THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Onotria Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Onotria Restaurant Review:

The little touches surprise at Onotria, a rare Cal-Italian wine country restaurant in Costa Mesa’s SoBeCa district. Rich woods in the soaring open dining room are offset by a faux balcony upstairs, delightfully decorated with a seemingly patina-aged wrought-iron balustrade. Sit near one of the big picture windows; you’ll have a view of master chef and owner Massimo Navarretta’s green and bountiful garden and vineyard. The menu goes on and on with a meticulous catalog of salads and entrées, as well as cheese and charcuterie plates with wine suggestions. Diners encounter a combination of fine ingredients, well-chosen wines and personal service by Navarretta himself, who glides around the room, at times pouring wine and even bursting out into Italian song. The seasonal menu takes diners on a global journey to such tastes as plump grilled white tiger prawns served in a creamy spinach truffle sauce over fettuccine, veal sausage cassoulet with white cabbage and cannellini beans, or duck braised in a Mirabelle plum sauce. Servers deserve some kudos, as they enhance the experience with their down-to-earth charm and high standards.