Authentic Italian Pizza and Pasta - Ambrogio15

Ambrogio 15 was voted Best Pizza in San Diego, California in 2020 by The San Diego Union-Tribune. They have a few locations in and around San Diego, with one of their most popular and well-known ones being in the heart of Little Italy, the home of some of our most beloved Italian restaurants in San Diego, and Ambrogio 15 is no exception!

Ambrogio 15 started with a special dough recipe, an innovative pizza-making process, high-quality Italian ingredients, a focus on sustainable agriculture and farming, along with a deep love for Milano, Italy. The idea was born when the founders who shared a love for both Milano and San Diego decided to bring the two worlds together and create something new in San Diego for everyone to enjoy.

Their main product to date is their special paper-thin-crust pizza, along with its variations: the thicker whole-wheat pizza, the soft Nuvola (cloud) Focaccia, and the crunchy-crust Scrocchiarella. They perfected recipes after hundreds of trials, selecting ingredients from the top small-scale, organic, and sustainable producers and farmers in Italy — mozzarella from the Consorzio della Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, aged Parma Prosciutto, and more.

But enough about their background, time to get into the best part: the food. I am not surprised at all that Ambrogio 15 won the best pizza in San Diego because their pizza is truly spectacular and I find myself constantly thinking about it and wanting to go back. In fact, I've gone back several times specifically to get what I believe is their best pizza and the best pizza in San Diego period: their Proscuitto and burrata pizza. This pizza is simply to die for. The only way I can describe it is perfection. From the unique and tasty tomato sauce to the deliciously aged Proscuitto to the creamy and stretchy burrata imported from Italy, there is absolutely nothing that isn't amazing about this pizza. It is living proof that sometimes simple is the best. When every single ingredient is so thought-through and high-quality, there is really nothing that can beat it. Although it is a simply two-topping pizza, the flavors just work together and complement each other so well, words can not describe the amazingness that is this pizza. I have gone back four times and each time I ordered this pizza and literally ate the entire pizza myself, I am not kidding. Discovering this pizza was a life-changing event for me and I believe it will be for you as well. What are you waiting for? Go order it right now!

@sanfoodiego on Instagram

@sanfoodiego on Instagram

Next up, on my most recent visit, I also tried their carpaccio di filetto which is thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin served with citronette, arugula, Italian capers, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano aged 24 months. This dish was a pleasant surprise for me as my past experience with beef carpaccio was not fantastic. This one was quite good! The beef was cooked well and had a great flavor and texture to it. The sauce it came with was very creamy and pleasantly flavorful, it complemented the beef very well. Overall, a solid dish and appetizer that I would recommend.

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We also decided to order a second pizza so that we could say we've had more than just their Proscuitto and burrata pizza. We ordered their most expensive pizza sitting at $39 (I believe this one is only available at their Del Mar location which is their newest location that just opened a few weeks ago): Milano City of Gold. From the name, you might not be surprised to hear that they use actual 24k gold leaf in this dish. This pizza is topped with burrata, saffron bechamel, breaded veal eye of round Milanest style, bone marrow, raw filet mignon tartare, gremolata, and of course, 24k gold leaf. This pizza was definitely a crazy ride filled with expensive and rare ingredients. To be frank, I don't think it is worth its price. Don't get me wrong, ingredients-wise it is definitely worth the $39, but in terms of taste and overall experience, I just wouldn't order it again. The pizza itself is a bit dry with no sauce, the saffron flavor is very strong, almost a little too overpowering. The pizza was not bad, just a lot to take in and not particularly amazing in my opinion. It sure is beautiful though!

@sanfoodiego on Instagram

@sanfoodiego on Instagram

Their pizza is definitely not cheap overall, but I think the quality of the ingredients and the pizzas as a whole really speak for themselves and their prosciutto and burrata pizza is definitely worth the price, without a doubt, which is why I've paid that price several times for it. A little foodie tip though: I believe the Little Italy price for the prosciutto and burrata pizza is cheaper than their Del Mar price, not sure about their Pacific Beach location though.

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