In case you need a refresh, the Bib Gourmand distinction is awarded to restaurants that offer multicourse meals at reasonable prices. And while all are unique and the “price” varies from country to country, the standard for quality remains the same.
That’s why every Friday, we’re highlighting our Bib of the Week: where to go, what to order, the best time to stop by, and everything in between. So, whether it’s organic and locally sourced plates in the Big Apple or some of Los Angeles' most delicious tacos, our selection of Bib Gourmand spots will leave both you and your wallet satisfied.
This family-owned business was conceptualized with one goal in mind—to bring the authentic regional dishes from the smaller towns of Italy to San Diego.
"I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel throughout Italy with my sons," owner Randy Smerik explains. "We have a shared passion for the cuisine, the wine, the amaro, the culture, and Italy’s approach to food and wine."
Through high quality ingredients and an emphasis on Italian "comfort food," the dishes here are packed with flavor, textures, and consistency.
But don’t take our word for it, check out what our Inspectors had to say here, and below, learn from the team about what you need to know before you go.
What is the dish to order at Solare?
We recommend ordering our “Risotto Tartufo e Capesante.” It is seared wild scallops, Vialone Nano rice, butter, Grana Padano cheese, and freshly foraged Italian black truffles.
It is “the dish” because it is made with five high-quality ingredients that represent beautiful areas of Italy: Scallops representing Italy’s long seacoast, Vialone Nano is high-quality rice south of Verona, Grana Padano cheese from the Po River valley, and truffles from Piemonte.
I have been preparing and cooking Italian dishes for 22 years. Working with risotto is one of my favorite things, and when I can work with a very high-quality rice like Vialone Nano it creates a special creaminess. I grew up on the coast where local scallops are common and cooking them is almost second nature to me and brings back great memories. And then there’s the truffles. Ahhhh … I love the aroma and taste of freshly shaved truffles.
What price range can customers expect?
Solare’s entrées range from $21 (La Parmigiana) to $46 (Filetto di Manzo, an Italian-style Angus beef filet).
When is the best time to stop by?
Solare Ristorante is open seven days a week for dinner, and lunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, every day is a good day – and if you can join an Italian Winemaker Dinner then that is even better.
What is your goal with Solare?
Our goal is to deliver an authentic Italian dining experience to our guests. We highlight the diverse and beautiful cuisine of all twenty regions of Italy. We invest extra time and money to ensure that the ingredients are from that region. If the dish is from Piemonte, then we may make home-made tagliolini pasta – and if the dish is from Sicily we may use the best eggplant, pistachios, and blood orange.
An important part of our goal is education. We have a strong educational approach in how we engage with our guests and community. We describe why we choose the ingredients; we happily share our recipes; we do lots of hands-on cooking classes; and we assist guests in finding the right ingredients if they like to cook at home.
We leverage our network of Italian winemakers and winery owners and have them do wine dinners here at Solare. We do on average two wine dinners a month. This is a great way to allow our guests to meet these leaders, and if our guests have the opportunity to travel to Italy then they have a VIP treatment when they visit the winery.
How did you conceive of a menu that is delicious and good value?
This is a mission we have every week as we change a portion of our menu each and every week. Our overall plan is to add and prepare dishes from each of the twenty regions of Italy. This brings a lot of interest and even excitement to our guests – and allows for constant variety.
We have a small set of “signature dishes” that have become popular – and there are guests that love knowing in advance that the dish they have grown to love will be here. We work each week to achieve the right balance between new and familiar.
We invest significant time teaming and collaborating with Italian and local partners in the ecosystem. From Italy, we have a great network of winemakers, winery owners, truffle suppliers, rice suppliers, and more. Here in San Diego, for example, we are blessed to be two miles from the ocean, and we work with local family-owned and operated small businesses for commercial fishing. Most of the fish that we serve has never been in a box or truck.
Have you been able to maintain your standards as costs have increased?
Great question! We are transparent with our guests that we have raised prices over the last year or two. With the increase in labor costs, rent, and food costs there is no choice.
We have taken this path versus reducing what we believe are the best ingredients or to stop supporting smaller local businesses. Any price change we make is clear on the menu; we do not believe in surcharges.
Hero Image: Sam Wells / Solare
