I celebrated my birthday  on Wednesday with Tim and we decided to go to Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa. Pizzeria Otica is owned by Chef/Owner David Myers along with Executive Chef/Partner, Steve Samson. It’s located on Anton Blvd near the Orange County Performing Arts Center in a space that is very unique. The space is long and narrow. When you walk in, you essentially walk in the center of the space.

We were greeted promptly with a smile and a “Good evening”. “Reservations for two,” I said. It was kind of full tonight. If you look to your left, you will see a dark, spartan space with tables, while on the right side of the restaurant you have a scene that is more vibrant and full of life. The kitchen and bar is located on this side. I wanted to sit on that side, but noticed that if you sit at table level, you can’t see behind the counter. I always want to see the line if I can. I asked if we could sit at the bar and our hostess said yes.

So we sat ourselves at the end of the bar and was greeted by the server/bartender, Michael. He gave us plate settings and gave us menus. He came back shortly thereafter and asked what we wanted to drink. I asked if they had a full bar and he said wine and beer only. I asked what beers he had and Michael started to list a bunch of beers, all non-domestic beers. I opted for the Allagash, a Belgian-style beer. It was a 750ml bottle so Tim and I decided to share. Michael brought over two cold tall glasses and poured our beer. The color was good and the flavor was good.

Michael brought some bread to the table and asked us what we wanted for our order. Tim and I had been studying the menu quite hard and we both decided that we wanted to sample a pizza and the pasta. For our starter we were torn between the Arancini, deep fried risotto balls and the Lamb skewers. Now, I’m not one to pass up lamb on any occasion. We enjoyed a few more sips of our beer and talked more about my day.

The lamb skewers showed up and it wasn’t what I was expecting. This was well seasoned ground lamb on a wooden skewer that is then grilled over an open flame. It was drizzled with a mint and olive oil sauce. Despite the appearance, the meat was very flavorful and I made sure to get all the mint sauce. I also wish there was just a tad more meat on the “bones”.

Minutes later our second dish arrived, the Tagliatelle bolognese – Spinach pasta, traditional meat sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano. This dish was sooo good. We almost didn’t have this dish. Just a few minutes after placing our order, Michael informed us that the chef said they were all out of the Spinach pasta. Oh no!! But one more look in the kitchen and there was enough for one batch. The spinach pasta was dark green and the noodles were cut wide. The meat sauce was your traditional bolognese sauce. My first bite brought me back to where I took a cooking class and one of the items was a bolognese. Before that, I never made a bolognese. It made me smile. This dish was perfect. There was probably a bit more sauce on the noodles that I would have served out, but we made sure there was nothing left in that bowl!

While enjoying our pasta, the pizza showed up. We ordered the Prosciutto di Parma e rucola – Margherita with Parma ham and wild arugula. I couldn’t wait to get in there. The pizza crust was cut into four pieces before the toppings of fresh prosciutto and arugula was placed on top. If there was one complaint of the evening is that the knives they give you really suck. We managed to re-trace the cuts they made in the dough and plated a slice for Tim and then myself. Generally in a place like this I wouldn’t eat pizza with my hands. Tim informed me that in Italy, they would cut their pizza with a fork and knife and eat with their fork in the left hand. This pizza was excellent. The crust was perfect. They use 300 year-old Biga (starter) in their dough and it gives the crust a certain tanginess. We ordered another beer and this time we went with Menabrea, an Italian beer. Very hoppy in taste. I didn’t like it as much as the first beer.

While on our second pieces I told Tim that I wanted to recreate this dish and he told me that I couldn’t. I said of course I can and he then put me down again and said no. He reminded me that unless I had access to 300 year-old biga, I would not be recreating “this” pizza. He was right, so I corrected myself and said I could recreate the pizza as best I could with the ingredients on-hand. I wanted so bad for a second pizza just to eat the crust!

What a meal. Simple, yet filling. Michael came back to the bar and asked us how the meal was and we both had smiles on our faces. I ordered a coffee while Tim had a decaf. To go with the coffee I decided to have the Ricotta al forno – Baked ricotta with mosto cotto while Tim ordered the Tiramisú. Michael must have overheard our conversation and said the Ricotta would be on the house since it was my birthday. Nothing better than an attentive server!

Our coffees came and it tasted like it was just brewed. The Ricotta al forno and the Tiramisú came and we both took our first bites. I took mine and closed my eyes. This was perfect, not too sweet. This is very much like cheesecake but with ricotta cheese. It was served with a blackberry coulis. Tim’s tiramisú was light and not drowning in liquer. We both enjoyed a second cup of coffee and just bantered back and forth. I had a great night.

Thanks Tim for being a friend and being there for me on Wednesday. Overall the meal would have been perfect if the knives actually worked. I am going to come back and try some of the other dishes on the menu that I wanted to try like:

• Pappardelle al sugo d’agnellos
  Pappardelle pasta, braised lamb ragù, sheep’s milk ricotta
• Risotto con radicchio e guanciale al vino rosso
  Carnaroli rice, Valipolicella-braised radicchio, guanciale
• Salsiccia e finnocchio
  House-made sausage, caramelized fennel, mascarpone, red onion, buffalo grana

They also have cooking classes at the restaurant on Saturdays. I’m signing up for the next one!

Pizzeria Ortica
650 Anton Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-445-4900