Dining Review

Kathy Mader

Nick’s Pizza Ristorante Italiano on Harbor Boulevard, once labeled a

“hidden gem,” is hidden no more. The new location in plain view right

next to the new Home Depot and TJ Maxx makes Nick’s everyone’s treasure,

even to those who couldn’t find it before.

I am really excited about the new Nick’s for several reasons: One is the

homemade pasta, two is the chicken Leonardo, and three is the newest menu

arriving in about two weeks, which will include more grilled fish and

meats.

After our last meal there, Nick’s has become the newest addition on my

“go to” list. It is not a secret, nor is it new, but both its menu and

location are new, and Nick’s has managed to transfer all that great,

authentic taste into a new, upscale restaurant.

The place is both polished and warm, with rum-colored walls,

caramel-colored wood furniture and rustic, tiled floors. Scenes of Italy

are painted throughout, and a series of family photos greets you as you

enter.

As nice as the restaurant is, it is Nick’s menu that interests me to no

end, and I can’t wait to get back to try it all. And after taking a tour

of the kitchen, they clearly have nothing to hide. Everything is in full

view: homemade ravioli and gnocchi, fresh produce and herbs from owner

Nick Fodera’s own ranch. These are elements of great eating. And great

eating it is.

Nick’s son, Joe, is now in charge of the restaurant and does most of the

cooking and menu development, while original chef Nick and his wife,

Lisa, do more of the public relations and, as I mentioned before,

farming. This is all in the family, with recipes handed down over time

that, like a good story, get richer and better.

We couldn’t resist the ravioli alla francese ($12.95) homemade ravioli

stuffed with artichokes, spinach and brie cheese in a light cream bacon

sauce. This is the stuff dreams are made of.

For the record, Nick’s makes two to three kinds of ravioli every day, as

well as gnocchi and tortellini. Rigatoni seems to be the pasta of choice

for Nick’s main dishes -- rigatoni gorgonzola ($6.95) and rigatoni

Michelangelo ($10.95), which is chicken and sun-dried tomatoes in a light

tomato sauce. On most of the pasta dishes you can order your choice of

sauce, including marinara, gorgonzola, vodka or meat sauce.

The very traditional dishes, such as lasagna and eggplant parmigiana, are

here as well for those of you who know what you like and don’t want to

mess around -- an attitude that Nick and family can appreciate.

It is dishes like these, and their pizza -- which rivals the best in town

with fat chewy crust, generous with sauce and cheese -- that put Nick’s

on the map in the first place.

We love to ask our friends Blake and Claudia along to restaurants because

they tend to order things we might never think to order, such as the

costolette D’Agnello ($17.95), Roman-style grilled lamb chops brushed

with a family secret glaze. No amount of cajoling could extract the

secret, but I did taste honey and balsamic vinegar. Simply delicious.

My husband, Brian, ordered the scampi ($17.95), jumbo gulf shrimp in

garlic, caper, lemon and butter sauce. These shrimp, six total, were the

size of small apples, flavorful and cooked just right.

Nick’s offers several chicken dishes including picatta (capers and

butter) and cacciatore (tomatoes and bell peppers), but the Pollo alla

Leonardo and Pollo al Balsamico have the bragging rights.

Pollo alla Leonardo, one of their most popular dishes, comes with the leg

and breast of a free-range chicken, oven-roasted and smothered in

artichoke hearts, prosciutto, mushrooms and sherry wine. As if I hadn’t

made it all the way to heaven, this was accompanied by tortellini

alfredo. All of the portions were generous, and presentation seemed to be

a big priority. What more could you ask for? A lot of food that looks

good.

And as the tables are a little cozy, we asked the people next to us to

share their thoughts on their entrees. The end result was the same --

they thoroughly enjoyed their dinner and were psyched about their

leftovers. The only disappointment was possibly too many good choices. It

may take me a week or so, but I intend to get to them all.

Bottom line, the menu is creative and vast, with all of your favorites

and all of your soon-to-be favorites. If it sounds like I am gushing, I

am. If I hope to find one jewel on a deserted island, Nick’s would be it.

WHAT: Nick’s Pizza Ristorante Italiano

WHERE: 2300 Harbor Blvd., Suite K-1, Costa Mesa in the new Harbor Center

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday; closed Sundays

HOW MUCH: Moderately expensive

PHONE: (949) 722-7566