Five years after opening Oliver’s Osteria in Laguna Beach — which secured critical acclaim and a loyal following for such dishes as rigatoni cacio e pepe and squid ink cappellacci, to name a few — chef Erik De Marchi has opened a spinoff in Irvine called Oliver’s Trattoria.
Like he does at Osteria, De Marchi will stick to his making Emilia-Romagna food without kowtowing to any Americanization of his fare. “My menu focuses on that region and is truly authentic, nothing American-Italian about it,” he said.
While he respects Orange County’s abundance of Italian-American spots — classic red sauce joints, if you will — that wasn’t his goal with Osteria or the new Trattoria, which are both dedicated to the Italian northern region. “If people want that type of cuisine, it’s out there — just not at Oliver’s.”
SEE ALSO: Best thing I ate: Different chef, same great cappellacci at Oliver’s Osteria
In addition to a new locale, Oliver’s Trattoria — which opened Dec. 10 — differs from De Marchi’s Laguna Beach restaurant with a focus on wood-fired pizzas with crisp bottoms and blistered crusts. Nine pies appear on the inaugural menu, raging from the classic margarita (with cow’s milk mozzarella, tomato sauce, basil, parmigiano and extra virgin olive oil; buffalo’s milk mozzarella can be added for an additional charge) and a prosciutto (24-month-aged prosciutto parma, mozzarella, yellow cherry tomatoes, basil, parmigiano) to a speck e funghi (smoked prosciutto, gorgonzola and mixed mushrooms) and pizza of the week based on whatever culinary vibe De Marchi feels.
Also of note on the new menu is the panino con mortadella, a sandwich featuring house-baked bread, mortadella (the cold cut is having a star moment this year due, in part, to its millennial-pink hue and ascent of…
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