By Madison Beveridge
Born and raised in Florence, Italy, Leo Landini dreamed of one day sharing recipes he loved with the world.
Now, in his fourth San Diego restaurant endeavor, Landini is doing exactly that by bringing Mediterranean flavors to Pacific Beach with his latest opening, Slowly Restaurant & Lounge.
Opening on Aug. 13 at 1520 Garnet Ave., Landini and his wife, Christine, have curated a tasteful menu that swirls Italian, Mediterranean and Mexican flavors.
“The name Slowly came from my culture. We like to take things slowly, enjoy the moment, with no rush,” Leo Landini explained.
Under the lead of Chef Yadira Cuevas, the team is navigating uncharted waters in the culinary world. Combining flavors that are typically reserved for their respective countries, Cuevas and Landini worked to create a menu that draws in their favorite aspects of international cuisine.
Slowly’s executive chef, Yadira Cuevas (Robert Reyes)“Mediterranean involves Italian food, but also involves other countries in the region,” he said. “It was not easy to extrapolate what I had in mind until I found Chef Yadira. She is originally from Mexico and we kind of created this concept that meets in the middle between Italian, Mediterranean and Mexican. The menu, in my opinion, is very unique.”
In a country that typically views Mediterranean and Greek food hand-in-hand, Landini’s goal was to expand customers’ palettes and understanding of food.
“At Slowly, Mediterranean has a different meaning,” Landini said. “Where I am from, the word means a combination of all the countries in that region. I know that in the states, it often means Greek food, but the truth is, it is a combination of all of those countries.”
Coming from a rich background in Italian cuisine, and owning Landini’s Pizzeria, Scuderie Italia and Ristorante Illando, Landini is ambitiously breaking away from the traditional dishes he typically serves.
“This is our first non-Italian restaurant. It is a new venture,” he said.
Cuevas has crafted a range of dishes, dabbling in coastal favorites like seafood and delving into classics like red meat and pasta, all with her own touch.
“The process for choosing Chef Yadira was very straightforward,” Landini said. “When we came across her, she was so understanding of the menu and concepts I had in mind. She delivered dishes that were spot on for what I was going for. Her experience in an Italian restaurant before us also really helped. She is so focused, and this menu is her name and her product.”
Black mussels and clams with Mexican chorizo and homemade bread, beef skewers with bell peppers, butterflied branzino and chicken with cauliflower rice have risen to the top as favorites since their opening, Landini said.
“I don’t usually order chicken at restaurants, but Chef Yadira’s chicken is really incredible,” Landini said.
With Scuderie Italia located close by at 1525 Garnet Ave., Landini knows and loves the area.
“I really like Pacific Beach, the customers are very loyal,” he said. “It is challenging, but it is so refreshing to be in PB as an establishment. I knew the landlord of the building and he let me know it was opening, and I quickly came up with this idea.”
Both Ristorante Illando and Landini’s Pizzeria are located in Little Italy, and tapping back into the Pacific Beach market is a refreshing change of pace for Landini and his team.
“Little Italy is busy and it’s a different market with so many moving parts. In PB, there are so many different types of characters and realities,” he said. “For example, students who are coming and going, but also locals who are there to stay. We want to make sure everyone is taken care of.”
Looking ahead, Landini is thrilled for this new venture, certain the addition of Mediterranean cuisines will become a fast favorite amongst locals and visitors.
“We decided to build something that gives the customer a different experience. We don’t want it to be too elevated. Afterall, it is a flip-flop town, so nothing too fancy. But at the same time, it is a bit more refined and nicer,” Landini said. “It is a place where you can have a drink, in a cool environment, with cool music, and enjoy the food. The restaurant business is all about the experience, so that is what we had in mind.”
With hopes to open their doors to brunch in coming months and plans for new fall menu items around the corner, Cuevas and her crew in the kitchen are also hard at work, Landini said.
“We have a lot of locals, so we want to keep their attention alive and keep them coming back,” he said. “Chef Yadira is already working on an autumn menu. We are going to transition into brunch eventually, hopefully with a DJ on site. I want to make brunch and dinner fun, and still sophisticated.”
He added, “We want to keep the interest alive. This has been fun and challenging, and we just love PB.”
Want to visit?
Slowly Restaurant & Lounge
Address: 1520 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. (Subject to change.)
Phone: 858-352-6080
Website: slowlysd.com
Instagram: @slowlysandiego
Recipe for Slowly’s black mussels and clams
Serves 1
Ingredients:
• 10 each clean black mussels
• 5 each clean littleneck clams
• 1 T. garlic confit
• 4 oz. Mexican chorizo cooked and drained
• 1/3 C. crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 C. cooking white wine
• 1/2 C. vegetable stock
• 1/3 C. heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
1 – In a medium-size pan, heat the garlic confit over medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the Mexican chorizo and let it cook until starting to brown and release its fat.
2 – Add the crushed tomatoes and stir well. Let it cook for a few seconds, until simmering.
3 – Add the mussels and clams, white wine, vegetable stock, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until mussels and clams open up. Shake the pan once or twice during cooking.
4 – When the shells start opening, add the heavy cream and cook until all shells are fully opened.
5 – Serve with sliced bread and fresh cilantro leaves on top.
Courtesy of Slowly Restaurant & Lounge