Onotria Restaurant   

All over Europe from the most hip eateries in metropolitan capitals to bustling bistros in tiny villages, only the best quality seasonal ingredients show up on your plate, the servers talk to you like old friends and the ambience is as charming as it is lively. And so it is at Onotria, which is located in a heartless dead zone on Bristol Street right where the 73 and 55 freeways intersect. Perhaps only Master Chef Massimo Navarretta (formerly of Scampi Trattoria fame) could take this once floundering space and turn it into one of OCs few well-done wine country restaurants, complete with real vines and a vegetable garden right out the window. Inside, the soaring wood ceiling, white linens and wrought iron balustrade gives Onotria a romantic Old World feeling. Chef Navarretta's philosophy of helping people "get closer to the earth" finally brings comfort food at its very best to OC's foodies. Here is where youll find genuinely heartwarming dishes such as brick-pressed, cage-free chicken seasoned in lemon, garlic and fresh herbs. The menu leans heavily on game meats and finger-licking cheese platters. Italian-speaking servers help you choose the best glass to complement each course from a 30-page wine list. After just a few bites, even you might break out into song -- just like Chef Navarretta does while serving, pouring and slapping backs.