Eleven years ago, my wife and I honeymooned in Italy.  We traveled to the historic landmarks of Rome, the beautiful coastline of Amalfi, and the diverse sights of Sicily.  The whole trip was incredible, but we especially fell in love with the Italians’ way with food and wine, so much so that we found ourselves planning our next stop by where we were going to eat rather than what touristic attractions were there. 

Last month was our anniversary, and to celebrate, we wanted to go back to Italy.  No passports, no twelve hour flights, just a trip around the corner to a local restaurant to bring back all the flavors, smells and memories of our honeymoon trip.  For our date night, we decided to try Francesca’s Italian Kitchen, a new restaurant that opened its doors in Temecula three months ago, located in the Temecula Creek Plaza at 31165 Temecula Parkway/Hwy 79S.  When we walked into Francesca’s, we immediately felt as if we could be walking into a neighborhood restaurant in Italy.  The kitchen was bustling, conversation at the tables was lively, and Italian pop music and ballads played over the speakers as if they were coming straight from Radio Italia.

We were greeted at the door by Francesca herself, namesake of the restaurant and co-owner with her husband Alessio DiSabatino.  The DiSabatinos came from Italy -- she from Milan, he from Rome – and met each other in Orange County while working their way up through the ranks in the restaurant business.  For years they had dreamed of opening their own authentic Italian restaurant, and after moving to Lake Elsinore they finally chose Temecula as the location to establish their own place for casual, yet upscale, Italian dining.

Francesca designed the décor, which features green earth tones and amber art glass light fixtures that cast a warm glow throughout the restaurant.  The dining area is open, with low backed booths lining the walls and small table groupings in the center, all covered in white linen.  The openness invites animated discussions among friends and family, rather than a quiet, intimate chat.  Original artwork is displayed on the walls, adding a contemporary feel to the comfortable atmosphere. 

Alessio and Francesca designed the menu together with an emphasis on freshness and Italian authenticity.  Says Alessio, “We give you what the real Italians will eat at their tables.  We are not the people who serve the soggy sauce with the big meatballs.  That’s not us.  We want you not to taste just the sauce, but the flavor underneath.  We make everything here fresh, from the specials to the desserts, everything is made here in the restaurant by Italian chefs.  And we really care about the quality of our flavors.”

What Alessio said about the freshness of the flavors struck a cord with us.  We remembered when we were in Italy, we were continually amazed by how light the sauces and the pastas were, compared to what we know as typical “American” Italian food.  We were excited to plunge into the menu to see if Francesca’s could capture that true Italian cooking.  The menu features a wide range of Italian dishes to suit all tastes.   Purists can order traditional choices like Veal Piccata, Chicken Marsala, Saltimbocca, Rigatoni Bolognese, Linguini with Clams – all of your favorites are here.  Or those looking for more contemporary choices can try one of Francesca’s weekly specials.  Pan seared Ahi Tuna and Filet Mignon with gorgonzola sauce were just a couple of the specials offered on our night out. 

Alessio insisted we start  the meal with their Bufala Mozzarella Caprese, a special Antipasta of the week featuring fresh Bufala Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinaigrette, because he wanted us to try what “real” bufala tastes like.  He explained that their Bufala Mozzarella comes directly from Positano in Italy and must be used within three days.  The cheese was so fresh and creamy, it almost melted in my mouth.  While some mozzarellas can be rubbery and stiff, this had a silky texture and a perfect salty flavor.  The crispness of the heirloom tomatoes with the creaminess of the cheese was a delicious contrast. 

Our Primi Piatti was what Francesca calls “a simple, country dish” of pan fried Polenta with Sage and Marinara.  Polenta translates as corn meal, but to Italians it’s a staple that rivals pasta in popularity, especially in the north.   Francesca’s version was presented as two triangles of homemade polenta, drizzled with a delicate marinara sauce that was almost like a light tomato puree.  It was topped with a battered, crispy sage leaf that added just a touch of spice.

As we enjoyed our starter courses, we sampled glasses of Italian red wine – a Sangiovese/Merlot blend from Piemonte, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.  The reasonably priced wine list had Italian, domestic, sparkling, and dessert wine selections, with especially good prices for well known Cabernet Sauvignons like Stags Leap and Jordan from Napa.  Francesca’s is planning to hold occasional winemaker dinners to pair their food with the wineries on their list.  The first winemaker dinner was held in December with Stags Leap, and more will follow in the New Year. 

Francesca also told us about their plans for monthly cooking classes where Alessio and his chef will demonstrate tricks and techniques of preparing authentic Italian dishes.  Following the presentation, all guests will get to eat the gourmet meal course by course.   The first cooking class will be held on January 29^th, featuring a four course meal, recipes, and wine.  Spaces are being held by reservation only.

After hearing about all the delicious dishes that will be demonstrated by the cooking classes, we were ready to try our own Secondi, or main courses.  Alessio brought out his “mamma’s special,” the Chicken Wellington.  This dish was indeed prepared by his Mamma, who is visiting from Italy and is in the kitchen preparing some of the weekly specials.  Mamma took the chicken breasts, stuffed them with fontina cheese and prosciutto, and then covered them with puff pastry.   After baking the pastry to a golden brown, she presented the wellington on a bed of creamy mushroom sauce.  This “Italian comfort food” literally came from Mamma’s original recipe, and we easily could have been sitting in a kitchen in Milan and enjoying her creation.

My wife’s entrée selection turned out to be Francesca’s favorite dish.  “There are things on the menu that we love, that I could not live without,” she says.  “This Chilean Sea Bass is one of them.”  The pistachio crusted sea bass was covered with a delicate Dijon mustard sauce.  A sprinkling of fried leaks on the top added a nice texture.  The fish was moist and flaky, and the spicy Dijon provided a little zest.  My wife couldn’t get enough of the sauce, and after the fish was eaten, she sopped up the remaining sauce with her bread. 

Our servers were fast and efficient, making our dinner pace brisk but friendly.  We could linger over our meals if we chose, but we could also eat and be finished in time to catch an early movie.  We decided to slow down the pace with dessert, ordering a couple of cups of robust coffee to go with our Duo of Cake.  Like all of Francesca’s desserts, these cakes were homemade and so airy that we easily devoured both slices.  The flourless chocolate cake was served in a puddle of Grand Marnier cream sauce, and was drizzled on top with Chantilly cream and dark chocolate shavings.  The velvety lemon cheesecake was fluffy and buttery, with a candied lemon slice providing a pleasant tang.

With the hospitality, the flavors, the wine, and the Italian love songs playing in the background, we truly felt transported for one evening to an Italian neighborhood restaurant from our honeymoon years ago.  Thank you Francesca’s! 

Francesca’s Italian Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner six days a week, closed Mondays.  For more information, or reservations for their winemaker dinners and cooking classes, contact Francesca at (951) 303-3300.

If you have a restaurant you’d like to recommend, send an email to Bill at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  And when you visit local restaurants for your Date Night, tell them you read about them in Neighbors!