A Taste of Italy: Cori Pastificio Trattoria’s Authentic Menu
My first time dining at Cori Pastificio Trattoria was in October 2020. The restaurant had just opened, but it was at the height of pandemic restrictions. I sat with my daughter in temporary outdoor seating, and we had the most incredible meal. I also met Chef/Owner Accursio Lota and saw his passion for cooking and his family.
In 2025, Cori Pastificio Trattoria was recognized with the highest honor from Gambero Rosso (Italy’s top Italian dining guide), an accolade that puts it on par with Michelin-level distinction and highlights its excellence in Italian cooking.
Today, Cori Pastificio Trattoria remains one of the most beloved Italian restaurants in San Diego. Chef Accursio has been recognized with international awards. The food is just as spectacular, and customers travel from around San Diego to enjoy his food. It’s a cozy neighborhood restaurant, much like you would find in Italy, full of regulars and newcomers.
Cori Pastificio Trattoria’s team recently opened a new restaurant called Dora Ristorante in La Jolla’s Theatre District, bringing coastal Italian dishes and a fresh buzz to the local food scene.
How Cori Pastificio Trattoria Elevates Italian Dining in North Park
The plates at Cori Pastificio Trattoria are beautifully presented, representing the passion that the kitchen staff has for cooking. On a Thursday evening, there wasn’t an open table available (reservations are highly recommended). If you’ve not yet dined here, I would recommend that you try Chef’s Tasting Menu – a culinary journey inspired by Sicily in Summertime.
You will be presented with five delicious courses, each one as spectacular as the one before it. They also offer an optional wine pairing of four indigenous Italian wines. If it’s your first visit, the tasting menu and wine pairing is a great way to taste five very different dishes and go home very full.
Federico Cavalleri, the GM and Sommelier at Cori Pastificio Trattoria, created a wine menu of four wines intended for the Chef’s Tasting Menu. I was impressed with his breadth and knowledge of the wines and the selection he prepared: “Castelcerino Soave DOC Garganega 2022, Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Pietro Mancini Vermentino 2022, Rosso di Monfalcino Agostina Pieri Sangiovese Grosso 2022, Visiole Velenosi Sour Cherry Wine.
SFIZI: COME A CASA MIA
House Made Focaccia
Sicilan Caponata
Cured Olives
Californian EVOO Origano
Condimento Siciliano
Your first course sets the stage for an incredible meal. House-made 36-hour fermented focaccia arrives at the table hot. Even though four more courses are coming, it is impossible not to finish them. The focaccia is crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.
ANTIPASTA: RICCIOLA
Hamachi
Red Onion Granita
Apricot Juice
Calabrese Chili
Salina Capers
Chef Accursio’s dishes burst with flavor, and he is not afraid of unique pairings. It’s evident with this Hamachi crudo dish that is spectacularly unique with the red onion granita. The flavor and plating of the dish are so impressive.
PASTA: SPAGHETTONI
Ancient Grain
Seafood Carbonara
Chef’s World Champion 2017
This is the dish that won the Chef’s Pasta World Championships in 2017 for Chef Accursio. It is a rich and creamy dish, with bursts of seafood. All of the pasta is handmade at Cori Pastificio Trattoria, and you can taste the quality of the ingredients.
SECONDO: BRASATO
Wagyu Beef Cheek 18-hour Braised
Radicchio Timbale
Dark Chocolate
I was so intrigued by the addition of dark chocolate to the wagyu beef cheek, even more so when the chocolate was gently shaved tableside. The beef is so soft and tender that it does not require a knife. And the chocolate adds that extra richness to the dish. You can also add Piedmont Black Truffle for an extra $15 (it’s absolutely worth it at Cori Pastificio Trattoria).
DOLCE: RUOTA ALLA MENFITANA
Crispy Shell
Sheep’s Milk Ricotta
Prickly Pear Reduction
Candied Oranges
Hopefully, you saved room for dessert, because it is delicious, as well as meaningful. The crispy shell shape was indigenous to Chef Accursio’s hometown in Sicily. It is a perfect dessert to end the meal as it is not too sweet.
Fresh Ingredients: What Sets Cori Pastificio Trattoria Apart
There are two more dishes that are on Cori Pastificio Trattoria’s regular menu that I have to tell you about:
FRITELLE
These savory donuts are filled with Cacio e Pepe foam and sprinkled with Pipli Black Pepper (long pepper). I had these the first time I dined here, and I am so pleased that they are still on the menu. You get three with each order, and that left us fighting to share the third equally into two halves. Honestly, I can’t imagine dining here and not getting this dish.
RAVIOLI
The Braised Beef Short Rib ravioli with mushrooms at Cori Pastificio Trattoria is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They use the finest local ingredients to craft all their pasta in-house. It is handmade and extruded at our restaurant. By using fresh pasta, it has a softer bite, offering a different experience than the traditional al dente texture.
If I am to be 100% honest with you, I’d tell you that Cori Pastificio Trattoria is easily one of the best Italian restaurants in San Diego and one of the best dining spots in North Park. The staff is warm and friendly, and not only knowledgeable about the food and wine but passionate about working there. And if Chef Accursio is there when you are dining, spending time talking to him will have you just as in love with Italian food and Cori Pastificio Trattoria as I am.
At Cori Pastificio Trattoria, you’ll find a seasonal menu that rotates fresh house pastas and Italian classics, plus special holiday offerings like locally made panettone.
