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    Merenda

    5.0 (1 review)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

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    Pasta Sisters - Tomato & Basil Spaghetti with Burrata

    Pasta Sisters

    3.9(56 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    Family-owned & operated
    Locally owned & operated

    I was excited to learn there was a location in Costa Mesa but was disappointed that it was a ghost…read morekitchen and not a real restaurant. The pasta wasn't bad but would probably not visit again.

    My wife and I are fans of the original Pasta Sisters location in Culver City. Their handmade…read morepastas are delicious, and we were excited to try their location on the border of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. The extraordinary thing about the Pasta Sisters is that they offer house made pastas, which guarantees a higher price point, but offers unparalleled texture. The spaghetti has a "bite" that you get from a true "al dente" pasta. Their cheese tortellini were incredibly rich and cheesy, but a touch salty. The drawback of this location is that it's a ghost kitchen. You order it online and the order will be ready for you when you come in to pick it up. The location does not have seating, and you eat it at your own convenience. If you live/work locally, then this can be definitely worth checking out. Because I live out of town, I have to enjoy it either in my car, after a long drive home, or at my wife's office; however, I want to enjoy these $20 pastas in a restaurant, with wine and good company. A ghost kitchen is very different than a restaurant experience. I hope they do choose to bring their restaurant to the OC one day.

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    Pasta Sisters - Tagliatelle pesto with burrata

    Tagliatelle pesto with burrata

    Pasta Sisters - Spaghetti bottarga

    Spaghetti bottarga

    Pasta Sisters - Pasta with tomato & ricotta

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    Pasta with tomato & ricotta

    Ospi Costa Mesa

    Ospi Costa Mesa

    4.0(529 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$$
    Locally owned & operated
    Women-owned & operated

    We ordered an appetizer and when we were finished, server took plate but told us to keep our…read moreutensils rather than giving us fresh ones and nothing to place them on so we just put on table. The capalini was kind of gooey. Kind of expensive for amount. My companion had chicken piccata and just comes as a slab of breaded chicken with nothing else so for $10 extra he ordered capalini goo too. Very expensive for what you get. Service was basic. Maybe pizzas would have been better choice. All were strange combinations pineapple with perreroni... Dinning outside looked more inviting than inside.

    Ospi hand-delivers an elevated coastal Italian experience that redefines traditional cooking…read moretechniques. I am drawn to Ospi's Michelin twists where bold flavors are made possible with the least amount of ingredients. Every bite counts. The kale salad to start was the best decision. The finely chopped kale leaves paired beautifully with the well-thought-out dressing and cheese. The crispy provolone was crunchy and had a balanced taste of cheesiness. The copione pizza was paper-thin yet contained a robust flavor profile which I did not expect. The highlight of the already amazing meal was the mandilla pesto pasta. The electric green color of the almond-pine nut pesto sauce was extremely powerful, and it was the best-tasting pesto pasta I've ever had. The Italian meal felt complete, but I didn't feel overwhelmed with the amount of carbs. I love the friendly staff and patio seating!

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    Ospi Costa Mesa
    Ospi Costa Mesa
    Ospi Costa Mesa - Assorted options

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    Assorted options

    Massimos Pizza and Pasta - Cheese pizza slice

    Massimos Pizza and Pasta

    4.4(625 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Massimo Pizza - Costa Mesa Rating: (5/5)…read more Sometimes you want an artisan, wood-fired, ultra-balanced pizza. And sometimes... you just want a massive, unapologetic, cheesy beast of a pie. Massimo nails that second category so perfectly that it feels almost therapeutic. We ordered an XL pepperoni + sausage with extra cheese, and the thing that stood out immediately is that Massimo actually understands what extra cheese is supposed to mean. Most chains toss on maybe 25-50% more, and it barely changes anything. Here, they layer it so thick that the slices almost fuse together into one glorious sheet of bubbling mozzarella. You lift a slice and it stretches -- heavy, gooey, satisfying -- exactly the way you hope it will. Flavor-wise, it hits all the buttons. The pepperoni brings salt and crisp edges, the sausage has that savory punch, and yes -- it's a grease bomb in the best possible way. If greasy pizza isn't your thing, this might not be the spot. But if you embrace a good greasy pizza, whether you're recovering from a long night or just craving comfort food, this place delivers. What really surprised me was how well the sauce balances everything. It has enough acidity to cut through all that cheese, meat, and oil, keeping each bite from feeling heavy. Instead of being overwhelmed, you just want another slice. And another. I also grabbed a side of alfredo sauce for crust dipping, and it was fantastic -- creamy, rich, and basically turned the leftover crust into its own bonus meal. This isn't a dainty pizza. It isn't pretending to be health food. It's bold, salty, cheesy, greasy, and absolutely delicious -- exactly the kind of pie you daydream about when someone says, "Let's just order pizza tonight." Final verdict: Massimo doesn't just do "extra cheese" -- they commit to it. Big flavors, heavy slices, great sauce balance, and total satisfaction. For this style of pizza, it hits the spot every single time. 5/5 -- an easy must-order. If you want clean, delicate pizza... look elsewhere. If you want pizza that tastes like pure comfort -- this is your place.

    Admittedly, I didn't know this restaurant existed walking up, and it was a spur of the moment…read moredecision after I discovered the nearby 17th Street Deli was already closed (3pm). So, pizza or pasta? I needed something in my stomach before a wine tasting at Hi-Time Wine Cellars afterwards. Definitely need food for that! I was in a hunt for lasagne, so I asked and the lady who took my order gave it a seal of approval. I was also eyeing the house specials, or a build your own option. Pizzas looked good on the neighboring tables, so that's probably my next time choice. I grabbed a comfortable booth and waited a bit. The lasagne came out piping hot with that lovely browned cheese top. I decided to avoid adding anything else except black pepper, which revealed it's flavorful as-is. Anyhow, I like the casual atmosphere, and the clientele seemed to be regulars on a Saturday afternoon. Very nice!

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    Massimos Pizza and Pasta
    Massimos Pizza and Pasta - Dinner salad

    Dinner salad

    Massimos Pizza and Pasta - Outside

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    Outside

    Filomena's Italian Kitchen & Market

    Filomena's Italian Kitchen & Market

    4.1(907 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Certified professionals

    I found this place not by one, not by two, not by three, but by four different food influencers…read morethat I follow on Facebook so I definitely had to give this place a try. I've passed by it so many times, but it never really caught my eye sitting there off Newport Boulevard, so I'm glad I checked out someplace new that kept getting recommended over and over. I ended up getting the small Italian hoagie and a cheese calzone with their Sunday sauce. The Italian sub was stacked too. Pepper ham, salami, capicola, mortadella, provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, sweet peppers, hot peppers, pickles, oil and vinegar all packed into a soft Italian roll. Every bite had a different flavor going on from the salty meats to the sharp provolone and the crunch from the lettuce and peppers. The oil and vinegar tied everything together perfectly and gave it that classic deli sandwich taste. Even the small size was filling. The cheese calzone was huge and baked perfectly. The outside had that crispy golden brown crust with little charred spots all over it and a nice crunch when you cut into it. Inside was parmesan, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese all melted together and super cheesy without feeling too heavy. Then you dip it into the Sunday sauce and that's what takes it over the top. Their Sunday sauce is tomato based but infused with the drippings from their homemade beef and pork meatballs so it has a deeper richer flavor than regular marinara. You can definitely taste the difference. Really glad I finally stopped here because now I totally get why so many people were talking about it. Definitely a place I'll be coming back

    Manny was our waiter he was fun and very attentive…read more This was our 1st time here and we can't wait to come back The food AMAZING & DELICIOUS . I can't stop raving about your seafood soup omgosh huge shrimp huge scallops so tender lots of big clams and salmon with the best tomato broth ! We also had Calamari lightly breaded and yummy yummy. Marie had the Shortribs they melted in your mouth so delicious with Risotto soooo good and fresh mushrooms We ventured over to the deli market side and came home with 2 huge PBJ Cookies. Everything is made fresh to order. Pastas made fresh too. I suggest everyone should come to Filomena's Italian Kitchen enjoy the same great experience as we did. I love the decorative style on the walls and the tiles up by the bar were really nice. Your Restrooms were big and clean thank you for that. You can park in their private parking. Thank you for an amazing time Manny.

    Photos
    Filomena's Italian Kitchen & Market
    Filomena's Italian Kitchen & Market
    Filomena's Italian Kitchen & Market - Cheesy Garlic Bread

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    Cheesy Garlic Bread

    Merenda - italian - Updated May 2026

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