If 2019 was a banner year for dining in San Diego, it will also go down as the turning point for truly high-quality Italian food, thanks to three new exciting, first-rate eateries, Cesarina, Siamo Napoli and Il Dandy, and its fine dining restaurant-within-a-restaurant, Arama.

The number three is key because on Oct. 18, 2018, the Union-Tribune published “For my list of Top 10 San Diego Italian restaurants, I could only find 7.” It was a controversial piece that bemoaned the acceptance of mediocre or overwrought Italian food in this town and the lack of simple, yet sophisticated, fare that you’d find in any major city in America.