Pizza e Vino is one of those really fun, hidden and non-chain like spots in RSM. It used to be a favorite dinner/hang-out spot for my parents and I. I hang out with my parents a lot. They're kind of ridiculously cool and I feel like I should be more embarassed about it haha.
But anyway, as far as quality of food goes, both the pizza and the wine are solid and fairly delicious. Not mind-blowingly fantabspacular, but pretty darn good. The ingredients are fresh and everything is definitely made with an Italian eye with I appreciate. I usually get a reasonably priced wine (my wine palate is unfortunately not nearly as refine as my beer and coffee palate, I should probly move to Italy or France and work on that haha) and the Chicken Breast with Pesto, Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, & House Dried Tomato pizza. Mangia bene!!!! (I'm not entirely sure what that means in Italian but it sounded good haha).
But - my FAVORITE thing about Pizza e Vino is that it's right on the RSM lake. It's such a beautiful and fun way to spend a summer night, having a glass of wine and splitting a pizza, just talking and enjoying the scenery and people-watching. Get an outdoor table around 5 or 6 on a warm OC night and you'll see what I mean.
The RSM lake (in all of it's man-made polluted glory) is actually quite beautiful and fun to walk around too. I think a good meal at Pizza e Vino, combined with a relaxing walk around the lake afterward is a pretty perfect way to spend an evening or a date.
If this is what you're looking for in a date or evening plan, go for it! If ridiculously high quality or mind-blowing taste or fancy decor is what you seek, seek onward my friend.
Love this place. Delicious wood fire over pizzas, gourmet salads and good wine (and champagne). The owner was nice enough to let us convince him to host our rehearsal dinner a few years ago and they did an amazing job. Great food, ambiance, and service. Must haves: Assorted Salumi, Mona Lisa Pizza and the Fra' Mani Pizza. Oh and the Cannolis are amaze!
Review Source:Why we won't be going back:
1. The iced tea comes in a $6 bottle with no refills and its not good tea.
2. The pizza was just okay. My mom's pizza came with a full 1 1/2 basil leaves.
3. Desserts were fine. I make better whipped cream at home.
And the big one #4. They don't slice the pizza for you. I understand why, but they also don't provide you with knives sharp enough to slice the pizza with. By the time you are done, the pizza is cold.
This is really a 1 star review, I gave it 2 stars for potential.
I came here with my uncle & husband - who are total pizza connoisseurs!! We ordered 3 different pizzas.... The sausage is delicious, the prosciutto - mmmmm! For those that said the dough was "soggy"- I say keep eating Dominos- because you don't know what quality, fresh pizza is!
And I also recommend the tiramisu!! They use the best espresso ever!!! Completely Italiano!!!
Heather, our waitress & David, the chef were on point, welcoming & completely wonderful! Thank you again for a wonderful dinner'
It's a wrap people! This place has taken a turn for the worse and unfortunately my wife and I won't be returning.
When this restaurant first opened up we came and had some amazing pizza, the thing that we liked the most about it was that the crust was consistently crispy throughout the entire pizza... every bite was perfect as you would expect. It was a pizza worth going out to get and spending a little extra $$ for.
Recently when we came here on a Saturday night my wife and I both ordered pizza's expecting the same results from our past experience. Unfortunately this time both of our pizza's were burnt'ish all around the outside edges leaving a bad taste in your mouth and the center portion of the pie was soggy. We could not pick up the pizza slices without the center part and the ingredients drooping off - resulting in eating this pizza with fork and knife.
I agree with the other reviewer Mike T. who wrote "This used to be the best authentic Italian woodburning oven pizza in the Trabuco Canyon. No more! It is a soggy mushy mess. He won't spend the money to get the oven to the proper temperature so the pizza doesn't benefit from the crispy char it used to be." - Perhaps this is the reason why our pizza's sucked as well.
I will say that the ingredients of the pizza is quite good, the cheeses and meats and sauce are tasty which might convince the novice pizza "connoisseur" that it's outstanding.
Maybe its a hit or miss thing depending on when you show up or who's preparing the pizza. Unfortunately the crust was unacceptable and we don't plan on rolling the dice on this restaurant again. Also you should be aware that if you order the bruschetta, it's basically a full pizza loaded with tomato's on top, not like those small little bite size ones you get at other restaurants. So if you plan in eating pizza don't get bruschetta, its just a big waste.
A Message to the owners: If Pizza is your thing... Make it consistently good!
3.5 stars. Â
If I could eat pizza every other day of the week, I'd be a happy girl. Â I had never heard of Pizza e Vino until they were featured in an article on pizza in OC. Â So I persuaded Chris K. to try it out with me. Â The ambiance is dark and the servers are friendly. Â We had reservations for two on the Saturday before Easter. Â It was sort of dead but by the time we were seated and enjoying our first glass of wine, the restaurant was full. Â It's a small restaurant so reservations are recommended. Â
We ordered a bottle of Chianti, burrata mozzarella appetizer, Caesar salad, fennel sausage pizza, and garlic bread. Â The pizzas are 12" in diameter and baked in the brick oven in the back. Â You can see it from across the room so there's a little bit of an open kitchen format. Â You could also sit at the bar if you were so inclined. Â The burrata appetizer does not come with bread. Â It does come with a cold, roasted tomato that is lightly salted. Â They don't do bread service but offer instead garlic bread and bruschetta which is on the appetizer menu. Â Since we wanted a delivery device for our burrata mozzarella, we ordered the garlic bread which is pizza dough with bits of garlic baked in. Â Both items together are delicious. Â
The Caesar salad was a tad overdressed but the dressing was good and the croutons still crunchy. Â You can definitely taste the anchovy in the dressing. Â The pizza arrived shortly after and I was really excited because they put red pepper flake on the pizza before it bakes. Â I love spicy foods and so does Chris so we both enjoyed that. Â The pizza was charred from the oven and the cheese completely melted. Â It was good but we had better from Ortica and Mozza. Â It's a tasty pie though. Â If you are in the area and want a thin crust, Neopolitan type of pizza, this is your place.
I'm on the hunt for a white elephant. Â
I'm looking for the elusive true Napoli style pizza place in Orange County and yet I still have to find it. Â Pizza was good but not great, prices and service were good but the pizza was what I came for. Â If I lived down the street I wouldn't be upset. Â Shhh...I think I hear something moving in the bushes. Ciao.
Owner Steve is showing his accountant tendencies. This used to be the best authentic Italian woodburning oven pizza in the Trabuco Canyon. No more! It is a soggy mushy mess. He won't spend the money to get the oven to the proper temperature so the pizza doesn't benefit from the crispy char it used to be. The server Heather was all alone and did the best she could on a night dramatically understaffed. (Note: Steve was opening his new martini bar this same night so he shortchanged PEV)
It has been a steady downgrade for the last two years and we would not recommend the restaurant anymore nor will we return. The server even suggested they were going back to the true roots of woodburning pizza. (impressive loyalty but misplaced)
Mozza Pizzeria in Newport Beach and Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa are a better bet if you want authentic northern Italian pizza.
everything we have tried here so far has been awesome! not much to say that hasnt been already but the pizza and crust is amazing! Â
The real stand out here though... the berries and cream dessert.... sometimes the simplest things in life are the best, and this is no exception. I highly recommend you try this if you want to end a heavy meal on a lighter note.
One thing I will say though is while the pizza is spectacular, you could easily argue that it is over priced... 2 pizzas is almost $30.... and if you plan on leaving full you will want to add an appetizer and dessert to your meal for two. This may seem about right for a nice dinner for two but if your just craving pizza this is not the place to go. just a few doors down at little ceasars you can get a LARGE pizza that will feed two people for $5.....
The place is located in a nice looking plaza on the lake (no lake view). Â The interior feels like a charming cafe and is quite nice. Â The garlic bread is LOADED with garlic and quite good as an app. Â This is a very, very tasty wood fired pizza. Â I went conservative with the sausage/red onion/cheese/chili flakes for my first visit. Â The wife had the Mexican shrimp/cheese/basil pizza. Â The dough was ultra fresh as were the toppings making for a delicious pie. Â This is a very thin crust and comes out piping hot. Â This pie does rival Pizza Ortica of Costa Mesa (near S. Coast Plaza). Â NOTE: Pizza e Vino is all about the following: a delicious very thin crust, fresh and interesting toppings and quality. Â If you are seeking the typical pie with a TON of cheese, toppings and bread...move it on out.
I also ate a cannolo pastry (to-go). Â It had one end stuffed with mini chocolate chips and the other end stuffed with salty pistachios (most places do candied or non-salted). Â There was a single blackberry and a raspberry in the box. Â The cheese tasted of ricotta only and had a slightly whipped texture versus being dense and heavy. Â There is very little powdered sugar in the cream but I did get a hint of vanilla. Â The pistachio end is slightly odd as it is pretty salty and combined with a lack of sweetness in the cheese I'm not sure what to think. Â
As a result, I alternate back and forth between taking a bite out of each end. Â I imagine this was their intent. Â The shell is crunchy with only a hint of cinnamon (thankfully!). Â This is definitely NOT a "diabetic's nightmare" as it is protein heavy and not sweet. Â Clearly it is not a very Americanized version with tons of powdered sugar and chocolate sauce dripping on it. Â However, they do offer a "chocolate version" apparently. Â My only gripe would be it lacked that slightly sour taste (cream cheese taste) which many of my faves have. Â All in all, this is definitely an above average rendition of this dessert.
When we left there was a draping layer of fog on the lake with the Christmas tree illuminated. Â The wife wouldn't sign off on a walk given the cold but it was visually splendid.
Keep up the good work!
We have been going to this adorable little restaurant since it opened and it used to be our date night favorite. Â Last time we came here, around a year ago, we didn't love it quite as much and stopped going (we are fickle like that ;)
Anyway, I am so glad we decided to give it a try - it was heavenly. Â The dough is incredible - perfectly soft on the inside but crisp and a little charred on the outside and they use the finest authentic ingredients. Â I asked the waitress if the chef would possibly consider putting an egg on my pizza and even though he hadn't done it before, he took the time to get it just perfect, and check in to make sure that it was up to scratch. Â It was so so so good!
The staff are sweet and attentive and the place is cozy and convenient - I hope Pizza e Vino is around for a long time.
My wife and I visited here and we really enjoyed the pizza. The bruschetta was a bit loaded on the tomato, which isn't my preference, but it was still pretty good.
Word to the wise: be careful that the beer isn't listed on the menu. I ordered a beer and though it was a large bottle, I wound up paying $21 dollars for the beer and something like $19 for dinner. Pricing aside, the food was good, the beer was actually great and I was pleased with the service.
Suprisingly quiet for a Friday night. We went at 5:45 and there was no one besides us.
I thought the pizza here was excellent! A VERY close match to Grimaldi's in New York City. My wife and I didn't have a reservation, but were assured to just show up... so we did. The hostess greeted us with a smile and we were sat at the window at a table for two.
I ordered the house special pizza for the night.... can't recall all the ingredients but it was nom. The service was great, the prices reasonable and the wine excellent. Not to mention it's steps from Lake RSM. Overall a great atmosphere, and a welcome change from the banality of Irvine restaurants.
For some reason, I thought the restaurant was bigger and more grand in my head, but instead, once arrived, I saw that it's a very modest and cozy restaurant. It's understated, lined with maybe 15 or so tables and a wine bar as well as the brick oven a little to the back. We didn't realize we needed reservations on a Wednesday, so we were forced to squeeze 5 to a table for 4. So note, make reservations if you have a party larger than 4.
We ordered the bone marrow crostini and bruschetta to share, along with the House Crimini Mushroom, the Sausage and Fennel, as well as the pizza special of the day: Bianco with salami of sort with green olives.
The bone marrow was very well made, buttery and completely melted in your mouth. The bruschetta was not the typical crostini bread that I'm used to, but instead was a bread stick layered toppings - I'm not sure if I'll order it again.
The pizza were amazingly delicious. The crust was amazing, and the toppings have a magical way of balancing out. Not one ingredient that was overwhelming.
The pizza alone deserves a 5 star, but unfortunately the service was noticeably sub par.
I'm no pizza expert, but I am what you would call experienced. Â My measure for good pizza is in Brooklyn; there's a little place called DiFaras. Â It's the standard in my mind. Â I'm the kind of guy that likes all pizza, but loves very few. Â I always go out of my way to get a slice - be it robot-made and frozen or hand-spun and oven fired, you name it, I've eaten it -and I've eaten it on 4 different continents/land masses (mostly igneous).
Back in the day, I once cooked a no-name pie from the local grocery freezer aisle and enjoyed it thoroughly, realizing at the 3/4 mark that in my haste I neglected to remove the cardboard layer beneath the crust. Â That was some of the zestiest cardboard I've ever eaten, meeting my daily fiber requirements with great relish. Â
Anyway, my bassist and I were quickly greeted and led in by a very knowledgeable waiter who offered great insight behind their selection of imported beer. Â I selected a random one from England, which, despite it's interesting name (how I choose a beer), ended up tasting as I imagined a wet and cold golden retriever would after spending a day rolling about in a dewy meadow - perhaps chasing quail or a game hen. Â
The first thing I noticed was the wood-fired oven, which, despite being offset into the left, rear corner, is the focal point of the entire restaurant. Â My eyes were drawn into it. Â It was like walking into a room and locking eyes with a beautiful and strange woman - the kind with dark hair and eyes; maybe she has glossy lipstick or lip balm on. Â I sized it up. Â It sized me up. Â I was drawn into it. Â
The thick marble slab that made up the oven's floor looked cool to the touch, but deeper inside laid a pile of smoldering lumber- and beside it laid a cooking pizza, with its sauce bubbling forth as if it were lowered into the bowels of the mighty Vesuvius! Â
Just in front of the oven is a small bar projecting from the wall. Â This is the place where the pies are assembled; the dough is hand stretched and all toppings are applied. Â Here, a small queue of pizzas (all about 12" in diameter) stood waiting to be baked. Â I sensed their anxiety as they awaited their fate as an offering of appeasement to the volcanic beast within the oven- delivered onto destiny atop the flattened end of a long wooden oar hoisted by this sweaty little man working the station. Â It's a hell of a way to go down and I left my grass skirt in the car.
As I intently watched the oven and pondered my beer selection criterion, my eyes were drawn to a placard on the wall, which proclaimed that Pizza e Vino had been certified by some Italian authority. Â
I ordered a Bufala Mozzarella pizza and my band mate ordered a pepperoni, which I thought was a total insult. Â Who does that? Â How, in the face of all of these options, could you default to pepperoni? Â Well, at least he has good taste in music.
After the pies were delivered, we wasted no time putting knife and fork to them. Â After the first bite, I put my utensils down in utter shock. Â Instantly I was back in Brooklyn. Â Wait, or was I back in Sicily? Â Was I sitting in that restaurant in Catania eating a Neapolitan pizza, thanking God that I was alive? Â It was as though the hand of God Himself had ripped a hole through the mists of space and time and placed its steaming mass right onto the tip of my fork. Â
As we cut the second slices, we almost simultaneously offered to trade slices. Â Good move. Â As I laid into the pepperoni-laden wedge, and he into his mozzarella-padded piece, we laughed, sauce drunk in giddy amazement at how tasty each other's pizza was. Â
As a confident straight man, I can tell you with full faith in my native orientation that this man's pepperoni took me to places I never thought I'd go. Â It was crisp and spicy. Â This place remembered the pepper in pepperoni. Â 99% of US pizza shops forget that pepper is part of pepperoni, offering us only the Roni. Â Well, what good is that? Â
Oh - if you need to use the restroom, you will have to walk through the kitchen, traversing a very narrow path riddled with bends and turns, dodging busy kitchen staff along the way. Â Once you make it to the restroom, you are once again transported via mystical wormhole through the space-time fabric into a calm and gentle place, where the fragrance of flowers and sounds of Italian music tickle the senses. Â It was like the Sound of Music without the Nazis - and not in Austria. Â I could've done without the stereotypical "That's Amore" playing over the stereo, however. Â Hey, it's a bathroom. Â Man, will you look at the time?!
Good pizza in the hands of many would solve a lot of the world's problems. Â I know that if we dropped a few slices of this stuff over N. Korea and the Middle East, folks would be too busy loving life to have the heart to fight or hate the West. Â Sweet mercy, somebody get these guys some of this pie!
Really, Pizza E Vino. What can I say. Â lousy service and crust that is flavorless. I live in Rancho and have visited this place a few times. Tonight was the one I am writing about. I asked for a pesto pie well done. What I got was a soupy pie that was raw. On top of that I got a waitress with a shit attitude. it took forever to get and was told the cooks could not get the oven temp right. She did offer me a free pie to go which I did not accept. Salads are overpriced but are tasty. Pesto was flavorless.
Do yourself a favor.,go to La Roccos in San Clemente, you will not be dissapointed.
Enjoy!
I have been to this restaurant several times now and it is really hit or miss. Â When it is "hit" it is AHHMAZZIIINNNGGG mouth watering real Naples certified pizza. Â What that means is they use a Naples certified oven, ingredients (tomatoes, sauce, olive oil, etc.), and the pie is served whole (not sliced because that doesn't conform to protocol). Â I have had some of the BEST pizza ever there - true margarita sometimes, margarita with buffalo mozzarella other times. Â But sometimes - they - gasp - burn the crust. Â Charred pizza is gross. Â One trip I had their "special pizza of the day" and it was horrible. Â Tasteless, burned, with arugula thrown on top. Â My boyfriend has to listen to me raving about this place so we went. Â He is a Chicago style pizza guy but he went with me because he knew I was craving it - so he was disappointed for me that I was disappointed with my pie that trip. Â
The weird thing - this place has always been EMPTY except for us every time but twice. Â
The wine list is really quite good and I have had several enjoyable glasses of wine there. Â
The service has always been great.
I only had dessert there once - chocolate canolli - and it was ooooh soooo GOOD!
I wish this place could be consistently great. Â Charred pizza crust is not tasty.
Authentic Neapolitan FTW!!!
Although you may be thrown off a bit by the fact that they don't slice your pizza for you; I personally feel it's just another element which adds to the experience.
Seriously, when you go to the great lengths of properly preparing a Neapolitan style pizza, the results speak for themselves. Â The crust is stellar here. Â Crispy, chewy, charred, thin deliciousness.
Highly Recommended: Local Fennel Sausage, Oregano, & Chili Flake ( a little spicy piece of heaven) Â It was so good, that my wife said she preferred it over her House Roasted Crimini Mushroom, Garlic, Thyme which was also delicious.
A little pricey, but worth it if you're in the area and have never had the treat of an authentic Neapolitan pizza.
We'll definitely be coming back when we can afford to make the trip again as there are far too many items left on the menu to be tackled! :-)
Even the choice of the Monini Olive Oil here is top notch!
My friend recommended me try out this restaurant near her place. She recommended that I order the Margherita Pizza. It was so good and addicting!
It's also a plus that this establishment is beside a lake. Certainly a nice view when eating out. :)
Fast & friendly customer service too! Sorry, forgot to take a photo as we were both very hungry! ;P
Pizza + Wine. How can you go wrong?
Pizza e Vino had one of the best Neapolitan pizza's I've had since my trip out to Italy. I'm sitting here day dreaming about their wonderful, fluffy crust!! So good!
This place is a small restaurant located in the plaza next to the RSM Lake.
My friend and I started off with a bottle of the Toscolo Chianti. The wine was at the perfect temperature as I like my red wines slighty chilled.
We went with our server's recommendation and had the antipasto salad (Organic mixed greens w/tomato, red onion, artichoke heart, Gaeta Olives, Fra`Mani Sopressata, pepperoni, coppa, parmigiano, balsamic vinaigrette) and the Chicken Breast with Pesto, Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese, & House Dried Tomato pizza.
The pizza took about 15 minutes and smelled so good. They don't slice their pizzas which I don't understand. We were given our butter knives to slice up the pizza which was a bit of challenge. However, the pizza was so good that it didn't matter to me anymore. The dough was amazing and the toppings were excellent. Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese is my favorite so I might be a bit biased cuz whenever I bit into the goat cheese, it made me think about how amazing the pizza was. Seriously though...the crust is what sold me. It was perfect. That sounds extreme but it was all that and then some. The flavor of the pizza was simplistic and let the ingredients really shine. It wasn't overpowered with a bunch of toppings like how us Americans are accustomed to. But, simple yet flavorful.
Ti Amo Pizza e Vino!
Finally! After walking by Pizza e Vino a dozen times to go to Carmelita's next door, we were in the mood for some Italian and decided to pop in.
I have to admit I was a little dismayed by the numerous Yelp reviews claiming that the owner of Pizza e Vino is an ass. Spending money at a restaurant only to be treated poorly is a bit of a turn off.
But, there are clearly a lot of people who love the pizza here, so let's do it!
Our group ordered the assorted salumi plate and the bruschetta to start. The salumi was very good and came with good accompaniments. The green olives are fantastic. This plate was the evening's highlight. The bruschetta however is very doughy and the tomato mixture could use a little something.
For our entrees, we shared an assorted meat pizza on red sauce as well as the two specials - a sausage pizza on white sauce and the pesto pasta.
I don't get it.
It's pizza. Nothing spectacular but it's OK (hence the 3 star review). Before y'all jump down my neck, this is the style of pizza I typically enjoy. The ingredients were quality but there wasn't a lot on the actual pizza. I don't need mounds of ingredients but our pizzas were pretty spartan. Overall, the pizzas and the pasta were a little on the bland side.
They do have a good wine list.
The service for a Monday was a little spotty. At 7:30pm we were soon the only people in the entire restaurant and it was clear that the waitress and kitchen staff were ready to wrap it up for the night. We were essentially rushed out of there pretty quickly.
The no frills restaurant ambiance is fairly mediocre.
So... would I return to Pizza e Vino? Probably not. As another reviewer stated, it all comes down to personal choice. I guess I just don't really see the hype!
I love Pizza E Vino. I live in RSM so I consider this place my local little secret since it's one of the best in OC. If you like authentic Neapolitan Pizza- the kind that  you would devour in Italy then you will love the food here. If you don't have the money for an Italian vacation or the patience to be pick pocketed when in Rome then make a trip to Pizza E Vino. If you think Pizza Hut is the pinnacle of pizza making then you're an idiot and you shouldn't waste your time or money.
Most ingredients are imported from Italy (restaurant was certified by the  Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana)  and all menu items are crafted with care. The pizzas that come out of the imported Italian wood-fired pizza oven are near perfection with crust that has that unbeateable combination of crunch and chewiness. I'm addicted to the Proscuitto and Arugula Pizza and find myself in a cold sweat just thinking about its deliciousness. The Margherita and Sausage pizzas are also very good. Atmosphere is casual and cozy as the actual restaurant itself is very small. Service is good and knowledgeable. It isn't necessarily quick and it isn't cheap but what is good in life that is? This place is a must visit for any true pizza lovers in OC.
Yep, found myself in SOC again to meet up with friends for dinner. Pizza e Vino had been bookmarked forever and the time was nigh.
We arrived around 5:15 on a Sunday to a mostly empty dining room. I had for some reason pictured it to be a much larger operation, and was pleased that it was a very ma n pa kind of ambiance. Tastefully decorated with the wood fired brick oven blazing away behind the chef. I loved the vibe. The hostess and our waitress were very attentive, although the waitress seemed a bit harried, odd for such a light crowd.
We chose the Field Stone Convivio (a nice red blend) for our wine ($32) and it went well with our pizzas. For such a brief wine list it is pretty impressive, someone definitely knows their wine here. Glasses available from $10 to $35 each, bottles in the $30 to $135+ range.
We all chose different pizzas for variety sake. I went with the fennel sausage, Chris the parma ham with mushrooms, Lucy the pizza special that had chicken, red bell peppers and mushrooms. Chris's was the star as the parma was plentiful and very tasty. I am not a big fan of chicken on pizza, but this chicken was very flavorful as well.
My fennel sausage pizza was a bit of a let down, especially compared to the parma. Just not enough toppings to wow me, although the sausage, what little there was of it was of high quality. But it did give me more of an opportunity to enjoy the crust and the imported mozzarella, and superb sauce. This sauce is very subtle, but so fresh that you really get a nicely balanced sweet tomato taste. The tomatoes are also imported. I love thin crust pizza, but this is so incredibly thin that it is definitely a  two hand operation to bring it to your mouth. I really enjoyed the perfectly baked wood fired flavor, but the crust is not quite as flavorful as Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa. This is a close 2nd IMO.
The servers seemed very eager and checked in often. That was pretty much required since it took over 20 minutes to get our Cesar salads (one of the best in memory BTW) and carpaccio. Not a big deal since none of us were starving, and the wine was keeping us in fine cheer. The pizzas however took another 40 minutes..?? Our eager waitress did come by a few times to assure us that we had not been forgotten, but that the kitchen was now slammed. Well it was now bustling, but it was near empty when we arrived. I believe it was just an early hitch as people that arrived way after us were getting their pizzas shortly after ours. Again, no biggie, as the waitress kept us updated. I appreciated her professionalism, unlike my last SOC dining experience.
The only major problem I can see? It is in the dreaded outer reaches of SOC. If it was nearer to home I would definitely be a regular.
Yes, I am updating my 5 star review with another 5 star review. Â
Every time I come here, it is always SO good. Â I love the atmosphere (small restaurant with only a few tables), I love the pizza (we had the mushroom, garlic and thyme pizza this time... SO good), I love the salad (get the antipasto, sans meat), and they have a killer wine by the glass list. Â They keep their wine at the right temperature (cooler than room temp) and it is always fresh by the glass because it's all 'on tap' in a way. Â I had the Querciabella, Mongrana 2009 (Toscana), my wife had the AR Guentota, Malbec 2008 (Argentina). Â They were both delicious. Â
We just finished a three week new year's cleanse where we didn't have any dairy, gluten, alcohol, caffeine, added sugar, or processed food. Â This was the restaurant we chose to go to first to break the cleanse, and it hit the spot, as always. Â
If you haven't tried this place, you must.
Eh, the pizza is OK, but nothing special. However, there attitude toward customers makes me not want to come back.
I'm a local and walked to the restaurant, with my infant daughter in a stroller, to get a pizza to go, so as to not disturb the other patrons that might be looking for a quiet night out. Â I was told they do not do carry out pizzas on Friday nights, but instead I could have been sitted with a stroller. Makes absolutely no sense, and I probably won't be coming back anytime soon to partake of the decent pizza.
I have been hearing about the Pizza Nazi for two years. Â For those interested, some of the older reviews are flat out hilarious. Â Customers screaming for a seat, begging for a knife, fighting for a reservation, getting kicked out, arguing with the hostess. Â Total classic Seinfeld-type hilarity.
I tried coming here about a year ago but they were closed for lunch. Â I ended up at Carmelita's next door and had a very memorable lunch. Â ROTD worthy, in fact.
Anyway, the reviews for Pizza e Vino have been much tamer without the aforementioned drama. Â They are now open for lunch so I finally had an opportunity to give it a try. Â A business lunch with a customer and a supplier so no need for the overpriced wine. Â Just a tiny outside table, some shade, 3 pies and 3 drinks.
We shared the margherita, a fennel sausage and a parma ham. Â All three were wonderful and, yes, were served with a knife for sharing. Â How daring.... a real knife! Â My, how things have changed.
The waiter was very professional and we had a comfortable meal. Â No drama...no knife throwing... Just a very good pizza. Â The crust was perfect, the toppings were of very fine quality. Â The price was high but not ridiculous for the area or the quality.
Overall??? A-OK Â Will I be back? Â Probably for lunch. Â Dinner, to fight for parking, pay for wine, etc.. Â Meh...... Â Too far for this Huntington Beach dude. Â I'd prefer the ambiance of Pizza Ortica.
I came to Pizza e Vino on a date and wasn't very impressed :( you definitely don't get much "bang for your buck."
I like their pizza ideas and their other dishes seem good but I wouldn't recommend this place only because it seemed way overpriced and they aren't very generous with their ingredients. Â We ordered the prosciutto pizza and artichoke salad, both were pretty good except the portions are super small! I would only come here for their wine.
I'm sorry Pizza e Vino, I'm not feelin it.
I like to think that I am a pretty well balanced individual, unlike most of my meals.  I don't sweat the small stuff  but this restaurant totally grinds my gears.
Full disclosure...when the right pizza chef is working, the pizza is very good, they have a decent selection of wine and they actually store it properly which is more than you get out of most restaurants.
That noise you heard, the pink elephant in the room...my one star rating of this place... I'll tell you, indulge me:
I have eaten here several times and something has always kept me from writing a review. Â Mostly because I thought my experience was a fluke and the food was decent. Â Every time I have been there I have been slapped in the face by the ridiculous level of disrespect from the owner, Steve DIckus, Â to his patrons and employees. Â The wait staff is under qualified and slow but otherwise harmless. Â It is the owner who is an open sore on what could be a very good restaurant.
Incident 1: Â About a month and a half ago whilst dining a family sat near me with a small 5-6 year old child. Â They asked for a pasta with red sauce for their little girl and the waitress said, "No problem, we have a child's pasta." Â About 10 minutes later I overhear the owner, Steve Dickus, berate the waitress for not ringing up "the special" for the child's pasta. Â The special that night was a $15 penne pasta dish with red sauce. Â If you tried to charge me for the house special instead of child's pasta I would walk out of your restaurant.
Incident 2:  Right after they opened for lunch I went in for a quick business lunch with a co worker.  It  was a nice day so we sat on the patio.  After our waitress had got our drink order I saw the owner, Steve Dickus, yelling at her at full volume about to go menus.  Trust me, I caught every detail of this conversation.  I can't think of a less professional way to project yourself than to yell at an employee in front of customers.
Incident 3: Â If you frequent the Mercado Del Lago shopping center you know that in front of Carmelita's and Pizza e Vino there is a little fountain and some bistro tables for public use. Â Well Steve Dickus decided at some point that one of those tables belonged to him and moved it in to his patio. Â Thats right. Â He just took one of the tables from the fountain plaza and it is now in his restaurant.
I can honestly say that no matter how good the food is here it will never outweigh the horrible personal image of the man, Steve Dickus, that owns Pizza e Vino.
By the way...that isn't a made up name. Â Google it.
Okay...let me begin by saying I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. It's evident in my previous reviews. However, I must say this place has declined dramatically recently. Let me explain...
Inconsistent Inventory
I drive 1 hour one way to get to this place and my favorite pizza is the Margherita DOC. The last 2 times they have ran out of it at 6:30pm both times....unacceptable. Such inconsistent inventory is going to cause any customer to not want to come back...especially customers that drive from far away. As a result, we had to order the regular Margherita and a Marinara.
Inconsistent Dough
The marinara was burnt on the outside and burnt on the middle of the pizza. I used to love their dough, it was one of the best parts of their pizzas. It was so badly burnt that the burnt taste just masked all the sweet and flavorful dough that I had come to love about this place.
The margherita was badly burnt on the outside like the marinara but unlike the marinara the middle was soggy as can be. The pizza was so limp when I held the slice of pizza it went straight down...ewwwww. I read some yelp reviews complaining about this but I didn't believe them because I had always had an awesome experience here...unfortunately the reviews are true.
The owner wasn't working tonight which I think may be the reason why we had such a horrible experience. On previous visits, I've witnessed the owner throw away pizzas that did not meet his standards.
I am deeply saddened by this experience because I thought my search for a great pizza had ended when I found this place. Now that their quality has declined so bad I am now back on the search. I hope the owner reads these reviews and implements some quality control procedures or hires a new chef because this will cause any business to close its doors.
I would have given this place 1 star but gave it an extra star because of how it good it used to taste. Pizza e Vino I hope you the best of luck because I won't be coming back unless I start seeing some 5 star reviews and if I ever do come back you better have my DOC.
I'm sad about my rating here..... this place could be mind blowing and per reviewers such as Mary R. and Robert P. it is but today wasn't. They just started opening for lunch last week and it appears the day crew doesn't have the same attention to detail as the night crew when the big boss is around. It just wasn't the "Best Pizza in Orange County" as labled by Orange Coast Magazine.
When walking into the restaurant the first thing you see is the wonderful wood fired pizza oven blazing away.... the rustic feel is quickly erased by the blasting techno house music. WTF.... House music in an Italian restaurant? We sat outside on the patio where it was nice and breezy.
We started with their wood-fired garlic bread which is made to order and topped with chopped fresh California garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and per the menu pecorino romano. I just realized reading off their online menu it had romano cheese, I didn't see or taste a single grain of it on our bread so I assume they forgot. The bread though which was pizza dough was cooked to perfection with nice burnt bubbles all around which is how I like it. The garlic aroma was wonderful as was the flavor. Would of been so frickin' good if it had the cheese it was suppose to have.
Donna and I shared two pizzas:
The "Prosciutto E Funghi" which is topped with their red sauce made from imported San Marzano tomatoes from Mount Vesuvius, mozzarella, parma prosciutto ham, and house roasted tomatoes. Also the Pesto pizza topped with mozzarella, chicken breast, goat cheese, and oven roasted tomatoes.
Both pizzas had a literal pool of liquid in the middle making the entire center of the pizza a soggy mess. It was like they were trying to recreate the Rancho Santa Margarita lake in our pizza for our enjoyment. Pizzas here are served unsliced and you're given a steak knife to cut the pizza up....when doing so all the toppings start to slide off the pizza and towards the steak knife and the mushy liquidy dough in the center just turns into a gummy mess. You can forget about picking up these slices to eat, you'll be using a fork until you get the the outer crust.
The Prosciutto E Funghi tasted great. It was a stellar 5 star knockout if it wasn't for the gloppy wet center. The prosciutto was sliced right off the leg to order and was the best of quality. The pizza sauce was one of the best I ever tasted, mushrooms paired up perfectly with the other ingredients and the outer crust was extremely tasty and cooked perfectly. Why couldn't they cook the entire crust as perfect? Why is there a pool of frickin' liquid in the center of my $16.50 personal pizza dropping the quality?
The pesto pizza too had the soggy gummy middle. The pesto itself which they make from scratch tasted great, you could really taste the pine nuts. I loved the taste of the oven roasted tomatoes but where are they??? There was three little sliver of tomato. That was it. Again, this is $16.50, could you not give me my money's worth of toppings? It was such a barren pizza with barely any chicken and a pathetic amount of tomato which is a shame given how tasty they were. Like the first pizza when cutting all the toppings just slid right off the pizza which in turn raised by blood pressure from rage.
The flavors were there, the quality of ingredients were there.... the cooking ability was not. I assume based off the reviews this was maybe the day crew not being as experienced as the owner and I'd definitely give the place another chance. Who knows, maybe a "Neapolitan Pizzeria" is supposed to serve soggy pizzas and I'm just ignorant in the preparation. Pizzeria Ortica in my opinion has the best pizza in Orange County.
Possibly the best crispy-thin Neapolitan pizza in Orange County!
Located in the heart of Santa Margarita, next to a lake, Pizza e Vino brings authentic, Neapolitan Italian pizza to Orange County.
The menu is predominantly pizza and wine. They focus on quality, not quantity, which is refreshing. Their pizza is baked at 900 degrees in a wood burning oven imported from Italy. The crust is hand-formed from dough, which is made daily from Italian flour. The sauce is made from tomatoes grown only in Italy. Toppings include Mozzarella di Bufala and a variety of meats & vegetables.
*This has become a staple for me when I'm in the area despite warnings from my local friends to be wary of bad customer service. I have not personally experience this because I always take-out. Therefore I can only say that the pizza is stellar.
*Stop whining about prices people! Prices are on the menu before you order and keep in mind the zip code...it's no mystery!
Their funghi pizza is amazinggggg. The sauce is actually the best part, it tastes really fresh and tomatoey! Ask for extra sauce :)
My roommate had the funghi with prosciutto and it was was also pretty tasty, the prosciutto is sliced SUPER thin, which was nice because I usually think prosciutto is way too salty for my liking.
The service on the other hand, wasn't that great. He forgot our straws, didn't know what a crimini mushroom was, and was altogether pretty useless. The hostess though... she was pretty hot, so it evens out.
Ill definitely be back, its a cute little spot right near the lake and you can walk around and see all the ducks. Dont feed them bread though, apparently its not good for them. I wonder how many ducks Ive inadvertently killed? I just thought they looked hungry so Id always bring them bread.... FAIL
I completely understand the reviews that I have read. Â This place makes pizza their way. Â They are not customer friendly. Â They believe they make a product that people will want to pay a premium for and the customer would be willing to take additional abuse to eat.
I am not one these people. Â The pizza is soggy in the middle. Â There is no way a slice of pizza would be able to held in your hand. Â I had to use a fork and knife on my thin crust pizza.
I gave them an extra star because the toppings were very good.
I would never eat here again unless they changed their attitude and they way they cooked their pizza.
This is the story of a wayward Angeleno who, thanks to a friend's recent move, found himself parsing an empty-stomached Friday night in the barren, gourmet-restaurant wasteland that is Coto de Caza.
With the threat of potato skins, chili poppers, and themed margaritas looming, we resorted to our mobile devices. A random search on Chowhound pointed us to a most unlikely concept: a gourmet, classy, and casual 'real' pizza spot, nestled between, fittingly, a themed margarita joint and a fake lake. In disbelief, we parked next to some grocery store and walked in with trepidation.
The preceding tome should set adequate context for my rating - I am a snooty Angeleno restaurant whore who is not easily impressed. In short, this place is a fantastic gourmet outpost to which I look forward to returning. The owner and wait-staff are knowledgeable and extremely passionate about their craft, the range of pizzas is definitely top-five of the many excellent pizzas I've sampled and, shockingly, there's a fantastic selection of adventurous salads and intriguing appetizers to back up the main attraction. The wine list is surprisingly competent and reasonably priced, and the atmosphere makes for a fantastic place to wile away a Coto evening.
In all, our cadre of pizzaphiles sampled four pizzas, three salads, a potent Querciabella Super Tuscan, and some great desserts and walked away feeling fantastic (which, by the way, is the point of eating good food). Pricing was utterly reasonable (great value by LA standards!) and the experience was memorable.
If you're trying to understand the impassioned disagreement you might read in these reviews, I'll give you the shorthand: this place is like finding a vintage, dusty Rolls Royce trawling through the slums of Mumbai - most will recognize and appreciate the improbability of the thing , while others will just complain that it's kinda dirty.
Though it has been 5-6 months since I visited Pizza e Vino, I always intended to come back. Â Forever torn between going back to old favorites and trying new places, the favorites tend to take a backseat. Â Tonight though we finally returned and were pleased to see that nothing had changed at all.
We sat outside enjoying the jazz music they were playing and our bottle of Chianti Classico. Â Just like last time we started with what our waiter declared "the world's greatest garlic bread". Â If anything, I'm sure it would be a contender for "most garlic in your mouth". Â Try it, it's good, especially if you're being bothered by vampires.
I went with their special "chicken pesto" which contained chunks of chicken breast, house made pesto, sundried tomatoes and goat cheese. Â The combination worked extremely well. Â My husband had the "Calabrese" which was cheese, fennel sausage and lots of onions. Â Again, the flavors were excellent. Â
Pizza e Vino really has perfected Napoli style pizza and only the pizza I had in Rome was better. Â The chef/owner and waiters are all friendly and service is great. Â A truly great place I need to try to get down to more often.
Oh dear Lord, a pizza place other than Round Table Pizza has captured my heart!
This is hands down, the best pizza I have had in my life. Â I am a lover of good, thin crust pizza and when I read about this place I had to give it a go. Â Wow, so glad I hit this spot before I moved...and once I move an hour away from here, it will be worth the drive back just for the pie.
A friend and I hit this location the other night for pizza and wine. Â It's a cute little Italian joint where the lighting is just right, the music is authentic, the pizza is cooked in a real wood brick oven, and the service is outstanding.
Pizza e Vino sits in the little shopping area just below the parking lot as you drop down towards the lake. Â It sits amongst a couple other food places but stands out in my mind as the place to go.
Pies are all standard 12 inches and priced affordably. Â They have a list of pizzas ready to be made, or simply tell them what you want and they will serve it right up. Â Cool thing about the oven and pie is that it literally takes 5 minutes for them to cook that bad boy up! Â Sit down, order, and eat... I dig it... and this ain't fast food baby!
Wine and beer selection is so-so. Â Patio is ok for dogs as long as other customers don't complain.... seriously people...come on, come on. Â It's near the beautiful RSM lake and if you are into cigars, there is a quaint little shop just a few doors down.
Recommended: Pepperoni and Garlic!
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