Pricing:
This is one of those places where the appetizers will get ya. At $9-12 for snackage, it costs almost as much as their entrees which run in the $12-18.
Distance:
Nestled in the La Costa part of Carlsbad which means that there's no quick way to get there. From the freeway it takes 20 minutes to get there because you have to drive on Palomar Airport Road for awhile. Even if you opt for a non-freeway route it will still take about 20 minutes to drive to from Encinitas because it's impossible to hit every light green. Trust me, I've tried.
Thoughts:
I was actually kind of pleasantly surprised by this place. I admit, I approached it with a skeptical eyebrow raised. It's in a newly developed commercial area in La Costa that seems to want to give off an "urban trendy" vibe. I'm extremely wary of trendy restaurants because it usually just means below average food for a higher than average price.
Part of my theory rang true with Tommy V's. The prices are slightly higher than they probably really should be. Especially considering that the portions are, well, average. However, the food is quite good. Though this is not a strictly Italian restaurant, they do offer quite a few Italian dishes. The lasagna that I had was better than a lot of Italian-only places I've tried.
I will also give Tommy V's points for having some interesting dishes. I find it refreshing to have a choice of both classic food options and options with a little bit of a "spin" on them (such as a salad with duck on top).
I also wasn't at all disappointed with their appetizers even though they were a bit on the expensive side. With a large portion of this restaurant devoted to an enormous bar counter, you can tell it caters to an after-work crowd.
So I will admit that Tommy V's didn't entirely fall into the trendy trap. And despite the dubious "urban kitchen" title (I mean, what the heck does that even mean?) the food is tasty. Definitely worth a shot if you want to try and mix up your regular restaurant rotation list.
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