Dining Review

Stephen Santacroce

A friend of mine recently commented that all the best restaurants in

Orange County seem to be in strip malls and wondered if I knew why. I

didn’t have an answer but promised my friend that I knew of a great

restaurant that wasn’t anywhere near a mall.

I was thinking of Issay in Newport Beach, the charming northern Italian

eatery owned by Michiko Soffer.

Issay is housed in a whitewashed Cape Cod-style cottage on old Newport

Boulevard, just north of Sid’s, the notorious local hangout that happens

to be owned by Michiko’s ex, Sid Soffer. While Sid’s gets weekly doses of

local press, Issay keeps a low profile, attracting a loyal following of

locals for good northern Italian cuisine prepared by chef Paolo

Pestarino.

The restaurant’s name means “first generation” in Japanese, and that’s

what Michiko is--the first generation of her family in America.

Michiko opened the restaurant as a sushi bar. When her sushi chef called

one night to say he couldn’t show up for work, Michiko called an Italian

friend who happened to be a chef and asked him to come cook dinner. The

rest is local history.

Issay is a bright, airy place that has a casual, relaxed tone. A long,

open kitchen runs along the main dining room, creating a bustling

excitement as the chefs prepare the evening’s fare. Most of the windows

are lined with empty wine bottles, which I’ve been informed are remnants

of previous dinners. I’m happy to report my friends and I added a few to

the collection.

The menu offers items from various regions of Italy, with an emphasis on

Paolo’s home area: Piedmont. The focus is on freshness, and many of the

restaurant’s better dishes are written on the evening’s specials board.

For starters, try the bruschetta ($5.50). Diced tomatoes are tossed with

chopped garlic, basil, capers and bits of chopped black olives. The

mixture is piled atop crusty slices of Italian country bread and drizzled

with extra virgin olive oil. It’s an exciting combination for the palate

that’s augmented by more capers and olives--perfect with a cold glass of

pinot Grigio.

Many of the appetizer dishes feature seafood, such as the calamari

puttanesca ($8.95). Instead of the more common seafood ringlets,

Pestarino takes larger calamari steaks and slices them into thin strips.

The squid is quickly sauteed and tossed in a marinara sauce studded with

black olives and a hint of oregano.

Most of the time when I’ve had squid cut from steaks such as this it’s

been tough and chewy. Here it literally melts in your mouth.

Another appetizing starter are the mussels ($8.95), steamed in white wine

with a touch of saffron.

Traditionally, pasta is a first course in an Italian meal, to be followed

by a meat or fish dish. In our country, pasta dishes are often entrees,

and the portions are sized accordingly. Issay is no exception, although

for an extra $3, pastas can be split into what I would consider a

first-course portion.

An excellent choice is the porcini and chicken ravioli ($16.95), which

shows up on the special board from time to time. The homemade pasta

squares are stuffed with a porcini mushroom mixture and tossed with

chunks of sauteed chicken in a white wine and cream sauce. I’m not

usually a fan of cream-based sauces. But this one was light enough, and

the acidity of the white wine perfectly complemented the mushrooms’

earthiness.

Another specials board selection that was a favorite at our table was

fettuccine with sausage in arrabiata sauce ($15.95). The sausage is a

dense variety, with a consistency and flavor that more resembles Cajun

andouille than traditional Italian pork sausage. The sauce has a healthy

dash of red pepper that adds a nice kick to the dish.

The permanent entree selection features a variety of chicken and seafood

dishes, but none featuring beef, veal or pork, which I found surprising.

Red meat makes its appearance on the board, however, and the results are

usually good.

One that I particularly liked is the braised oxtail ($18.95), a

Piedmont-area specialty. The oxtails are braised in Barolo wine, for

seven hours I’m told, until the meat is so tender it literally falls of

the bone. The portion is large, as are all the dishes at Issay, and

accompanied by asparagus, some red cabbage, mashed potatoes and pasta.

You won’t go hungry at Issay.

Fish dishes dominate both the board and regular menu, and included on our

recent visit was seared ahi tuna ($19.95). The sushi-grade fish is seared

rare, which is not typical in Italian cooking, and served in a

mango-ginger sauce, which is even less traditional. The fruity sauce

would have been the perfect foil for the delicate ahi, had there been

less of it. As it was, the sauce dominated the dish, masking the flavor

of the tender fish.

One of the treats at Issay is perusing Michiko’s excellent wine list.

You’ll find an excellent selection representing almost every major wine

producing region in the world. All are reasonably priced, and if you’d

rather bring your own, the corkage fee is $12.

There were two desserts on the menu on my most recent visit, and both

were excellent. The torta della nonna (grandmother’s cake) is a sweetened

ricotta cheese-filled pie that is perfect with a shot of espresso. The

tiramisu is a near perfect rendition of the recent classic. It’s light

and rich at the same time, with just the right hint of coffee.

Issay is a comfortable restaurant that encourages a long evening filled

with lively conversation. Owner Michiko wanders among the tables chatting

with the regulars, many of whom she knows on a first-name basis, creating

a familiar, cozy atmosphere.

I’ve only recently discovered the restaurant, but I think it’s destined

to become a favorite.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S dining reviews appear every other Thursday. He may

be reached via e-mail at o7 food_critic@hotmail.comf7 .

WHAT: Issay

WHERE: 485 N. Newport Blvd., Newport Beach

WHEN: Dinner served 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 5:30 to 11

p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

HOW MUCH: Moderately expensive

PHONE: (949) 722-2992