2,4,6,8 Will We Appreciate 264 Fresco?

 264 Fresco

264 Carlsbad Village Drive 

Carlsbad, CA 92008

We are in North San Diego County, so long-time and observant readers of this blog know that probably means we were down this way to get Katie something for her birthday at the Carlsbad Outlets like we do every year. It prevents me from coming up with something to buy her that she probably would not like, and it also allows us to have lunch or dinner in an area that we usually would not get to. After about an hour of looking at purses and cosmetics and checking out the clearance racks at various stores, it was finally time to eat. This year, we were headed to 264 Fresco. 

264 Fresco is a modern Italian restaurant a few blocks from the ocean and in the heart of Carlsbad Village. I'd imagine that parking could be pretty bad in this area during peak tourist season, but they have their own parking lot, so parking was a breeze. We arrived just before 1pm on a Friday afternoon and were given a choice to sit inside or on their second-story deck. We took the deck option, even though the sun was starting to peek through the clouds as we were seated, and I had forgotten to wear a hat, so a possible sunburn may be in my future. 

I'm not sure how long 264 Fresco has been in business, but the earliest Yelp review I could find was from 2006. I know that this restaurant's owner, Linda DiNitto, also brought Fresco Cocina to the people of Carlsbad in 2022. That restaurant serves what I'd term elevated Latin American cuisine. 264 Fresco draws upon the Italian food that Linda grew up eating, which has seemed to resonate with the people of Carlsbad. This restaurant is the 12th most reviewed restaurant on Yelp in the area, and they have a very respectable 4.1-star rating with over 2,000 reviews posted. 

Modern Italian restaurants sometimes have menus with too few items or try to get too cute with things, and the dishes are unrecognizable to most people. That is not the case at 264 Fresco. They feature thirteen shareable starters, a six-pack of salads, wood-fired pizzas, pasta dishes, and entrees that include beef, chicken, or seafood. They even have a Wagyu Smashburger here (yes, the Smashburger fad has gotten so big that it's invaded even Italian restaurants now). Entrees range between $19 to $44, while pizzas cost in the $20 range. I had, of course, checked out the menu before coming down here, so I knew what I was getting. The birthday girl took a little longer, but we finally got our order in, and here's how everything came out for us at 264 Fresco. 

When I was growing up, the humble Brussels sprout was nowhere to be found on a restaurant menu. They sprouted up in popularity at the end of the last decade, and as a result, you can now find them on many menus—even here at an Italian restaurant. 264 Fresco served a generous amount of Brussels Sprouts ($15) with pancetta and gastrique, finished with some high-quality grana padano cheese sprinkled on top. The sprouts were incredibly fresh, but I had wished for a heavier hand when the rest of the ingredients were applied. I guess they were trying to have the sprouts be front and center. 

Katie usually gravitates towards comfort food when eating in an Italian restaurant for the first time. I was unsurprised that the birthday girl selected this Short Rib Pappardelle ($26) for her birthday meal. The short rib and large pappardelle noodles were joined in this shallow bowl with a fantastic beef au jus, mushrooms, and a garlic confit. Katie loved the comforting combo of the short rib and large noodles but also appreciated the radishes and Italian parsley that helped cut the dish's richness. It would be hard for her to order this again on return visits. 

The baseline for me when judging an Italian restaurant is to try their lasagna first. This entree has all the components that make an excellent Italian restaurant; the sauce, cheese, and pasta. I really enjoyed this version at 264 Fresco. They used bechamel and bolognese sauce, a healthy serving of sausage, and a sprinkling of cheese on top. This was a light lasagne. The sauces were present but did not overpower. The pasta was done perfectly, and the sausage was mildly flavored. A good lasagna for a midday lunch, as it will not put you to sleep after finishing it. 

Even though we only tried three items from the extensive 264 Fresco menu, I can see why this restaurant has met with widespread appeal from the people of Carlsbad and the surrounding area. This is the kind of Italian restaurant you want to visit and eat through the menu to gleam your favorites. We also were very fond of the atmosphere of this rooftop restaurant, with its birds-eye view of downtown Carlsbad. Sadly, there is no ocean view, but you can't have it all. The service was straightforward and to the point, with no real lags during our stay. 264 Fresco added to our streak of excellent restaurants when we came down this way. I'm already looking forward to Katie's next birthday. 

Out of five accordions (because Carlsbad is home to the Museum of Making Music, and one of their past exhibits was about this beloved box-shaped instrument), five being best to zero being worst, 264 Fresco gets 3.5 accordions. 

For more information about 264 Fresco, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.264fresco.com/