Design, great food combined

In the fall of 2001 a perfect marriage of design and food took place. The former Armani Cafe, a stylish chic restaurant set among world-class boutiques at South Coast Plaza, was sold and transformed into Quattro Caffe.

World-renowned designer Giorgio Armani hand-selected the restaurant’s decor and ownership transferred to Antonio Cagnolo of award-winning Antonello’s restaurant at South Coast Plaza Village. The Quattro Caffe is Cagnola’s fourth restaurant; he also owns the informal Nello Cucina and Antonello Espresso bar, both at South Coast Plaza.

At Quattro Caffe you might assume that the cuisine can’t live up to the chic interior. Not true. Armani put incredible thought into each design element. Yet Chef Miriam Ramirez and manager Dennis Silva offer each guest at Quattro Caffe an equally enjoyable dining experience. They’re committed to high quality ingredients, excellent personal service, and together they rival Armani for being sticklers for detail.

The restaurant features contemporary styles, arches, a beautiful suspended white oak ceiling that mirrors the floor and a wood-burning pizza oven that burns premium walnut wood to avoid smoky flavors. Even the baseboards were fitted to Armani’s perfection. Each piece of white oak was set just so. Some of his choices prove challenging for a restaurant.

“Armani didn’t include a bus stand or a soda fountain station,” Silva said. “Yet the beauty and details adds to the dining experience.”

Cagnolo put his own touch on the restaurant’s appeal by displaying a wall of black and white photos purchased in Rome. The conversation-piece photos include lovers, charming street scenes, a young handsome Marcello Mastroianni, Audrey Hepburn and a gorgeous Sophia Loren.

Quattro Caffe has become the hot spot for light and delicious Northern Italian cuisine with a California twist. It’s where celebrities dine when they come to the plaza to shop, including 1950s Hollywood bombshell Jeanne Carmen; Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan; and Priscilla Presley, Heather Locklear and Jennifer Love Hewitt. And the restaurant also caters openings of specialty boutiques in the plaza.

The two most requested dishes are surprisingly not on the regular menu.

The mista salad is the favorite salad; it’s a recipe carried over from the original Armani Cafe and the restaurant can’t get rid of it. The salad is a wonderful custom blend of organic baby mixed greens, mozzarella, carrot, eggplant, tossed in Balsamic dressing ($12). Chopped chicken breast or shrimp can be added, too. Ask for the delicious grilled vegetarian panini sandwich, it features eggplant, asparagus, zucchini and roasted Roma tomatoes ($11).

Quattro Caffe’s ingredients are top quality and hand-selected.

Chef Ramirez cooks with Scottish smoked salmon, selected for its light and delicate flavor that won’t overpower the light tomato cream sauce in the penne al salmone ($18).

The spaghetti con pomodoro e basilica is a simple and highly recommended dish. It comes with fresh tomato sauce, basil and mascarpone cheese ($12).

Whole wheat organic pasta can be substituted in any pasta dish.

The fileto ai ferri is a double-cut aged filet, extra thick and incredible; it’s served with asiago mashed potatoes, sauteed asparagus and baby carrots ($29).

A premium canola oil deep fries the baby calamari. The appetizer is never greasy; it’s light and served with a spicy tomato sauce ($12). And the imported mozzarella baked on pizzas is handmade for just one other restaurant in Southern California.

Quattro Caffe even has a pastry chef, pizza chef and baker. A mixture of homemade bread sticks and focaccia are presented at each table. A secret blend of beans, herbs and olive oil accompanies breads.

The specials, printed on the left page of the menu, change every two weeks. Look there for incredible wine specials too. Wine connoisseurs will delight in the Champagne and wine menu.

The creme de la creme of champagnes are available including Krug Clos De Mesnil 1990 ($549); and Louis Roederer Crystal 1996 ($325). Try the Champagne Deutz-Brut that scores very well in wine journals ($85). Most wines can be ordered by the glass, even premium Cakebread and Far Niente Chardonnay at $26 per glass. Wonderful red wines include a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino-Argiano 1998 ($105); and a Super Tuscan Banfi Col Di Sasso-Montalcino Estate $9 per glass.

IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Quattro Caffe

* WHERE: South Coast Plaza, Level 1, between Giorgio Armani and Jimmy Choo

* WHEN: Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday

* INFO: (714) 754-0300

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at [email protected]; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626; or by fax at (714) 966-4679.

20051202iquj8akn(LA)The design is all Armani; the food is all quality at Quattro Caffe.