Our passion is serving fresh, soulful food.
In the true spirit of Italian food, our dishes simply enhance what nature has already put in. Our menu isn't experimental or overworked, it simply features pure, flavorful ingredients that are organically grown and locally sourced.

Our menu is always changing.
The best Italian food has always been made with what's available locally. So if we find some amazing summer squash in the farmers' market in the morning, you're likely to find it on our menu in the evening.

It starts with the food.
We serve fresh Italian cuisine with an emphasis on locally farmed, organically grown ingredients. Our Neapolitan pizza is made the traditional way in wood-fired ovens and our home made pasta and risotto just might be the best you've ever had.

We take our wines as seriously as our food.
Great food is meant to be paired and enjoyed in tandem with the perfect wine. Many of our wines come from Southern Italy. We also focus on small producers making extraordinary wines, particularly here in California. In addition to bottles, we also serve several wines by the glass.

To say we're obsessed with pizza might be an understatement.
We simply love pizza – true Neapolitan pizza – otherwise known as Vera Pizza Napletana. And the truth of the matter is, the only other place you can taste such an authentic Pizza Napletana is Naples (Napoli) itself. Ecco is one of the only restaurants outside Napoli to give this much care to our pizzas. Most of the ingredients – flour, oil, tomatoes and mozzarella are imported from Italy. We use a real wood-fire stove in baking our pizzas, a skill that takes years to master.

2000 years of history.
New York is famous for their pizza. And so is Chicago. But we know pizza really only means one thing: Napoli. Pizza originated in Napoli. In fact, the word pizza is a local Neapolitan pronunciation of the word "pita." So you can probably be sure that today's pizza is a direct descendent of the flat bread baked in Pompei almost 2,000 years ago.

To know pizza is to know Napoli.
Napoli is a bustling, densely populated city nestled at the foot of Mt. Vesuvio. The oldest districts of the city such as Forcella and Spaccanapoli haven't changed for centuries. Dedicated pizzaiuoli (pizza bakers) use the same ingredients and methods that they have for centuries. They're a rare breed who have spent years mastering the art of the wood-fired brick oven. Ecco Restaurant is proud to carry on these cherished traditions.

The best ingredients make the best pizza.
We won't be shy in admitting we're something of ingredient elitists. We ship our flour from Italy. We use only Sicilian salt. We import our San Marzano tomatoes from Italy. The extra-virgin olive imported is 100% southern Italian grown, picked, pressed, and packed. And every week, the mozzarella di bufala (that's buffalo mozzarella) arrives fresh from Napoli.

Only with fire.
The only way to make Neapolitan pizza is in a wood-fired brick oven. It only takes about two minutes for the pizza to bake. Many pizza establishments boast about their brick ovens, but they're actually fired by gas – it's a gimmick. A true pizzaiuoli spends years learning how to fire the oven to the proper temperature.

It takes two days to make pizza dough.
There's one way to make pasta per pizza (pizza dough) – by hand. First we start with stone ground flour imported from Italy and add in some Sicilian sea salt. Then the flour and salt is mixed by hand with some water and a piece of dough from the day before. It sits for 24 hours at room temperature as the dough rises. It is then mixed, weighed, and shaped by hand. After rising a minimum of another 12 hours at room temperature, the dough is ready to be used for pizza.

Only San Marzano tomatoes
We fly our tomatoes in all the way from Italy. All of our tomatoes are San Marzano tomatoes, named for the town of San Marzano, near Naploi. They have a sweet, tangy taste due to the rich volcanic soil. And just like wine, true San Marzano tomatoes are certified by the Italian government with a DOP label.

Kris Kirk graduated from USC with a degree in communications and began working at an ad agency. He soon asked himself, "What am I doing? I want to be cooking!" He considers attending the Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park one of the best decisions he ever made.

After graduation, Kris honed his skills at Wolfgang Puck's Spago (Beverly Hills), Charlie Palmer's Aureole (Las Vegas), and was on the opening team for Michael Mina's Aqua (St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort). His next culinary move was as chef de cuisine for the opening of Sage on the Coast (Newport Beach). For six years, he worked along side chef/owner Rich Mead to create farmer market driven cuisine with an emphasis on unique seasonal ingredients.

Now Kris has taken the helm as executive chef at Ecco Restaurant. "I take great pride in cooking with sustainable and organic ingredients, not only does it taste much better," he explains, "but it will help our future generations."

Kris enjoys working in his home garden, traveling, and sports. He resides in Costa Mesa with his wife and two young daughters.

Celebrations and Events
With a lush ambience of The Camp in Costa Mesa, Ecco makes a perfect destination for any social or corporate function, including product launches, fashion parades, premieres, charity events, press conferences, Christmas parties and after-parties, accommodating from 40 to 400 guests.

Food and Beverage packages can be tailored especially for your event. Our chefs and mixologists are delighted to create menus specific to your theme or you can choose from our extensive canapè and cocktail menus (please see attached).

We can also assist with theming requirements and are happy to recommend entertainment from our wide range of DJ's, bands and musicians. Please contact us on 714-444-ECCO to discuss all of your function requirements. Functions can be arranged Monday through Thursday at Ecco Restaurant. Catered Events can be arranged any day of the week.

PRESS CONTACT

Brown & Hobbs
Sandra Brown
brown@brownhobbs.com
Tel 714.602.1372
Fax 714.221.2120

1110 East Chapman Avenue, Suite 200
Orange, California 92866

LOCATION

Funny how everyone’s favorite neighborhood eatery is right in your hood! We’re located right in The Camp, Orange County’s favorite place for food, fashion, the arts, and the outdoors. Come make a day of it.

ECCO PIZZERIA & BAR
2937 Bristol Street, A103
Costa Mesa California 92626
Tel 714-444-ECCO | Fax 714-444-3227
Email Us Pronto!