The Amalfi Llama Lands at Westfield UTC With Fire-Cooked Cuisine
If you’re a fan of live-fire cooked food, then you’re going to want to check out The Amalfi Llama, which recently opened at Westfield UTC.
The eclectically named restaurant also features a similarly eclectic menu. It’s based on creating a hybrid of two distinct coastal cuisines — Patagonia in South America and Amalfi on the Italian Mediterranean coast.
To that end, The Amalfi Llama focuses on using live fire cooking techniques found in Patagonian and Mediterranean cultures. At the restaurant, chefs use open flames, smoke, coals, and embers to cook everything from vegetables to seafood — and even pizza.
The menu includes some notable standouts, such as:
- Scottish Salmon served with arugula and roasted tomato
- Wood-Grilled Half Chicken served with roasted potatoes and Chimichurri sauce
- Baked Taglioni with Prosciutto cotto and Bechamel
- Roasted mushroom pizza made with truffle oil
- Lobster mac and cheese
- Assortment of fire-roasted vegetables
In the interior, the 152-seat restaurant is anchored by both a live fire grill and a wood-burning oven. There’s also a circular 28-seat bar that serves a variety of different wines, beers, and cocktails, including some interesting riffs on the classic Negroni.
Although The Amalfi Llama is new to San Diego, the restaurant is actually the second location in a collaborative project by Eureka! Restaurant Group and Mexico-based Grupo Carolo Hospitality. The Westfield UTC location follows a successful launch in Miami, Florida this past winter.
The restaurant is located at The Collection at Westfield UTC, address 4575 La Jolla Village Drive St 1155. It’s open from 5 p.m. through midnight Sunday – Thursday, and from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Reservations available at this link.
Hungry for more? Check out our April La Jolla restaurants guide!
Media credit: Images courtesy of amalfillama.com
Mike Peterson is a writer, editor, and strategist based in San Diego. When he’s not writing and editing the La Jolla news, you can often find him practicing yoga, rock climbing, or exploring the outdoors with his wife and dog.
