Arrivederci Ristorante

Where Snooze engineers breakfast permutations and Goi Cuon splits its menu for vegan accommodation, Arrivederci sticks to a singular mission: thick-cut Italian-American done the way it's been done for decades, with zero interest in what's happening elsewhere on University Avenue. The kitchen doesn't chase trends or nod to California seasonality. It cooks marinara, plates pasta heavy, and keeps the fryers running hot. That clarity matters when half the neighborhood's restaurants are trying to be three things at once.

The fried calamari and zucchini comes out in portions sized for sharing—or not, if you're honest about your appetites—with crusts that hold their crunch past the third piece. The mushroom ravioli runs rich enough that regulars know to pace themselves, and the spaghetti plates arrive with the kind of volume that makes takeout containers inevitable. The risotto skews salty; that's consistent across reviews, so order accordingly or skip it for something safer.

Service operates on warmth, not precision. You'll get bread refills without asking and cheese grated tableside until you wave them off. On Valentine's Day or weekend nights, expect waits even with reservations—they pack the dining room and don't apologize for it. The regular menu barely shifts day to day, which is either comforting or limiting depending on how often you return.

Park on the side streets off Fourth Avenue unless you enjoy circling. The patio works for temperate evenings, though the indoor room holds more of the festive energy regulars mention. It's the kind of place where families with kids sit two tables over from date-night couples, and nobody seems bothered. Hillcrest has fancier Italian and certainly has cheaper pasta, but Arrivederci holds its lane: unfussy, filling, exactly what it says on the sign.