Review: Illiano's Ristorante & Pizzeria in Tustin
Pizza and Pasta Like It's Never Been Done in OC
Great Italian restaurants may not be as commonplace in OC as other regions, but Illiano’s Ristorante & Pizzeria in Tustin is a place where you can find real Italian food and pizza dough made from scratch by chefs imported from Napoli, Italy. Being able to listen in on Italian conversations is just a bonus, and a guarantee that you are in for some good food.
At Illiano’s, you feel like you’re a part of a family, as you’re promptly greeted with a warm welcome. The casual atmosphere is made even more comfortable when a manager or owner makes sure to strike up a conversation with every diner and remembers you whenever you return for another home-cooked meal. Guests at Illiano’s tend to be locals who know about this rare find – many of which are East Coast transplants.
The menu here is the real deal: fried calamari, cioppino, sausage and pepper sandwiches and customizable meals in which you can pick the type of pasta or sauce to your liking. And don’t forget Illiano’s gourmet-style pizza with perfectly crisp dough.
As you’re seated, you first encounter Illiano’s homemade loaves and pizza bread to dip into a bowl of light olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar, which the servers keep coming. I couldn’t resist the fettuccine with peas, which came in a creamy tomato sauce blended with plenty of olive oil and was sprinkled with prosciutto bits, mushrooms and garlic. The combination of flavors was amazing, and the portioning was generous because I could only eat about a third of it after my salad with house Italian dressing. The flavors and aromas of Illiano’s will make you feel at home, no matter your experience with Italian food. If you haven’t yet tried Illiano’s, it could change your taste for Italian cuisine forever.
