Several restaurants have come and gone at 222 Ocean Avenue in Laguna Beach, including Taverna, Ocean at Main, Suenos and Cabana. Fortunately, a new Italian eatery opened in that spot earlier this summer that looks to have staying power—and a terrific menu.
Piatti Laguna Beach is the newest location (and the first in Orange County) of eight Piatti restaurants owned by Palisades Hospitality, although it certainly does not have the look and feel of a chain restaurant. Boasting more than 100 seats in its stylish interior and on the charming patio, Piatti offers traditional, hand-crafted Italian fare with house-made pastas and seasonal specials, plus classic cocktails and an extensive wine list focused on California and Italian varietals.
“Each one of our locations has been there for the long term,” said Matt Stuhl, Chief Operating Officer of Palisades Hospitality. “Our La Jolla restaurant has been there for almost 30 years, and we have one in Danville and one in Sacramento have been there for decades. Our goal is to really lay down some roots here and make this a staple for the community.”
Set in one of Laguna Beach’s most historic buildings (a beautifully restored former bank), the Piatti Laguna Beach team worked to preserve original features, including the courtyard’s tile fountain and newly uncovered windows that now flood the bar area with natural light. They’ve added handcrafted furnishings and whimsical culinary-focused works of art using found objects.
Stuhl said there are different versions of the Piatti menu depending on location. One is more of a coastal style Italian menu that the company perfected in the Bay area town of Mill Valley.
“That’s the menu we’re bringing down here,” said Stuhl. “That restaurant is also right on the water there, right next to the bay, and I think similar clientele and similar attractive ingredients. You’ll see a lot of fish on our menu here. We really want something that the locals can come back to season after season and find their favorite things.”
Stuhl noted that the menu is what he described as “inexcusably Italian. We try to do something a little bit more traditional. We do have a California twist to it, but really it’s just getting the ingredients as close to home as we can, the Italian roots of each dish. We’re not trying to be creative around a Rigatoni Bolognese. It is a Rigatoni Bolognese. We love our Bolognese. We think we do it the right way. What people are getting is a comfort dish with a lot of robust flavors to it.”
The pastas, which Stuhl said are the restaurant’s signature dishes, are made fresh in-house daily using an imported pasta maker from Italy. The menu lists six different pastas including Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, Pappardelle Pesto, Linguine di Mare with clams and squid, Spaghetti Pomodoro with broken meatballs and garlic, Rigatoni Bolognese with pancetta and parmesan, and Spinach & Ricotta Agnolotti with lemon cream and sage.
Seafood starters (frutti di mare), antipasti, pizzas, salads, plus meat and fish dishes abound on the menu, with prices that are very reasonable given the quality of the cuisine.
Tasting the Menu
For my visit to Piatti, Stuhl recommended the Wood Roasted Octopus with maitake mushrooms, grilled radicchio, roasted garlic and saba, which he dubbed “fantastic. It has a nice texture to it, and a little bit more of a richer flavor profile with the puree on the bottom.”
And after hearing about the Rigatoni Bolognese I had to see for myself what all the fuss was about.
When the large plate containing the octopus was placed in front of me, it appeared to be an entrée-sized portion, but I was assured it was an appetizer. It was tender, not chewy the way some octopus dishes are made. The accoutrements added to the wonderful flavors of the dish. I sliced the octopus and relished every bite, but stopped midway because I had pasta coming.
The pasta was cooked a perfect al dente, and the sauce was delightfully rich but not overpowering. I shoved bite after bite into my mouth, savoring the sensational flavors until I was scraping the bottom of the bowl.
Piatti has several desserts, but my server recommended the flourless chocolate torte. I am not partial to chocolate, but this was another compelling dish that was impossible to resist.
Piatti is open for lunch and dinner daily. Visit https://www.laguna.piatti.com.
