Italian
Alessá
234 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach, CA, 92651
949-497-8222
This village center magnet for robust Italian by chef-owner Alessandro Pirozzi boasts a prosciutto-and-mozzarella bar…
Website: http://www.alessalaguna.com
Neighborhood: Laguna Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Anaheim White House
887 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA, 92805
714-772-1381
In a vintage mansion that resembles 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., owner Bruno Serato indulges his flair for high style…
Website: http://www.anaheimwhitehouse.com/
Neighborhood: Anaheim
Category: Italian, Restaurants, Seafood, Steakhouse
Andrea Ristorante
The Resort at Pelican Hill, 22701 Pelican Hill Road S., Newport Coast, CA, 92660
949-467-6800
The Resort at Pelican Hill’s deluxe dining room is named for noted Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), but the elegant northern Italian dishes…
Website: http://www.pelicanhill.com
Neighborhood: Newport Coast, Waterfront
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Antonello Ristorante
South Coast Plaza Village, 3800 South Plaza Drive, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
714-751-7153
Thirty years young and counting, South Coast Plaza’s Italian grand diva still reigns for ultrafine feasting on authentic…
Website: http://www.antonello.com
Neighborhood: Costa Mesa, South Coast Metro
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Brunos Trattoria
210 W. Birch Street, Brea, CA, 92821
714-257-1000
One of North County’s best venues boasts advantages that are fairly rare in these parts: thoughtfully executed Italian cuisine…
Website: http://www.brunosbrea.com
Neighborhood: Brea
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Canaletto
Fashion Island, 545 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA, 92663
949-640-0900
From the cognoscenti of Il Fornaio, this is the perfect SoCal vision of an upscale Italian trattoria…
Website: http://www.ilfornaio.com
Neighborhood: Fashion Island, Newport Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Cucina Alessá
520 Main St., Huntington Beach, CA, 92648
714-969-2148
Despite the exit of its founding chef, this two-story trattoria maintains a solid following thanks to a veteran crew at ease with the original menu and recipes that still attract a loyal following for housemade pastas, feather-light pizzas, and breakfast omelets…
Website: http://www.cucinaalessahuntingtonbeach.com
Neighborhood: Huntington Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Cucina Alessá
6700 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA, 92661
949-645-2148
Despite the exit of its founding chef, this trattoria maintains a solid following thanks to a veteran crew at ease with the original menu and recipes that still attract a loyal following for housemade pastas, feather-light pizzas, and breakfast frittatas…
Website: http://www.cucinaalessanewportbeach.com
Neighborhood: Newport Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Ecco
2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
714-444-3226
This easygoing trattoria at The Camp is downright mainstream compared to its quirky indie neighbors. Expect straightforward Italian fare from local organic goods…
Website: http://www.eccopizza.com/
Neighborhood: Costa Mesa, South Coast Metro
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Il Barone Ristorante
4251 Martingale Way, Newport Beach, CA, 92660
949-955-2755
F Franco and Donatella Barone broke away from their longtime posts (he at Antonello, she at Nello Cucina) to create a family affair in the retooled site of the old Pleasant Peasant…
Website: http://www.ilbaroneristorante.com
Neighborhood: Newport Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
La Bettola
18504 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA, 92886
714-695-0470
The name means “hole in the wall,” and it is. Small and slightly quirky, this warm hideaway serves up Italian specials that soar…
Neighborhood: Yorba Linda
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Maggiano’s Little Italy
South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
714-546-9550
Getting seated is the hard part at this perennially popular Chicago-style pasta house. Ordering is easy for parties of four or more since most of the menu is served family-style…
Website: http://www.maggianos.com
Neighborhood: Costa Mesa, South Coast Metro
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Mare Culinary Lounge
696 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651
949-715-9581
This Coast Highway hotspot is the newest and swankiest Alessandro Pirozzi’s Italian restaurant…
Website: http://www.mareculinarylounge.com
Neighborhood: Laguna Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Pitfire Artisan Pizza
353 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, CA, 92627
949-313-6333
The first O.C. shop from this thriving L.A.-based chain is not your nonna’s pizzeria…
Website: http://www.pitfirepizza.com
Neighborhood: Costa Mesa, Orange County, South Coast Metro
Category: Californian, Italian, Restaurants
Pizza e Vino
31441 Santa Margarita Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, 92688
949-713-1500
The No. 1 pick in our 2011 pizza survey, this casual pizzeria by the lake is packed with disciples of Neapolitan pies that are authentic right down to the 850-degree wood-fired oven…
Website: http://www.pizzaevino.net
Neighborhood: Rancho Santa Margarita
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Pizzeria Mozza
800 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, CA, 92663
949-612-9579
This is the O.C. outpost of the rustic, reverent Italian cuisine brought so smashingly to L.A. in 2006 by luminaries Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton, and Joe Bastianich…
Website: http://www.pizzeriamozza.com
Neighborhood: Newport Beach
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Pizzeria Ortica
650 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
714-445-4900
Chef de cuisine Justin Miller oversees this “It” pizzeria from L.A. star chef David Myers…
Website: http://www.pizzeriaortica.com
Neighborhood: Costa Mesa, South Coast Metro
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Roma D’ Italia
611 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA, 92780
714-544-0273
Old Town’s durable red-sauce joint keeps ’em coming for family-recipe meatballs, pizzas, parmigianas and pastas…
Website: http://www.romaditalia.com
Neighborhood: Tustin
Category: Italian, Restaurants