Beach-Styled Seafood Restaurant With Italian Roots Coming To Hillcrest

Eater has learned that an Italian chef, recently transplanted to San Diego, will be opening his first local restaurant in the Hillcrest spot just vacated by poutinery Mess Royale. Chef/owner Fabrizio Facchini, who runs a country restaurant and boutique hotel in the Marche, a region of Italy close to the Adriatic Sea, is prepping a new seafood concept for the space called Clandestino that will be inspired by Italian coastal cuisine and other cultures that center around the bounty of the sea.

Clandestino should be ready for primetime by the end of the month, after a light remodel to give restaurant a relaxed, beach-styled setting. Facchini, one of the 400 members of the global Slow Food Chefs' Alliance, will be using local ingredients as the foundation for his seasonal menu, which will feature traditional Italian dishes and plates influenced by his international travels. Look forward to authentic handmade pasta stuffed with seafood and fish crudos to cooked-until-tender octopus with potato, parsley and yuzu and a lobster burger made served on a squid ink bun.

Location Matters' Mike Spilky says, "Fabrizio's concept combined with his overall passion for the business will give the new restaurant a much better shot at sustaining longevity in this location. I believe he may have what it takes to bring multiple restaurants to San Diego."