We popped into Rosti Tuscan Kitchen in Calabasas last night, for a quick family meal, and I was happy to see the fresh, Spring Menu with Seasonal items.
They have three locations in Southern California: Santa Monica, Encino, and Calabasas.
If you’ve been following my blog, you will know that I have a major thing for bread, so requested a basket of the softest, doughiest bread they have; by the third basket they had it right. (The first one was set down the second I sat down—before the rest of my party arrived; the second one was toasted in the oven—slight misunderstanding.)
Sorry if that was annoying, but I don’t eat anything “unworthy” (My #1 rule of Weight Loss and Maintenance!)—and crispy, toasty bread just doesn’t cut it for me!
Glad I held out because that might have been the best Ciabatta bread I’ve had—ever! I personally prefer fresh butter on it, instead of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I know, not very Italian of me. I managed to stop at two slices. Yay me!
The manager, Taryn, who much to our delight transferred over from the Encino branch—where we used to schlep for our weekly pasta fix—usually hooks me up with super-soft-and-doughy bread. In fact, she let me in on the dangerous secret that you can purchase a whole loaf of this amazing bread and warm it up at home; not a good idea for the likes of me.
They get it fresh from Agostino Bakery in Oxnard, CA.
We ordered the English Pea Soup with Spring Vegetables to start.
Lovely and fresh, though I did think it needed a little salt.
Sam (hubby) and Aja (toddler) shared the Penne Pomodoro—with melted cheese (Sam’s addition). In our humble opinion, they have the best Pomodoro sauce around. Sam sometimes orders extra for dipping the bread. Mmmm good. Love the fresh basil leaves.
Same comfort-food fix as Mac & Cheese, but better for you.
I shudder to think of the number of times during my pregnancy that I inhaled an entire order of this by myself. Once I had pre-committed to eating the whole thing, there was no stopping me.
Oy! No wonder Aja loves it too.
Sorry—that’s the best pic I could get out of a hungry and somewhat-fussy toddler!
In an effort to make healthier choices, I ordered a small Salad with Turkey Meatballs.
Arugula, Endive & Radicchio Lettuces tossed with Parmesan, Grilled Zucchini, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette; Topped with Turkey Meatballs.
We eat a LOT of turkey meatballs at home (homemade, Trader Joe’s, Costco) and I prefer trying different things when I am out, but I was happy with my choice.
The meatballs were very tasty. Sam had one, and I stopped myself from finishing the last one.
Just because it’s only half a “turkey meatball”—which is, of course, a much better choice than eating a whole order of pasta, the fact that I felt pretty full meant that whatever else I was putting in my mouth was unnecessary and was over-eating.
Like Michelle Jacob, my favorite Weight Watchers Leader and fellow South African, always says: The scale doesn’t remember what you didn’t eat, it only remembers what you ate!
Luckily I had ordered the dressing—which was way too oily for me—on the side; adding a little balsamic vinegar made it tastier and lower in fat.
Not usually a fan of sundried tomatoes, but these, together with the grilled zucchini, added a nice flavor and texture.
Verdict: Would definitely order this again.
I love that their menu actually states: As always, please feel free to make substitutions.
I’m sure it’s annoying to chefs when patrons tweak their menu creations to death (guilty!), but as a conscious eater, sometimes you have to make substitutions for health or dietary reasons.
The Roasted Cauliflower also sounded good, and I was intrigued by the Grilled Shrimp, Pesto and Feta Cheese Pizza—though to me, shrimp on pizza just doesn’t seem right. Next time I’ll probably go for the Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Pesto & Roasted Hazelnuts.
Have you tried anything off the Spring Menu?
Any favs to recommend?
Love that they have these cute and yummy lime candies. (I think that all restaurants should be required to have candy!)
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