Please Your Palate at Pizza Ortica

image

Tucked away on the lobby level of a prime and trendy location near South Coast Plaza, lies a gourmet Italian restaurant  called Pizzeria Ortica ran by owner and celebrity chef David Myers. This popular restaurant is in a choice location as it is walking distance to the Orange county performing arts theater, and directly across the street from the mall. Park in the structure that’s located behind the restaurant and Pizzeria Ortica will validate for you.

image

The overall vibe of this restaurant is really amazing. It was relaxed yet sophisticated and the servers were super friendly. I loved the decor inside. When I first walked in it reminded me of being inside The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. The decor is modern and chic.  Although narrow, the restaurant has beautiful high ceilings and a clean, uncluttered classy look. The floors are gorgeous too.

image

My dining partner and I started off by  sipping on some delicious Negronis (gin, campari, and sweet vermouth). I really enjoyed the slightly bitter yet sweet flavor of this cocktail.  Next came our appetizers or small plates as some people like to call it.

image

The first dish we tried was Charred Mediterranean octopus, Yukon Gold potato, celery hearts,  and Sicilian capers . The crispiness of the Octopus combined with the tender potatoes was really pleasant. The presentation was quite appealing as well.

image

Our next dish was Braised free-range chicken and pork meatballs, marinara sauce and garlic crostino. The meatballs were hearty and moist and the sauce was by far the best marinara sauce I have ever had. I couldn’t help but wipe the plate up with the crostini. It was really THAT good.

image

Then came the Roman-style braised artichokes, with shaved ricotta salata. These were very tasty and the ricotta added a nice saltiness to the artichokes. For guests who want to sample several items on the menu  this is a great way to go. The small plates are the perfect size for two people to share without filling up too quickly.

image

Now onto some meat!Here we had the lamb Bruschetta. It had lamb sausage, white bean ragu,  and chilies. This was my favorite dish of the night. It was so savory.

image

Of course we had to follow that up with a nice sample of pasta. Chef Justin Miller concocted this amazing medley of Paparadelle pasta, cranberry beans, Zucchini, squash blossoms,pancetta, pecorino and grilled heirloom tomatoes. I highly recommend this.

image

Finally we ended with a Margherita Pizza. I was extremely happy to know that they use the same marinara sauce that I loved on their pizzas too. The Margherita pizza is made with  San Marzano tomatoes, imported buffalo mozzarellaand basil. The pizza crust is simply amazing. It is thin without being too thin, and it has that wood-fired char on it.  The crust also had  a softness and  delicious doughiness to it without being loaded with oil or cheese.

image

Ok, so maybe we didn’t end at the pizza. Instead we ended with a Budino di Cioccolato. This dessert is divine. It’s Chocolate crème layered with caramel  and served in a cute little rustic jar. But be careful because this dessert may make you have an overwhelming urge to want to lick  the jar clean.

For more information visit www.ortica.com or check out their Facebook Page or find them on Twitter.

Pizzeria ortica is located at:

650 Anton Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 445-4900

Disclosure: I received one or more of the above items for free for the purpose of a review. I was not obligated to give this restaurant a positive review and all thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Pizzeria Ortica on Urbanspoon

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.