Dining Out

Mary Furr, For the Independent

It’s been said that the way to a woman’s heart is through the door to

a restaurant. What better one this Valentine’s Day than Mangia Mangia

opened 15 years ago by brothers Chef Pietro and manager Guiseppe Cefalu.

The “black board specials” are the ones to check first. One time it

was Salmon al basilico (lunch, $11.95), and inch-and-a-half thick filet

poached with fresh deep green pesto sauce. The tender pink salmon flaked

easily enhanced by the uncooked sauce of fresh basil, garlic and olive

oil. Pesto, which originated in Genoa, generously pools in the plate,

tempting me to dip in the piece of hot garlic bread. All the dishes are

really hot when served. It’s like you’re in your own dining room.

The board specials at lunch include a small mixed salad -- red leaf,

feathery frisee, oak leaf and baby spinach all brushed lightly with olive

oil and balsamic vinegar -- a complex mix of color, shape and texture.

This kind of salad for just an ordinary lunch is what makes Mangia Mangia

special. The large contingent of diners just for lunch is another.

Halibut Portofino (lunch, $12.95), a thick slice of low fat, firm,

mild-flavored flat fish, is sauteed in white wine and topped with a mass

of chopped tomato, black sliced olives and pungent pearl-sized capers.

Bow-tie pasta in tomato sauce adds to the well-balanced dish.

Fresh fish and vegetables are treated with respect here -- the

brothers go to San Pedro and Newport Beach markets to select the daily

specials. Chicken Calabrese (dinner, $13.95) is a great dish that

features chunky breast of chicken with red and green bell peppers,

sausages, black olives and onions in a fresh basil tomato sauce. The

dish, selected as “Outstanding” in the 1995 Taste of Huntington Beach,”

is quite mild, dominated by the taste of herbs and mild Italian sausage.

Three desserts are home style classics -- the tiramisu ($4.50) is

light and fragrant with wine. The layered cake is dabbed with whipped

cream and sprinkled with powdered chocolate. The spumoni ($4.25) is a

thick slice of vanilla with a stripe of chocolate and pecans -- different

from the usual.

The L-shaped double storefront has warm sienna walls hung with color

photos of Palermo, Sicily. One even shows the house where the brothers

were born. It’s hard to believe but the quality and originality of

preparation at Mangia Mangia seems better than ever. You never know what

great dish you’ll find as a special.

As Guiseppe says, “We are Italians and spontaneous!” The menu changes

every year or so featuring new dishes as daily specials. He says he can

hardly believe Mangia Mangia has been in Huntington Beach 15 years.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 [email protected]

FYI

Mangia Mangia

WHERE: 16079 Goldenwest St.

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 4 to 10 p.m.

Saturday; 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday

PHONE: (714) 841-8887