Pitfire Artisan Pizza shows Orange County their artisan pizza making flare using fresh, local ingredients. With wood-burning ovens at their disposable, they can turn out an authentic pizza very similar to what you would get in Italy - bubbly crust, gooey cheese, and just the right amount of char spots from the fire.
The Costa Mesa, CA location is very hip with a surfer/skater feel inside and opened in fall of 2012, 6th location in the chain. The service is friendly and attentive. For a SoCal chain, each location stays true with their focus on the artisan way.
Shredded Kale Salad is Tuscan kale, lemon champagne vinaigrette, honey dates, almonds, and parmesan. The kale was too wilted for me. I like my kale more on the raw side, with a crunchy texture. The dressing was awesome with a slightly sweet flavor. The combination of flavors worked great together – nutty almond, sweet dates, and tangy vinaigrette. Thumbs up!
Short Rib Pappardelle is braised short rib, red wine jus, egg noodle, mascarpone, and parmesan. The pasta was al dente and the sauce coated the pasta perfectly. The short rib was shredded and evenly dispersed. Perfectly executed! Thumbs up, way up!
Brussels Sprout and Bacon Pizza is topped with Brussels leaves, panna, Zoe’s Natural Bacon, garlic slivers, pepper, and fresh mozzarella. It is a spicy number! The Brussels sprouts were roasted but still green in flavor. The bacon was a nice touch. The spiciness could be lowered just a tad so the other flavors can shine. Otherwise, thumbs up!
Roast Pumpkin Pizza is topped with brown butter, sage roasted winter squash, braised chard, fontina, toasted pepitas, and pumpkin seed oil. I love the strong cheese flavor! Thumbs up, way up!
Green, Egg, and Ham Pizza is topped with braised rapini, farm egg, and Zoe’s Natural Prosciutto. The rapini was a little too bitter for this pizza. It would probably work better with spinach. The soft cooked egg was a wonderful – break the yolk and dig in! Thumbs up!
Chicken Meatballs were okay. I think there was too much breading which made the middle of the meatball seem mushy. The sausage had a good flavor, but the texture just wasn’t to my liking.
Baked Mac & Cheese is orecchiette “little ear” pasta, creamy 5 cheese sauce, and topped with buttery bread crumbs. The sauce tasted more like a béchamel or alfredo sauce. The cheese flavor could be pumped up a bit. But, I love orecchiette pasta which helps hold the sauce and was cooked al dente.
Crispy Pork Belly Panini is caramelized braised pork, zucchini pickles, apricot mustard, and watercress. This sandwich has a wonderful play with the salty and sweet – very Asian in flavor. It would be better with a little less pickled zucchini, as it was a little overbearing. The bread was hearty and sturdy, holding up with all of the vinegar and fatty goodness from the pork belly. Thumbs up!
Pitfire Smothered Cookie is a warm cookie, Strauss farm organic vanilla soft serve, and topped with hazelnuts and sauce of your choice. I found the cookie to be too hard. It would be better as a soft baked cookie. The vanilla soft serve is da bomb – creamy and luscious! The nuts and sea salt were a nice touch.
Experience an artisan pizza right here in Orange County at Pitfire!
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5 stars
Service: 5 out of 5 stars
Décor: 5 out of 5 stars
Food: 3 out of 5 stars
For more information:
Pitfire Artisan Pizza
353 E 17th St
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
949.313.6333
Website
- Hours: Monday through Thursday from 11am to 10pm, Friday through Saturday from 11am to 11pm, Sunday from 12pm to 10pm
- Easy online ordering available
More locations across SoCal in North Hollywood, West Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, Mar Vista, West Hollywood, and Manhattan Beach.
Comments