Isn’t it strange how you can not know about something and then once you find out, suddenly, you are noticing it all around you? Confused? I had no idea what piadina was until I visited Vitaly, a new Italian concept cafe at The Camp in Costa Mesa. I did a little research and found that they’re some sort of street food similar to a pizza or flatbread but eaten like a sandwich.
Since meeting husband and wife team Maurizio and Barbara Cocchi who own Vitaly, I’ve seen Mario Batali make piadina on The Chew and I was happy to see that he makes them the same way as Maurizio, who took me through the piadina making process.
A ball of dough is first run through the press until the desired thickness and then placed on a griddle instead of an oven. It doesn’t take long before the base is made and ready to be topped with whatever you desire.
Traditional toppings were added for this particular one — mozzarella, parma ham, tomato slices and arugula. So simple and yet, absolutely tasty! A perfect snack on the run or a quick lunch you don’t want to spend too much time on. The best part is on top of the traditional dough, there is also whole wheat or gluten free options.
Essentially, Vitaly is a cafe and they offer both European style or American style coffee. The European style coffee is highly appealing to the numerous Italianos who popped into the cafe in the short time I was there. For others, Kean coffee is served. I had a cappucino, Italian style, and it was exactly as I remember of my time in Milan.
Besides coffee and piadinas, there is also gelato made on the premises as well as various pastries, also made in-house. You can catch a glimpse of the true sense of Italy in the heart of Orange County right here, and if you’re lucky, Maurizio or Barbara may stop by and shower you with some of the their warm hospitality which embodies the essence of Vitaly!
Vitaly
2937 Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tel: 714-662-5500
Looks like Vitaly is getting a good following. We were at Taco Asylum last Sunday for dinner and Vitaly was packed. That’s nice to see. I’d love to try the piadina and the gelato.
The piadina looks so good! But I am more curious about the espresso Italiano… Definitely have to try them soon. Thanks for the post- I love finding new food 🙂
Glad to see a piadina place open up. It seems like a natural for SoCal. We understand flatbread sandwiches from many cultures.
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