Amalfi Cucina adds to dining lineup in Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch

The new Amalfi Cucina Italiana is now open in the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. For their grand opening on May 7, a long line of guests waited on a red carpet to get into the celebration that included a DJ, dancing and complimentary champagne to toast the new Italian eatery.

With the new Carmel Valley location, the Amalfi group is expanding on their North County offerings—they currently have three restaurants in San Marcos, run by four Italian friends and former leaders of the Buona Forchetta group.

The restaurant serves as a tribute to the culinary scene of the Amalfi coast. Pasta is made fresh daily and guests can choose the shape of handmade pasta (from fusilli to pappardelle to gluten-free) and match it with their favorite sauce. Woodfired pizza is made Neapalitan style with a thin, soft crust that is hand- crafted daily and fired up in a custom Stefano Ferrara oven built in Naples.

Multiple pizza options include the “Torero” with mozzarella, spicy salame, gorgonzola, black olives, bell peppers and san marzano tomato sauce or the sauceless “Genoverse” with pesto, mozzarella, ricotta, cherry tomatoes and shaved parmigiano.

Amalfi took over the space that formerly housed Flora restaurant (as well as Dolce and Amichi’s). The spacious dining room features a long bar, tables and booths with vintage brick details and the blue-hued wine cellar on the mezzanine above. The large outdoor patio on the corner looks out onto Village’s green.

Amalfi is open for lunch Friday through Sunday, 12 p.m.-3 p.m., and for dinner Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m., and open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Address: 5980 Village Way #B106. Visit amalficucinaitaliana.com for more information.

The new Amalfi in the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch.

(Karen Billing )