a Burrissimo celebratory giveaway

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

In honor of the City of Costa Mesa’s 60th anniversary celebrations, Burrissimo has provided a myriad of goodies for my readers to win. One lucky winner will win a wonderful gift basket of goodies while 10 others will win $10 giftcards to check Burrissimo out. Included in the gift basket will be:

·         A pair of 60^th anniversary concert tickets
·         $25 Burrissimo gift card
·         Burrissimo logo cap
·         Bottle of BSting Signature Hot Sauce
·         An order of free Happy Birthday Costa Mesa Zeppoles

An in-store promo taking place at Burrissimo Costa Mesa between June 24-30 offers customers:

A FREE order of Birthday Zeppoles with minimum purchase ($7 minimum).

Use your OC Tastefest 60th anniversary concert tickets on June 28th at 4pm!!

Leave me a comment and tell me why you would love to win this awesome gift pack. Entries end Thursday 20th! Winner announced on Friday 21st! Good Luck!

contemporary Cucina Urbana is a San Diego hit

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

If you’ve been to Cucina Enoteca at the Irvine Spectrum, you’ll probably know that the group’s original restaurant is the eclectic San Diego eatery Cucina Urbana located in the Banker’s Hill neighborhood. I love Enoteca, so on one particular visit to San Diego, I paid a visit to Urbana.

The restaurant is beautiful — as I had expected — and a little smaller and cozier than the sprawling OC location. I always feel like there is so much to discover everywhere I look.

We started with some cocktails – Tequila “Mule” ($11) with jalapeno infused tequila, lime juice and ginger beer was my choice being the tequila-lover that I am. My friend happily sipped on the delightful Blueberry Caipirinha ($11) with novo fogo cachaca, lime juice and sugar.

Our server suggested the Tuna Conserva + Ceci Bean + Taggiasca Olive + Farm Egg ($8.50) mason jar for us to start. Ordinarily, I would never have ordered this, but our server didn’t steer us in the wrong direction. It was delicious! I loved the salty tart flavor combo, leaving my mouth puckering for more.

I’ve always loved antipasti boards and the one here comprised of a sampler of three bites: Osso Bucco Bone Marrow, Arancini with finocchio and arrabiata with a San Marzano marinara sauce, Bresaola, Taleggio cheese on crostini.

The Bresaola, Taleggio cheese crostini requires no words. Salty, sweet, absolutely delicious bite after bite.

Arancini with finocchio and arrabiata in a San Marzano marinara sauce is light and cheesy. The marinara is perfectly executed and the ideal marriage of flavors.

Osso Bucco Bone Marrow is rich, decadent and lately, has taken over the widely missed foie gras.

Grilled Mediterranean Octopus ($13.50) brings together tomato sugo, calabrian chili, cannellini bean, bottarga and lemon preserve. The components in this dish comes together well with textural contrast as well as flavor bursts in my mouth.

I had eyed the Roast Suckling Pig ($13.50) because I wanted to see how it differed to the one I’m familiar with from my childhood. The meat was tender with a crispy skin coating just like the one I know but this was also topped with poached hen egg, frisee, pork crackling and a sherry mustard sugo. Crispy, gooey, absolutely decadent!

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed dessert as well! Orange Pistachio Cake ($8) was a moist polenta cake topped with tangerine and candied fennel and a wildflower honey crema. So fragrant and so delicious.

Pear + gingerbread spiced tiramisu ($8.50) was also different from the ones I’m used to. Mascarpone mousse, amaretto and almond praline makes this not only a unique tiramisu, but also, a very refined one.

Before you go, make a reservation because the place gets packed! You don’t want to arrive and then be disappointed they don’t have a table for you.

Cucina Urbana
505 Laurel Street
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: 619-239-2222

Chef Alessandro never fails to impress

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Mad Hungry Woman

Last week, a bunch of us media folk were invited to taste some of the new spring menu item offerings at Mare Culinary Lounge created by Chef Alessandro Pirozzi. I first encountered Chef Pirozzi’s cuisine at Cucina Alessa and was blown away by his delicious yet simple fare.

I’ve never been super fond of eating Italian out because I’ve generally been disappointed. Alessa was one of those restaurants where everything’s been pretty much perfect and where my friends always comment on my silence when dining there.

**Please note that the photos depict a sampling portion and not the a la carte prices listed**

We began with Olive Fritte ($8) something I absolutely loved. Fontina stuffed Castelvetranon olives are lightly flashed fried and topped with sea salt and Italian parsley. It goes well with any libation you might choose to enjoy these with. Beautifully salty with delicate textural balance.

I’m not a big fan of goat cheese, but these Stuffed Sweet Peppers ($9) using orange Peppadews stuffed with goat cheese, walnuts and basil are mild and the cheese doesn’t overpower.

When the Polipo Mediterranean ($14) hit my mouth, I was in heaven. This is Pirozzi style to the max. The house made braised octopus carpaccio is sliced so paper thin it simply melts in your mouth. Slivers of bell peppers add hints of sweetness while the black Sicilian lava salt and imported baby caper berries give a salty tart finish.

The Branzino was an off the cuff idea Chef threw into the mix. The branzino is sliced thin and prepared “al piatto”, or on the plate. Raw fish slices are placed onto hot plates so they are so ever slightly “cooked”. The Sorrento Lemon infused olive oil, shaved fennel, radicchio and wild arugula all work together for that perfect mouthful. The imported black lava salt flakes are never aggressive gently seasoning the delicate fish.

Ravioli di Zucca was a bit too sweet for my palate, but the housemade butternut squash raviolis were tender and the decadent brown butter sage sauce enveloped the pillowy pasta like a warm blanket.

The next item to hit the table was Mamma Mia ($12), those famous Pirozzi meatballs which shut me up at Alessa the very first time I tasted them. There are three to a serve and the light as air meatballs are covered with a delicious ragu and topped with burrata. These are simply some of the best meatballs I’ve ever tasted to date.

If you like pizza, then try the Crispy Soppresata ($11) a thin-crust topped with farmer’s goat cheese, Calabrian hot chili peppers and a light spicy house-made salame.

Next was a pasta trio, one of which was the Limoncello Radiatori ($24), Mare signature pasta with live Maine lobster tail, shallots, pinot grigio and a local lemon sauce. I’ve had a similar pasta at Alessa and it was just sublime. This is no different. The Ravioli d’Aragosta is filled with lobster, fennel in a sherry reduction and vodka cream sauce, while Veal Osso Buco Agnolotti is just insanely rich with wild mushrooms and brown butter sage sauce. Any one of these would make a wonderful shared starter or entree.

I wish I had the stomach space to finish the Filet Mignon ($26), but I only managed two bites. You will get an 8oz center cut filet with black lava salt served on a wooden board with sunflower honey, balsamic infused Italian cipollini and imported sauteed artichokes. The beef was so perfectly executed it was like butter in my mouth.

As if that wasn’t enough, we were served Delizia al Limone. This non-dessert fan polished this entire dessert off with no problem — yes I did say I was extremely full! A light spongy cake was topped with lemon cream custard and finished with zest — not too sweet but just enough with a hint of citrus to even everything out.

The location of Mare might deter you, as it is inside the Holiday Inn and parking is a bit of a drag, but you shouldn’t let it. At dinner, you can utilize the parking lot a street up at the Neighborhood Congregational Church at 340 St Ann’s Drive located a block up off Glenneyre. Chef Pirozzi’s impressive creations are not to be missed!

Mare Culinary Lounge
696 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Tel: 949-715-9581

Pitfire offers artisan pizza and more

Posted on December 25, 2012 by Mad Hungry Woman

I admit, I’m kind of a pizza snob. Frankly, there are only a few places I’d eat pizza at and Orange County isn’t by any means the epicenter of great pizzerias. This is why, when I tried the pizzas at the newly opened Pitfire in Costa Mesa, I was really impressed by how cool the restaurant looked, but more importantly, by the quality of the pizzas and especially, the prices. Some seriously cool things of note in the decor includes Volkswagen cushions on the banquettes, surfboard-inspired tabletops, Volkswagen headlights which ‘spells’ out Pitfire in braille and the nautical theme in general due to its proximity to the water. The attention to detail brought a smile to my face. The restaurant is fast casual — you order up front and find a place to sit, but by no means is this some ordinary establishment. The staff are attentive, you can bring the kids, but you can also enjoy adult moments by savoring in some funky cocktails such as The Flamin’ P with reposado and jalapeno, an aperol infused Neroni, “The Duke” which has the sweetness of cherries or The Crystal Cove garnished with a stick of rosemary. The sangrias were my favorites though. There is a traditional, which they carry at all times, and then a rotating one depending on season. Right now they are serving Apple Pear Sangria ($4.50/$16 pitcher) which was a little sweet for me — I loved the traditional and had a couple of glasses of it — WOO HOO. We started with some Flatbread & Ricotta ($6) — crispy flatbread topped with parmesan, parsley and a brush of garlic oil served with herb ricotta topped with diced tomato and olive with a drizzle of California extra virgin olive oil. Nice accompaniment with my drink, but I wasn’t filling up on this. I was here for the pizza and I needed to leave room to try as many as I could, however, I don’t have room for everything so I’m going to highlight my favorites. I’m a huge fan of burrata so The Burrata Pie ($9.95) was definitely one I kept my eyes out for. Topped with tomato sauce, caramelized onion, creamy burrata, wild arugula, hazelnuts for crunch, and a pesto drizzle made a very interesting combination. I loved the marriage of creamy and crunch! For pizza traditionalists, the Margherita ($9.50) will definitely please. Fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, California extra virgin olive oil and torn basil make for a very simple pizza. My son is a meat fiend so Sausage Party ($11.95) was a huge hit. Huntington fennel sausage, Zoe’s bacon, salami and prosciutto, tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella and a dense balsamic drizzle finished off this nice salty concoction. From the seasonal menu, Brussels Sprouts & Bacon ($11) was a huge hit with my son and I both. Brussel sprouts leaves, cream, bacon, garlic, parmesan — what’s NOT to love??? This possesses everything we love and I really didn’t want to share. Right now, the Tuscan Pie is available — the 10th anniversary special pizza pie — for a mere $7.95. Along with the pie comes an anniversary t-shirt to commemorate this event (passed out while supplies last). Red onions, grilled chicken, roasted rosemary potatoes, mozzarella, pesto and gorgonzola makes it the bet deal ever. It’s not on the menu so if you want it, make sure you ask for it. Veggie Platter ($9.95) was a generous plate of kale with golden raisins and pine nuts, fall squash with honey and mint, farro salad with roasted mushrooms and hazelnuts, roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic parmesan dressing served with heirloom beans. Everything on the plate was absolutely delicious. My mind was rolling around thinking I could pick this up to serve at dinner and it would be an absolutely fantastic addition. For those looking for anything other than pizzas or salads, well, let me tell you there’s something for everyone. We tried the Handcrafted Chicken Meatballs ($6) which were tender and perfectly textured. I’m very fussy about marinara sauce and I had no criticism on the one here — it was spot on! My son adored the Chicken & Mushroom Cavatappi ($10.95) and the kid doesn’t even like mushrooms. He does however love wild arugula and this was wilted into the pasta and worked very well with the porcini lemon cream and parmesan. I’m happy that Pitfire is not far from me. This is a great place to pick up a pizza or two for dinner and for me, I can choose my own and not have to compromise on toppings because my son wants something else. We can both have our own pizzas — although I have a feeling we’ll both end up with the Brussels sprouts one!

Pitfire Artisan Pizza 353 E 17th Street Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Tel: 949-313-6333

a lavish Italian experience at Andrea

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Mad Hungry Woman

I was invited to preview the Autumn menu at Andrea Ristorante a few weeks ago where not only were we treated to delicious fare, but also, introduced to the restaurant’s new chef, Luigi Fineo, a native of Gioia.

We began with cocktails on the terrace before moving into the dining room’s patio area. The sun was just setting and the glorious pink and orange hues were visible on the horizon as we sat down to sample an array of what the season has to offer.

Bread service of three different types of bread arrived with foccacia, a whole wheat roll, and another with scallion. I’m told all breads are made in-house.

** please note photos depict tasting portions **

We started with House Cured Duck Breast Carpaccio, “Cervia” rock salt, mild gorgonzola dressing ($18) — so delicate, so packed with flavor, OH SO GOOD! I could’ve eaten another plate of this!

Sicilian Pistachio Pappardelle with braised lamb ragu ($23) was next. I haven’t had pasta this good since being in NYC several months ago. All pasta is made in-house and the difference is immediately evident when you taste it. The pappardelle has the perfect texture and the lamb ragu is rich and unctuous.

A wheel of parmesan reggiano was brought tableside to showcase the next dish. Porcini Mushroom Risotto ($29) was poured into the wheel and mixed together so the cheese can coat the risotto before it is spooned into a pan and served to us.

Fresh porcinis are delicate and subtle — not as intense in flavor as the dried version — while the rice was just perfectly executed. There was a hint of cheese, not overpowering whatsoever. Note that the table-side presentation requires a minimum of two orders.

Our next home made pasta was a ricotta Cavatelli with langoustine, chanterelle mushrooms and brown butter ($25). When you come to Andrea, I highly recommend getting any pasta dish because you won’t be disappointed. The cavatelli were delightfully toothy and the langoustine so sublime. I would have a huge problem when I return because I won’t know which to order, this or the pappardelle!

I didn’t have much room left for the Greg Norman Wagyu Tenderloin Grade 9 with roasted vegetables, cipollini onions, and bone marrow (8oz/$70) but it was a perfect medium rare and I couldn’t resist. If you’re an avid meat eater, this is definitely the dish for you!

Chef Luigi couldn’t have known that zabaglione was my absolute favorite dessert of all time, so Vanilla Sabayon with Passito Wine Baba ($15) balsamic fig compote and whipped cream was really hard to pass up. I love sabayon, or, zabaglione, and this was like eating little bits of puffy clouds.

My giveaway this week is for Andrea’s Pranzo Veloce, the quick lunch which runs from Wednesdays through Sundays. The two-course menu espresso (express menu) is served in 45 minutes or less. The giveaway includes this lunch for two at Andrea Ristorante valued at $60. Leave me a comment as to why you should win this delightful prize. Please see below for restrictions.

The gift voucher expires December 31, 2013 and reservations are based on availability. Dining credit for Andrea only, does not include alcohol, tax or gratuities – not to exceed $60. Cancellations or changes to reservations must be made 7 days prior to arrival to avoid forfeiting your certificate. Certificate must be rendered upon presentation of final bill. Certificate has no cash value, is non-transferable and may not be combined with any other offers or promotions. Some restrictions and blackout dates may apply with major restrictions during summer months. Not valid during special events, holidays or holiday weekends. Strictly not eligible for extension. May not be replaced if lost or stolen.

Andrea Ristorante
22701 South Pelican Hill Road
Newport Coast, CA 92657
Tel: 949-467-6800

a taste of Italy at Bruno’s Trattoria

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Mad Hungry Woman

Brea has been getting some great eateries this year and the latest addition is a lovely Italian place called Bruno’s Trattoria. We were invited for a preview of what the restaurant has to offer and I was delightfully surprised by what we tasted.

We started with an Antipasto Platter consisting of Arancini risotto balls filled with ham, cheeses, fresh herbs, lightly fried with marinara sauce. Cheesy and gooey on the inside, these delicious morsels were the ideal start to the meal.

Crostini topped with butternut and fresh ricotta cheese is a nice bite with whatever it is you’re drinking. The sweetness of the butternut with the milky ricotta cheese went very well together.

A little bowl of Peperonata red bell peppers, onion, olive oil is all roasted in-house and it goes perfectly well with the antipasti.

My favorite of the appetizers was the Fromaggi/Salumi/Olives featuring prosciutto, coppa and gorgeous cheeses like fontina, ubriaco and nostrano.

I was so pleased with the Pasta Duo. Pasta is made in-house and you can totally taste the difference. Bruno Pappardelle with braised short ribs and wild mushrooms was absolutely delicious. I have been craving the home-made pastas I enjoyed in NYC and was so happy when I put this in my mouth. The pappardelle had a perfect consistency with just a bite, and the rich short ribs and mushrooms coated the noodles to create a delicious mouthful.

Risotto all’ Aragosta was filled with umami and the lobster, asparagus, roasted tomato and basil together with the rice was creamy and sublime. LOVED IT.

Entrees came in the form of Branzino, crispy skin flaky and moist flesh underneath. This Mediterranean seabass was tasty with a lovely lemon caper sauce. Often, lemon sauces aren’t tart enough for me, but the one here was spot on.

Another entree we sampled was Bistecca “Flat Iron” grilled flat iron steak served with creamy polenta and roasted cipollini onions. The latter was seasoned with balsamic vinegar and the tart sweetness was just intoxicating. I absolutely love all these acidic flavors on the plates.

Naturally when it came time for desserts I was already full, however, I was assured that I would enjoy these even though my sweet palate is virtually non-existent.

Torte di Pesche is an almond meal cake with fresh peaches, almonds and served with vanilla bean gelato. The texture was coarse and pleasing and the peaches added a great contrasting texture. Very nice.

I normally dislike Tiramisu, but the one here was surprisingly good. Texturally it was even and creamy. The lady fingers were soaked through perfectly and the flavors of espresso, mascarpone, rum and cocoa melded well together. It wasn’t overly sweet which was also great for me.

My favorite was Budino al Caramello, a caramel pudding with a touch of chocolate ganache and topped with whipped cream. Again, this wasn’t super sweet which was heaven in my mouth!

Brea is slowly becoming a little eating mecca and Bruno’s is helping the downtown area get closer to its final goal. Food is great, atmosphere is warm and inviting. I only wish I lived closer.

This week, Bruno’s has generously donated a $50 gift card for one of you to win. Just leave a comment telling me which of these dishes you are most excited to try. Don’t forget to leave your FULL name to be entered. Winner announced Monday.

Bruno’s Trattoria
210 W Birch Street
Brea, CA 92821
Tel: 714-257-1000

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Category Archives: Italian