There’s just nothing like an authentic Italian restaurant on a Friday night. A glass of wine, decadent cheese and a plate of pasta to drown myself in is all I want after a long week of work.

On a recent Friday night after a long week of work AND a terrible 3-hour drive from Marina del Rey to Temecula, my boyfriend took me on a romantic date night to Gourmet Italia, one of his favorite Italian restaurants.

We started with drinks, of course. My Aperol spritz was delicious – definitely authentic, and good to sip on throughout the meal. Sean had champagne with strawberry puree, which was so light and refreshing.

We started with the crostini positano – buffalo mozzarella cheese, roma tomatoes, basil, capers and extra virgin olive oil on toasted bread. I loved this spin on traditional bruschetta.

I would have been totally satiated with the crostini and the bread basket, but it was time to pick entrees and I couldn’t turn down the menu.

It took a long time to choose my order, but I finally decided on the pasta primavera (penne with fresh vegetables, olive oil and Parmesan). Sean chose the chicken parmigiana.

Beyond the food, the people are amazing. I posted on Facebook while we were at the restaurant. Gourmet Italia responded in real time, then the owner even came over to our table and thanked me for the post! Delicious food and a great family to support, what could be better?