ECCO PIZZERIA
The CAMP: 2937 Bristol Street | Costa Mesa, CA 92626 714-444-ECCO | www.ECCOpizza.com One of the newer members of the Costa Mesa CAMP family, ECCO Pizzeria & Bar has been making waves since its long-awaited opening in 2010 as one of the Top 10 Restaurants in OC. Raw wood tables and brick walls set the tone for this Tuscan tavern, but this place is really all about the food. ECCO offers lunch, dinner, intermezzo and a late night “Parlor Menu.” Traditional Italian favorites like the cheese plate, marinated olives and meatballs are dispersed throughout ECCO’s sweet Small Plates menu, but enticing discoveries like Fried Mac n’ Cheese balls and Eggplant Caviar are wooing Orange County foodies. And where else can you get excellent eats
at 1 am? ECCO’s Parlor Menu of Bites, Brews and Booze is served until 2 am on Friday and Saturday. This establishment bestows an effortless atmosphere with regular wafts of Italy flowing out of the kitchen. ECCO even has a dedicated pizza baker. Chef Carlos Albarca is ECCO’s Pizzaiolo, and he’s become a master in crafting Neapolitan-style pizza after stints at Nello Cucina and Antonello’s. Most of the ingredients he uses to bake these smoky wood-fired pizzas are imported from Italy, like the San Marzano tomatoes, Sicilian salt, flour, olive oil and even the mozzarella di bufala, which arrives fresh from Napoli! So don’t even think about visiting ECCO without
trying their prize-winning pizza. SMALL PLATE PICK: Probably the least healthy item on the Parlor Menu, my favorite is ECCO’s Italian Style “Corn Dog.” You’re thinking a hotdog on a stick, right? Nope. This little edible epiphany is filled primarily with fontina cheese, wrapped in an Italian prosciutto, covered in semolina batter (typically used to make pasta) and plated with a side of housemade pepper ketchup ($6 for two). Yummo! NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: ECCO Pizzeria might be the perfect place to host your Christmas party. This “campy” location can house up to 400 guests!
| Holiday 2012 Issue | 55