By far the closest thing to real Italian food that tastes like it was made in Italy that we have found in Orange County. After our trip to Italy a few years ago I had totally despaired of finding anything nearly as good in the States, but this place is super legit. Bonus: they have a real Italian waiter with an authentic Italian personality, which really enhances the experience. They have a fabulous Italian Chianti too. It's one of our favorite fancy places that we can go on a romantic date night but also don't feel bad taking our 3-year-old with us when we don't have a babysitter.
Nice little Italian green almost hidden in Orange County. Big place with plenty of seating, including outdoors. Very courteous staff, friendly and attentive. Food is very good. The calamari appetizer is thinly battered and perfectly cooked and seasoned. Specials are ... well, they're pretty special. Visit once and you'll want to visit again.
Absolutely spectacular food, with excellent service to match. Fantastic first experience
I ordered the ravioli - shrimp with truffle cream - and it legitimately is the best pasta I’ve ever had. For appetizers, we had the bruschetta, which utilized roasted red peppers for a delicious twist on the dish. We also had friendly and fast service. Could not recommend this place more.
We had a family dinner here. The atmosphere was excellent inside. Nice music and modern interior. The server was nice and gentle and food was so good specially Octopus was so delicious. Everything was perfect.
Disappointed in our meal. "Beef" pasta with minimal beef, and "sausage" pasta with all mushrooms,. That is, very pricey for simple pasta dishes ($31-35). Also, missing any traditional chicken dishes, only "crispy chicken"? Italian cooking should be healthy and fresh. I know great Italian food being from San Francisco area, and having traveled to Italy multiple times.
We had great expectations for this Italian restaurant. It did not live up to the hype. We went early to avoid the rush but within 30 minutes the restaurant was so loud four of us sitting at a typical sized table for 4 could no longer hear one another. We asked to be relocated to the patio or anywhere that was quieter and were told the whole restaurant is like this. We ordered Burrata which was served with some greenish/brown vegetable that truly was disgusting. While we are known to be 'foodies' and will travel great distances for culinary experiences. I would advise the chief to take this version off the menu. In the end we had our main meal of various pastas boxed up and went home to eat it. We found it to be tasty and also a bit disappointing. Granted, take-home is never as good as initially plated in the restaurant. The pasta seemed fresh, the pomodora was well seasoned but light on tomatoes, the Amatriciana was very tasty and nicely seasoned, but the Quatro Formaggi which should have been terrific wasn't; the cheeses fully blended so that it was more like a thin macaroni & cheese (not that M&C is bad). We like to always give a new place a 2nd try but won't return primarily because of the noise level. Maybe part of the noise problem is that the bar is within the dining area. I highly recommend the patio for dining - it's got to be quieter.
What a charming place in a not so charming shopping center. This place deserves five stars for its service, food, and ambiance.The service is spot on. We were greeted and waited on by the owner who is from Lake Como and is dedicated to his job. Very outgoing, friendly, and honest. The other wait staff seemed very approachable and helpful when interacting with other customers.The food is absolutely delicious. You can tell the chefs care about their work by the taste of the fresh ingredients used in the homemade pastas.The ambiance is nice. We sat outside on a hot evening and it was quiet and comfortable. If you want more hussle then stay inside near the full bar. The decor is neat as well.Definitely worth trying.
Great food, nice indoor setup
While exploring Tock, I discovered a restaurant that looked nice in Newport called Bello by Sandro Nardone. Along with occasional prix fix chefs tasting menu experiences, Tock lists normal reservations for a nice dinner out. With a menu promising authentic Italian cuisine “the way it’s served in Italy”, I thought I’d give it a try.The menu selection contains some small plates and appetizers, large entrees, and a selection of pizzas and pastas with weekly rotating specials.I do admire the black and gold aesthetic that the restaurant has going for its interior design. And my favorite touch, a gold Jeff Koons balloon animal figure watching over the kitchen.There are a number of dishes vying for my attention such as the Polpo, a crispy octopus appetizer, or the Culatello di Zibello which is described as “Italy’s best ham”. Furthermore, there is the Aqua Pazza entree which is Branzino prepared in a fish stock with lemon, parsley, and tomatoes.Call me basic, but I feel like I want to try some of the staple pizza and pasta dishes. The recommended pasta and pizza that catch my attention are the Amatriciana and the La Diavola pizza, which is recommended over the margarita, as it is essentially the same thing with added spicy salami.The pasta appears to be an embarrassingly small portion, but I think this effect is amplified by the large plate the pasta is served in. The Amatriciana is served with a home made bigoli, which is like a very thick spaghetti or spaghettoni. It has the taste and softer doughy texture characteristic of a fresh pasta. I do think that, in general, Amatriciana is a dish that benefits from an al dente pasta, but the flavors on this dish are very delicious regardless. The sauce had a fantastic creaminess to it that elevates it above a simple spicy red sauce and is what makes this dish shine. Every so often I catch a hint of a lovely mix of herbs in the sauce, which is truly special. Finally, the cured pork jowl cooked into the sauce is diced very small and has a perfect semi firm texture.The pizza is well done, and gets many things right. A thick and chewy crust, slightly charred bottom, melted mozzarella cheese, and basil on top cooked in a hot stone oven. The thinly sliced spicy salami contributes to most of the flavor in each bite. I actually think the taste of the mozzarella di bufala is more preferable, but is masked by the salami.