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VALLEY • Fratelli’s Italian Kitchen

Dining: Valley

THE OSIDER JULY/AUGUST 2021

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Shrimp Scampi

FRATELLI’S ITALIAN KITCHEN

WORDS: AARON SCHMIDT PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER Fettuccine Alfredo With Broccoli

Originally opened back in July of 2011, Fratelli’s Italian Kitchen is now celebrating ten years of doing business here in Oceanside. Owners Austin and Brandon Lorber are two brothers who both grew up in Escondido and have been working in the restaurant and hospitality field for quite some time before launching Fratelli’s. “With our restaurant, we wanted to do something a little more accessible to people and still have that attentive fine dining-style customer service. We had the recipes, and we knew what we wanted to do as far as service-wise, and then our food concepts kind of came into fruition,” explained Austin.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Fratelli’s over the past ten years—with fires, floods, and pandemics to deal with. But through their sheer perseverance and genuine support of the community, they were able to weather the storms and stay alive—even thrive. The Lorber Bros are onto something pretty special at Fratelli’s and it shows in every aspect of their restaurant and amazing staff.

With ample seating, Fratelli’s space is warm and inviting, and that smell—the amazing fragrance of Italian food cooking is paralleled to none, and is always welcomed into this writer’s sensory receptors morning, noon, or night. Venturing further into the restaurant’s dining area, you’ll notice two beautiful stained glass images of the Harbor and Mission San Luis Rey that pay homage to the city, while the mellow tunes of big band music plays over the loudspeakers above.

When it comes to eating at Fratelli’s, it’s all about pizza, pasta, and seafood. And it’s all mainly comfort food—definitely American Italian style dining complete with huge family-style portions. Everything’s made from scratch with special house-made ingredients for every dish. Popular menu items include the Chicken Parmigiana (my personal all-time favorite Italian dish—a long string of melted cheese gloriously dangled from my mouth the entire time during my meal. If you know me, you’ll know I’m not making this up), Fettuccine Alfredo, Shrimp Scampi, Tortellini Pesto, with Meat Lasagna being their number one seller. The Garlic Butter Broccoli and Pepperoni Pinwheels are also extremely popular with folks, and there’re vegan and gluten-free menu options as well. For dessert, the tiramisu is pretty darn epic and so are the cannolis and gelatos. Which to choose? No problem, try one of each!

And yes, to the delight of many—Wine Wednesdays has finally returned.

“This place is all about family dinners—I’ve been watching kids grow up here that I’ve seen in diapers since day one,” said Austin. “To me,

Chicken Parmigiana

Owners Austin and Brandon Lorber

Fratelli’s is seeing the same smiling neighborhood faces day in and day out.”

Fratelli’s is open every Tuesday to Sunday 3-8pm and closed on Mondays

Fratelli’s Italian Kitchen 3915 Mission Avenue #12 (760) 696-9007 fratellisitaliankitchen.com @fratellis_oceanside

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