Italian Cucina in Lakeside is the scratch-made Italian restaurant inside Barona Resort & Casino, voted best casino restaurant in San Diego for eight consecutive years beginning in 2014. The open kitchen fires stone-hearth pizzas and calzones alongside pasta dishes, smoked prime beef short ribs, and baby lamb chops, producing a full-service Italian menu that supplies private-event catering for milestone celebrations at East County venues including Hazy Meadow Ranch on El Monte Rd. The restaurant occupies the lower level of the Barona complex on Wildcat Canyon Rd, accessible by escalator from the food court, and requires dinner attire for guests 18 and older. An extensive wine and beverage list accompanies every entree, with corkage set at $25 per 750ml bottle for guests who bring their own selections — a bring-your-own option that pairs naturally with curated bottles from Alpine Frontier Liquor on Alpine Blvd. The grilled jumbo shrimp in port wine sauce arrives plated with diced zucchini, apples, and bacon alongside a complimentary bread basket and house-marinated green and black olives.