The Gossiping Gourmet: Taverna provides a taste of Italy in Laguna

The restaurant scene in Laguna Beach has another new dining spot, Taverna, located in what was a bank in the heart of downtown.

The large space, with high, beamed ceilings, has been transformed into an attractive and pleasant restaurant. There is a long bar area on one side of the three big arches that separate the bar from the main dining area, while outside seating is available on a nice-size patio.

The restaurant is Italian and has its roots in Texas, where several Tavernas are located.

My dining companion and I began our meal with two appetizers, fritto misto and a burrata salad with prosciutto. The fritto misto — calamari, rock shrimp, clams, artichokes and avocado fries with a spicy tomato aioli and marinara sauce — was just the right amount for two to share. The avocado fries, which were slices of lightly breaded fried avocados, were a surprisingly good treat.

The burrata salad was also very tasty. This was a plate of thin slices of prosciutto and several types of baby heirloom tomatoes, topped with a luscious soft ball of burrata cheese, a drizzle of Tuscan olive oil and sea salt.

Our next course was the house-made lasagna rustica, which was made of spinach pasta, ham, wild mushrooms, bolognese sauce and a rich, creamy béchamel with a generous sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese on top. It was sinfully rich.

Taverna specializes in risotto, offering four varieties. We tried the risotto con gamberi e prosecco, which was gamberi (shrimp) with prosecco in a creamy velvety sauce and dotted with toasted pine nuts. Two thin slices of preserved lemon on top added a subtle touch of tartness. It was excellent.

Our final entree was the veal chop Milanese. The chop was on a large bone, but most of the meat was pounded down, breaded and fried with butter and sage. It came with four potato souffles that were fried, fat and delicious logs of breaded mashed potatoes. A gravy boat with a warm fondue of Reggiano cheese provided a dipping sauce.

The only dish that we found to be unworthy of what was otherwise a good meal was a dessert called bombolini, or donut holes. They were dense and undercooked and had no resemblance to donut holes.

We returned a few days later for brunch to try something from the pizza menu. The pizza, which is cooked in a wood-burning oven, comes in eight varieties.

We choose the salsiccia with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Italian sausage, caramelized onions and peppers. It was good. The crust was nice and thin with a bit of char, though otherwise a little bland.

We also had the chopped salad, which consisted of bibb lettuce, radicchio, romaine, tomato, green and red onions, bacon, gorgonzola, and hearts of palm with an herb vinaigrette. It was very fresh and a nice mixture of ingredients.

The restaurant is new and a few glitches still need to be worked out, but I think this will be a popular dining spot — with one caveat. The main dining room is unbelievably noisy. My dining companion and I were sitting at a small table just a few feet apart and couldn’t carry on a conversation because of the din. The couple sitting next to us complained as well.

When the room is full, people are yelling at each other to be heard. It may be better at lunch or on weekdays.

I hope this can be fixed because it is a good new restaurant and a welcome addition to Laguna Beach.

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TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.

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TAVERNA

Location: 2202 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Prices:

Appetizers: $9.95 to $24.50

Entrees: $14.50 to $47.50

Desserts: $9

Wine:

Bottles: $36 to $190

By the glass: $9 to $23

Corkage: $20

Information: (949) 715-0821; tavernabylombardi.com