In North County, Vigilucci is Italian. This fellow from Milan has had extraordinary success as a restauranteur in an area where many restaurants come and go, mostly go. His first restaurant, on South Highway 101 is still going strong, having undergone a recent remodeling simultaneously with the tearing up of streets necessary for the recent rejuvenation of downtown Encinitas. We have dined at the Encinitas location a couple of times because we simply thought the food was terrific and overlooked the closeness of the tables and the loudness of the patrons’ voices and dishes clanging in rather cramped quarters. Then, in 1999, Vigilucci opened this haven in downtown Carlsbad. We tried it; we liked it, even though we still think the tables are too close to each other in this place. Thank heavens, it is quieter here and though the menu differs somewhat from the Encinitas spot, it still features the most authentic and tasty Italian food to be had hereabouts and it is reasonably priced. The spaghetti carbonara is moist and the bacon in it is crisp; at $9.95, it’s an excellent entrée. The menu is limited to about five different pasta, chicken, veal, and seafood dishes-all of which are well prepared and just a little bit different from the usual run-of-the-mill Italian restaurant.
Their veal selections attract me, particularly Medaglioni ai Carciofi, which has artichoke hearts, diced tomato and basil, all in a wine sauce. I also enjoy their saltimboca alla Romagna for they never overcook the veal. My husband usually elects to have pasta here because their sauces are especially excellent and he is proud of his sauces, but always searching for new ones. He likes their Linguini con Calamari and their Linguini alla Genovese, which has homemade pesto and pine nuts over flat noodles done just right.
The décor here is pleasant with both outside, covered sidewalk tables and two separate dining areas inside. Of course, the waiters are Italian and know their food. From the gleaming mahoghany and black granite bar, you can order a variety of drinks, and there’s a select wine list of Italian and Californian reds and whites to choose from. For dessert, a small list of tasty treats includes my favorite, tiramisu, at $5.75, and my husband’s, crème brulee, at $5.25.
Currently, Vigilucci is constructing a new restaurant at 3878 Carlsbad Boulevard right near the Tamarack Avenue portion of the Seawall; this restaurant will be a Seafood and Steakhouse and will have a 180 degree view of the ocean on its western side. Probably another winner is in the offing for this entrepreneur who seems to know what constitutes a superior dining experience that’s not exorbitantly priced. They’re open for lunch, 11:30 –4 Mondays through Fridays and dinner these days from 4 till 10. On Saturdays, they’re open from 11:30 to 10:30 and on Sundays from 1 till 9:30. For kids, you can get half-orders of pasta, so you can dine here without babysitter cost.