There's some real cooking going on here, particularly in the authentically Italian Italian Cucina.Ī spacious, well-appointed restaurant, Italian Cucina offers all the classics as well as such unconventional dishes as earthy hearth-roasted mushrooms, stuffed with fennel-spiked homemade sausage and served with cannellini beans, fresh spinach and herbs. In an enclave downstairs from the casino, this little world unto itself has an outdoor-feeling “town square,” constructed in pure ersatz Vegas style.ĭon't let the faux exterior facades fool you. 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside(619) 443-2300.ĭinner only closed Tuesday and WednesdayFree valet or self-parkingīarona's folksy Western-themed barn rising out of the mountains in Lakeside is a world away from the glittery Las Vegas strip.īut Barona's new restaurant row - featuring Italian Cucina, Seafood Plaza and the future, decked-out home of the Barona Oaks Steakhouse - feels closer to Sin City than anywhere in San Diego.
