Bottega Angelina in Laguna Niguel has an ocean view and stunning decor
Pizzas are made in the custom pizza oven during the grand open of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Its sister restaurant, Angelina’s Pizzeria, in Irvine, is one of the most popular eateries in Orange County. So, it’s not surprising that Bottega Angelina in Laguna Niguel was an instant hit with lines out the door when it soft-opened the third week of October.
It held a party for media, family and friends on Oct. 28 and officially opened to the public on Nov. 3. Now the plan is to gradually add more hours, open a market and start scheduling live entertainment — check out the sleek black Essex piano built by Steinway & Sons.
Background: This large property at Ocean Ranch Village — 7,000-square-feet inside and 3,000 outside, with seating for 350 diners — used to be Savannah Chop House. Owners Shokoufeh and Filippo Fusco hired Kelly Architects and Shawmut Design and Construction for its $8 million complete renovation: It’s a stunner with an ocean view.
A Santa Barbara-style stucco facade is fitted with stone accents, refinished chimneys have touches of copper. The landscaping around the patios, which are set with furniture from Restoration Hardware, has an Italian touch that includes olive and cypress trees as well as lavender.
The owners are as meticulous about the concept as they are about the look. Many ingredients and pieces of equipment are imported straight from Italy, including a Stefano Ferrara VPN certified custom pizza oven from Naples. Even the restaurant’s upcoming Thanksgiving dinner menu will have an Italian spin.
Some of the interior design touches at Bottega Angelina during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests mingle on one of the outdoor patios at Bottega Angelina grand during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A Vespa on the outdoor patio at Bottega Angelina during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests relax on one of the outdoor patios at Bottega Angelina grand during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shokoufeh and Filippo Fusco outside their new restaurant Bottega Angelina during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests mingle in the main dinning room during the grand opening of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests wait for pizzas made in the custom pizza oven during the grand open of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A view of the bar from the Italian market at Bottega Angelina during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A mannequin with pasta hair and dress greets visitors as they enter Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A mannequin with pasta hair and dress greets visitors as they enter Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shokoufeh Fusco, left, co-owner of Bottega Angelina speaks with guests during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Filippo Fusco, left, co-owner of Bottega Angelina shares a laugh with a guest during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests mingle on outdoor patio during the grand opening of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bartenders mix drinks for guests during the grand opening of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Heaters on the outdoor patio light up as the sun sets over Catalina Island during the grand opening of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The sunset view of Catalina Island from the outdoor patio Bottega Angelina during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in
in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The pasta kitchen at Bottega Angelina, at Ocean Ranch Village, is visible through the large window at the front of the restaurant in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A bartender in the bar at the Bottega Angelina, at Ocean Ranch Village, prepares drinks during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Staff at the Bottega Angelina wear pasta ties during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests enjoy drinks and a football game on the outdoor patio at Bottega Angelina, at Ocean Ranch Village, during its grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guest mingle in the main dinning room during the grand opening at Bottega Angelina, at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The sunset view of Catalina Island can be seen through shelves of wine glasses from the outdoor patio Bottega Angelina during the grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in
in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests check their phones at one of the fire pits on the outdoor patio at Bottega Angelina, at Ocean Ranch Village, during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pizzas are made in the custom pizza oven during the grand open of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Italian market at the Bottega Angelina, at Ocean Ranch Village, is open during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shokoufeh and Filippo Fusco inside their new restaurant Bottega Angelina during the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Rosario Monetti, left, sings to Shahr Joharyreyes, right, of Mission Viejo as accordion player plays accompaniment during the grand opening of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in
in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shokoufeh Fusco, co-owner of Bottega Angelina created this pasta dress and hair that is on display in the main dinning room for the grand opening in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
An ice sculpture at the Chopin vodka booth glistens in the sun on the outdoor patio at the grand open at Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Guests mingle on outdoor patio during the grand opening of Bottega Angelina at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A guest enjoys a glass of wine on the outdoor patio at the Bottega Angelina as the sun sets over Catalina Island during the restaurant’s grand opening at Ocean Ranch Village in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Bottega Angelina, an Italian market, restaurant, and bar, at Ocean Ranch Village during its grand opening celebration in Laguna Niguel on Thursday, October 28, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The look: Don’t expect red checkered table cloths and straw covered chianti bottles. The style here is completely contemporary, echoing the pizzeria’s look but with a coastal feel. The color palette is neutral with splashes of ocean blues and grays, elegant red and gold accents.
Eye-popping features are everywhere. A light cove with a fixture made of 4,000 brass tubes hanging from the ceiling might remind you of spaghetti. Custom mosaics by Feruxe, Joseph & Sons, LFNCO, tile floors, antique-finish mirrors and a calacatta marble bar with waterfall edges give an artful, sophisticated feel. A high-fashion mannequin “dressed” in pasta adds a whimsical touch.
Even though it looks fancy, don’t hesitate to come as you are, Shokoufeh Fusco said in a recent interview.
“They don’t have to get dressed up to come here or they can get dressed up if they want. But the service they’re going to get is always going to be five-star,” she said. “It’s fine dining service in a casual environment so you can feel comfortable coming in jeans.”
The patios: There’s plenty of al fresco dining here with patios for every occasion and you can ask to be seated on your favorite when you make a reservation. Patio 1 outside the market is the called the Mercato. It will soon be open for coffee, light breakfasts and sandwiches. Patio 2, Caminetto, has a cozy lounge with a fireplace. Patio 3 called, Pacifico, offers the best ocean view for watching the sunset on date nights. Patio 4 is named Olivetto for its trio of olive trees. “I call it the man cave,” quipped Fusco. “That’s basically where all the guys will hang out. It’s private, has a TV so you can watch sports, and you can smoke a cigar out there.”
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The menu: The culinary team includes executive chef Fillippo Piccini; director of culinary operations Aaron Zimmer; corporate chef Alfonso Sanna; executive pastry chefs Rebekah Eastman and Massimo Cosmano, general manager Vittorio Homberger, and market and retail general manager Ginevra Santopietro.
The menu will include the restaurant group’s famous pizzas ($14-$26) but the emphasis will lean more toward fine dining with entrees such as oven roasted Mediterranean sea bass ($48), beef filet with black garlic sauce ($62), and a tomahawk bone-in-ribeye prepared Tuscan style ($140 for 32 ounces, $190 for 45 ounces). There’s even caviar service with gnocchi blini ($140-$375). And of course there are plenty of pastas and risottos ($22-$44) including scampi risotto with saffron and pappardelle with wild boar.
The dessert menu ($7-$12) is filled classics like tiramisu, gelato and cannoli. There will also be plated desserts such as spiced red wine poached pears with maple tuile, candied walnuts and vanilla bean gelato.
The market: Read the menu carefully because items highlighted in bold are available for purchase in the market. Take home some reggiano parmesan, bufala mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes and more. The restaurant is also considering hosting a farmers market with fresh produce on weekends.
The drinks: There’s a long list of wines by the bottle and the glass and this is a good place to discover Italian wines. But there’s also beer, plenty of premium spirits and cocktails ($18). Creative concoctions include the Freso with vodka, cucumber, lemon, bianco vermouth and maldon salt and the Old Illy with bourbon, espresso, orange syrup and chocolate bitters. Espresso drinks? Of course, with beans from Illy.
The last word: It’s not just the surroundings that are luxe, the staff is aiming to provide elegant service too, says Fusco. It’s her goal to retain every diner that comes through the door by letting them know that they come first. “A lot of our training with our servers has been about never say ‘No’ to a customer,” she said. “Say ‘I’ll find out,’ and come back to them when you’ve found a way to make it work.”
Find it: 32441 Golden Lantern, Laguna Niguel, 949-542-8220, bottegaangelina.com.
Open: 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday for the next few weeks, breakfast and lunch hours will be added soon.
