The Gossiping Gourmet:

When Roberto and Fernanda Bigne left Buenos Aires, they came first to Los Angeles. Although they loved L.A., they had an extended family in Miami and decided to move after two years here. There, they opened a small bakery and deli, but Fernanda says, “From day two, we longed to return to California.”

It took them 12 years to do so. Three months ago, they opened Il Dolce in Costa Mesa with Roberto, a highly trained pizza chef (certified by the Verace Pizza Napolitana Assn.) making the pizzas and Fernanda taking the role of pastry chef.

Roberto prepares his pizza in the classic way, even making his own mozzarella, tossing the dough in the air to stretch it and baking the “pies” in a wood-burning oven. The most distinctive feature of the décor in this pleasant little modern Italian restaurant-pizza parlor is the big white bags filled with almond wood logs stacked in front of the counter. What makes this casual Italian restaurant unique is the influence of the owners’ Argentine background, featuring appetizers like beef or chicken empanadas and salads made from grains like quinoa and farro.

We began our carb-loaded evening with a dynamite chicken empanada filled with a generous amount of well-seasoned, tender moist chicken wrapped in a beautiful browned, tender, flaky pastry crust that crumbled in our mouths. We’ve never tasted better. It’s a bit of heaven for $3.

The first time we had the quinoa salad it had just been made, and the flavors were distinctive and bright with lemon. Hints of sweetness came from caramelized onions and a touch of anise from the crunchy fennel. Capers added saltiness, mushrooms earthy complexity, pine nuts a gentle crunch and the arugula garnish a peppery finish. A delicate citrus dressing united all the flavors. On the second occasion, the salad was served cold and had lost some of its excitement.

The Amalfi salad features rings of calamari along with arugula, shredded radicchio and chopped tomatoes, also in a citrus vinaigrette. The calamari was a bit chewy, but the salad tasted vibrant and fresh. All of Il Dolce’s salads can be ordered in a small or large portion. The small is easily big enough to share with a friend, while the large is a meal.

As we debated our next course from this large menu with pizza, pastas, sandwiches and entrées, Gladys, our friendly, enthusiastic waitress, said they were famous for their pizzas, so we tried two. Our favorite was the pizza al funghi with both mozzarella and fontina cheeses, a lovely variety of sautéed wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, a bit of pesto and chopped herbs with a sprinkle of Parmesan. The crust is the classic thin Neapolitan type (New York pizza) with a wide, high edge all around, blistered from the wood-burning oven. It’s good enough to eat all by itself. In our minds, this is how pizza ought to taste.

Our other choice was the Verdure, a vegetarian pizza with pesto, mozzarella, goat cheese and fresh herbs. This pie had some cubes of zucchini and chopped peppers, plenty of cheese and way too much oil, mostly from the pesto, which made the crust completely soggy in the middle. Maybe skip this one and go for the Asparago with asparagus, pancetta and a fried egg. In Italy, a fried egg often tops a pizza but rarely here. However, it’s a delicious addition.

A nice selection of traditional pastas is available, as well as three chicken breast dishes, including the classic Milanese, three steaks (after all, the Bignes are from Argentina), fresh salmon and a seafood risotto.

Desserts are all house-made. The quince tart is really a crumbly shortcake with a lattice top and sweet quince filling — pleasant, but not nearly as good as the sensational cannoli with its crispy golden brown shell and creamy smooth ricotta filling that had just the right amount of sweetness. One end was garnished with chopped pistachios and the other with diced, dried apricots.

Il Dolce gets very crowded, especially on the weekends, but fortunately, it does accept reservations.

This is a real old-fashioned family business where everything is handmade with loving care and as far from a chain restaurant as you can get.

Il Dolce

Where: 1902 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa

When: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 12:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday

Prices: Appetizers $3 to $12; entrées $9 to $29; desserts $6 to $8

Wine: Bottles $22 to $75; by the glass $6 to $8; corkage fee $15

Information: (949) 200-9107 or www.ildolceoc.com

ELLE HARROW and TERRY MARKOWITZ owned A La Carte for 20 years and can be reached at themarkos755@yahoo.com .