Why Monaco Could Be Your Favorite Italian

Anne Valdespino
Apr 25
5 min read

Updated: May 9

The team behind The Blind Pig and Blind Coyote Cantina rolls out a new restaurant in Irvine inspired by the owner’s heritage.

Master mixologist Jason Friedman has written a menu of drinks with contemporary Italian flavors at Monaco Italian Kitchen in Irvine. Photo courtesy of Monaco Italian Kitchen

Listen up craft cocktail fans. Tony Monaco, the guy who brought you The Blind Pig Kitchen + Bar in Rancho Santa Margarita and Blind Coyote Cantina in Yorba Linda is leaning into his ethnic heritage for a new place, with a grand opening April 25 at Eighteen Main in Irvine. Together with his longtime chef collaborator Karl Pfleider, he’ll present a contemporary take on his favorite soul food.

Get ready for Neapolitan pizzas and sandwiches, branzino, steak and risotto along with a list of snazzy cocktails from head mixologist Jason Friedman. There’s a “high roller” menu, killer espresso martinis and enough spritzes to quench the thirst of the White Lotus season 2 cast.

Your Culture OC correspondent got a sneak peek at a recent media dinner. Here’s what to expect.

MONACO ITALIAN KITCHEN

THE CONCEPT: Monaco has been daydreaming about this one for two years. He started eyeing the spot while planning to bring his sandwich shop, The Trough, to Eighteen Main. He asked what else was coming because he wanted to suss out the competition in the center. When he discovered that management was looking for an Italian restaurant, he was thrilled because his family is originally from Abruzzo.

“I've always wanted to do an Italian spot,” said Monaco, so he told the landlord. “He was like, ‘You want to do one?’ And I said, ‘Yeah! Let's go!’”

Now, Monaco Italian Kitchen gives a mod spin to dishes from the Old Country.

PHOTOS 1 & 2: Sleek, contemporary decor complements the menu of Monaco Italian Kitchen which updates classic cuisine. PHOTO 3: A 60-seat patio will be ideal for dinner and drinks al fresco this summer. PHOTO 4: An inviting bar with 15 seats awaits thirsty guests. Photos courtesy of Monaco Italian Kitchen

THE LOOK: The 4,500 square foot, 130-seat restaurant is inspired by “the inviting trattorias of the Italian Riviera and the refined aesthetics of Milanese cafes.” Monaco spent $1.75 million giving it a well-tuned kitchen and an upbeat style. There’s a central wraparound bar with 15 seats, lightwood accents, black and white tile and abstract jewel-tone murals. Love dining al fresco? Settle into a spacious patio with seating for 60.

THE VIBE: Monaco characterized it as lively. “I'm trying to go away from the white tablecloth, Italian dining experience where you sit down in the lobby, with Italian music in the background, you're kind of falling asleep a little,” he said, adding that he wasn’t knocking traditional places, he just wants his restaurant to be a fun night out. “Maybe you just want to watch a game on TV,” he said. “You want a great cocktail, maybe a pasta, maybe a pizza, and just hang out with your friends.”

There are plenty of shareable starters like a charcuterie board, warm arancini, and a fresh take on burrata and prosciutto with a sweet tomato jam that will be a big hit with the sweet and salty crowd.

PHOTO 1: The culinary team at Monaco Italian Kitchen trekked to Italy to learn traditional methods of pizza making in Naples. PHOTO 2: A variety of fresh salads. PHOTO 3: Warm arancini is one of many shareable starters. PHOTO 4: Tomato jam gives a prosciutto and burrata appetizer a sweet and salty flair. Photos courtesy of Monaco Italian Kitchen

WHAT TO ORDER: The culinary team trekked to Italy to learn the traditions of pizza making in Naples. Now they’re whipping up scratch-made dough for pies such as the Bianca, Margherita and spicy Diavola. These thin crust pizzas have a fresh-tasting dough that isn’t tangy or sour like some traditional pizzas. We loved the Bianca which we would order next time with an accompaniment of roasted wild mushrooms, which is a match made in heaven.

They’re also stacking up panuozzo (Napoletano sandwiches), which aren’t squashed in a panini press, but more like a stuffed thin-crust pizza. The mortadella with pistachio pesto, bufala mozzarella, tomato and arugula would be our pick.

And there’s more. Foodies will gravitate toward plated fare from cappelletti en brodo to classics like cacio e pepe. Fancy date night dishes include filet mignon, branzino and braised lamb shank. We already have favorites. The lamb bolognese is textbook perfect with tender ground meat and just enough sauce to stain the textured house-made pasta. We were also pleasantly surprised by the campanelle butternut squash pasta which is saffron colored and so creamy, it’s almost like an Italian mac and cheese.

DRINKS: It’s never been a better time to write a menu of Italian cocktails: Espresso martinis are everywhere and so are Aperol spritzes and a million takes on the negroni. Bar manager Jason Friedman has some innovative offerings, like Mother Knows Pesto with sundried tomato gin, basilcello, pine nuts and lemon, and the Twisty Trombone with rum raisin, rose, gelsonero (red wine) and yes, eggplant.

“I like to take a very culinary approach to a lot of the cocktails,” Friedman said. “So, I did a lot of research into traditional flavors you would find if you were in Italy, like what people make in their houses. So I started with that and then based it off a lot of what the chefs were doing just to try and keep all those flavors cohesive. It worked out pretty well.”

He adds just a touch of salt to an icy espresso martini with vodka, creme de cacao, coffee liqueur and a lightly foamy oat milk top to draw out an unexpected depth of flavor. The slight salinity keeps you coming back for another sip.

The Chairman of the Board cocktail is a showstopper, tinted blue with spirulina, (a tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes, no doubt), and maybe that unusual ingredient should be mentioned on the menu. Okra in the background doesn’t really flavor the drink but it gives it an intriguing viscosity and that’s not to everyone’s taste – a couple of my dinner companions didn’t care for it. But I did. It’s made with gin, aveze (a Gentiane liqueur) and mandarincello. When it all comes together the effect is full-bodied and vegetal, not fruity.

If you like fruity, try the Il Duce with tequila and ficoncello (fig liqueur). A cherry and grenadine accent its lovely magenta color.

Fans in the know will be looking for Monaco’s menu within the menu of tiki drinks. Not here. Friedman talked the boss out of it. “He was right,” Monaco says. Spritzes are trending and these are spot-on. There’s a straight-ahead Aperol and three others whose flavors range from elderflower to artichoke.

Of course, none of Monaco’s bars could open without Friedman’s famous Old Fashioned and there’s even a list of non-alcoholic concoctions ($9 each), so your designated driver won’t be bored. But for the best experience, give the new list a whirl. “Order something different,” Friedman said. “Be open-minded.”

THE LAST WORD: The owner’s full name is Anthony Bernardino Monaco and like many Italian restaurants, his new place honors his entire family. “That's very Italian. It doesn't just represent you, it represents your family as a whole, even my grandparents who have passed on,” he said. “Seeing our name on the wall when I walk in reminds me of our family dinners. Everyone says Italian food is so good because it's made with love. We put a lot of love into this menu and I think my family would be really proud of it.”