As a kid, I  knew how lucky I was to enjoy home cooked lasagna and spaghetti when we used to visit my dear grandmother Mary DeFalco.  I used to look forward to holidays when I knew Grandma had bolognese sauce on the stove, usually starting at least one or two days in advance.  I really miss my Grandmother and her cooking, but ever since I moved to the El Cortez last year, whenever I crave amazing Italian cuisine, all I have to do now is walk downstairs to the Sole Luna Cafe’. Sole Luna has become like an extension of my home, with the amazing food and all the regular patrons from the neighborhood I’ve come to know, so I was thrilled when they asked me to photograph some of their fare for an upcoming web site update.

I’ll share a few examples here, of some of my favorite dishes that I enjoy  probably way more often that I should…but I can’t help it! In case you’re not familiar with the location, it’s an easy one to find. Just look for the building on Ash St. that’s been an iconic symbol on the San Diego skyline since 1927.

I’ll start with one of the all time favorites: Lasagna Bolognese! It’s one of their staples and popular reason for return visits!

Sometimes when I’m in the mood for vegetarian, which is often, I love their Veggie Lasanga too. One of my other favorites is the Ravioli Genovesi. It’s a four cheese ravioli, but with an amazingly rich basil pesto sauce that is out of this world.

Maybe it’s because Alessandro and Gigio brought a lot of their recipes with them from Italy, but even something as simple as penne pasta with a bolognese sauce is uniquely Sole Luna.

The Mare Salad has a combination of smoked salmon, shrimp, hearts of palm, cucumber and a lemon olive oil dressing. Yum!

Another ‘comfort food’ for me, the Ravioli Boscaioli – mushroom ravioli with their signature creamy bolognese and mushroom sauce.

Let’s not forget desserts! ( and an espresso martini!) I have a daily coffee habit thanks to living above Sole Luna Cafe…their espresso grind is authentically Italian and makes me feel like I’m back in Europe everytime I have a cappucino.