Cucina Enoteca

Cucina Enoteca
at the Irvine Spectrum
31 Fortune Drive
Irvine, CA. 92618
Phone: 949.861.2222
Website | Map

Dinner $30

Online Reservations

Dinner $30

primo

farmer’s chopped salad
yellow wax bean + cucumber + pepperoncini + point reyes blue + roasted garlic oregano vinaigrette

roasted winter squash + date
 lola rosa + pepita crusted goat cheese + pomegranate reduction

zuppa
chef’s whim

ricotta gnudi
sage brown butter + parmigiano + amaretti *

stuffed fried squash blossoms
herb ricotta + purple basil pesto + cured lemon aioli

secondo

short rib pappardelle
cremini mushroom + parmigiano

spicy shrimp puttanesca angel hair
olive + caper + tomato

bucatini all'amatriciana
guanciale + tomato + onion + calabrian chili + pecorino

butternut squash ravioli
pinenut + golden raisin caponata + apple puree + wild baby arugula

pan searded ocean trout
umbrian lentil + spinach + salslfy + prosecco butter

roasted ‘jidori’ chicken
fontina polenta + asparagus + swiss chard + pistachio pesto + poached hen egg *

terzo

zeppole
italian style donut holes vanilla crema + dulce de leche + sugared cinnamon

bittersweet chocolate budino
cocoa chantilly + salted chocolate cookie

panettone bread pudding
candied orange + crumb topping + rum raisin gelato

* NUT ALLERGY
20% service charge + 8% tax will be added to all check

Question: How long have you been a chef?
Answer: I have worked in kitchens since I was 14 years old, professionally for 10 years

Question: How long have you been at this restaurant?
Answer: I have had the privilege of working with the Urban Kitchen group family since October of this year.

Question: Who or what inspired you to become a chef?
Answer: My father who is a self-taught amazing chef has been my inspiration since I was a little girl. Even though he never worked professionally as a chef his food, talent, and palate was the driving force behind my career.

Question: What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Answer: I enjoy the idea of being able to touch people’s lives in a positive way without ever meeting them. The fact that you can change someone’s mood or day with great food excites me. It’s a connection that most people do not get to have with so many different people on a daily basis. 

Question: When you’re not in the kitchen what are you doing?
Answer: When I'm not in the kitchen I'm usually relaxing with friends and family or fishing. I love to fish, it puts my mind at ease and I can focus and regroup for the upcoming week. As most chefs know we don't do it for the money, we don't do it for the hours, we do it for the love of Food! You’re either born a passionate driven person, or you’re not. It’s something that you can’t learn or be taught it’s just something you’re born with. Cooking is and will always be in my blood.

Question: What is your most popular dish?
Answer: By far the Puttanesca is one of our best sellers. The combination of light angel hair pasta with spicy shrimp and fresh tomato sauce is a dish anyone could love.

Question: Your last meal on Earth would be??
Answer: My last meal would be my dad’s Gumbo, he has perfected it over the years and it’s amazing. It’s one of those dishes that could cure anything! A cold, a broken heart, a bad day, or just a day when nothing beats sitting around with your loved ones sharing a great meal and laughing.

Question: What's your favorite item on the Restaurant Week Menu?
Answer: My favorite dish on the R.W menu is the new honey roasted Eggplant pizza with pistachio pesto and goat cheese that we just put on the menu.  It’s a simple dish but the flavors make sense. Nothing is better than when a guest can eat one of your creations and understand and feel the story you’re trying to portray in the dish. It’s like they get to step into the chef’s head and understand why we chose each one of the ingredients in the dish and how they all flow together and play off each other.