaving their old space empty for a short time. That space is now occupied by a brand new restaurant called Facchini’s! I noticed the banner some time ago and have made a few visits to Facchini’s to see what it’s all about.
Facchini’s is a new Italian restaurant. They specialize in creating fresh, handmade pasta!
Here’s the interior of Facchini’s.
The menu is posted up on their wall, but if this gives you neck strain, they also have handheld menus for you to look at.
I’ve tried a few different pastas for a few visits but haven’t tried the sandwiches yet. I’m too hung up on pasta, I guess.
[gnocchi with pink sauce + meats / $6.99]
The first thing I ever tried at Facchini’s was the gnocchi! Gnocchi is a favorite of mine. I’ve had a lot of terrible gnocchi over the years so I’m always a little wary of it from new places. I’m happy to report that gnocchi here was quite good though!
The gnocchi tasted like little puffs of pillowy potato dough – they were soft and tender with just the right amount of chew. I picked the pink sauce which was kind of like a creamier version of marinara. You have the option to add meat into the sauce for no extra charge. That’s a nice touch since it can stay vegetarian! The meat sauce it like little bits of meat, not large chunks, so it blends well into the sauce. I really liked the side of garlic bread that came with my first meal – it tasted fresh and had the right amount of garlic.
This was a winner and a great price!
[side of meatballs / $2.99]
On my second visit I decided to try out the meatballs (which came as a side dish). You get three meatballs that are on the small side. I thought the meatballs were just okay. I felt they could have used some fresh herbs to liven them up a bit and the texture was a bit too smooth and soft.
[truffle white sauce lasagna / $9.99]
I sprung for the fancy truffle lasagna on this visit. I loved the creamy layers of sauce and noodles in their lasagna. The smell of the truffle just wafts up and really hits you and adds a lovely aroma and flavor to the dish. Since it’s all creamy layers of sauce and cheese and truffles, this one is a bit on the rich side, but well worth it!
On this second visit, my side of garlic bread was not as good as the first time. It was very salty for some reason!
[spaghetti with pesto sauce / $6.99]
On my third visit I decided to check out another one of the handmade pastas and went for the spaghetti with pesto sauce. The pesto sauce is made with pistachios rather than pine nuts which gives the pesto a different flavor. The pesto sauce is also a bit chunkier than usual pesto sauce – large pieces of nuts are floating through the pasta dish.
I love pistachios and I love pesto but I felt this pesto was lacking in seasoning and it actually tasted a bit on the bland side. Not sure if this was a one time thing or not but it makes me a little hesitant to try the pesto again. So far the pink sauce was my favorite but I still have a few more sauces to sample!
I also noticed on this visit that they now give you two pieces of garlic bread instead of just one. The bread was again inconsistent – it tasted much harder this time and was not as fresh and soft as my first visit.
Despite a few inconsistencies, Facchini’s is definitely on my “to visit” list for lunch! I really like their fresh pastas and that truffle lasagna is pretty killer. I’ll definitely be back to try out a few other combinations. I still need try their bread rolls and sandwiches! It’s a nice new option for this area and I’m glad that they have arrived.
Facchini’s
7094 Miramar Rd, Ste 105
San Diego, CA 92121
(858) 577-0447
I’m a sucker for handmade pastas. The pistachio pesto sounds interesting but a pity it was “bland”. At least your area has a lot of great lunch options. Down here, it’s all crappy chains.
Hi CC – Some day I feel like our area is lacking but that’s just because I’ve been to most of the places around here. I’d be a little sad if it was all chains, too. I will definitely be back to Facchini’s to try out some other items. Maybe I’ll take you here when you have time to visit me for lunch again! I bet you’d like their food!
Well, Fall Break is coming up in a couple of weeks. Let’s plan on meeting up for lunch one of those days – your choice of venue, of course.
I wish I had a fall break!! Let’s definitely meet up then!