Delizie - Mission Viejo

What I would consider traditional Italian food go hungry, heavy meals. We arrived to a hostess on the phone, waited there quite a while, no acknowledgment. Another staff member finally noticed us after standing there oddly for a few minutes, as you are in the dining area right as you enter had a reservation so got seated. Waiter was direct and to the point no fluff, not warm and no smile. No eye contact. Drinks were good. Appetizer was good 2 fried shrimp and fried raviolis. Huge menu, asked for assistance from waiter in selecting something special but not too heavy suggested rigatoni w/ meat sauce. It was good, but odd suggestion, seemed so basic. Husband 's dish was good, similar. Food came very fast and very hot. All was good. Service could have been much better and engaged that would have gone a long way. Bill was $150 w/o tip. Don 't know that we would be back, maybe appetizer and drinks if we found ourselves in the area. We drove from Irvine, based on a referral. Would we recommend? maybe...just depends on person.

First time trying here. Did an early reservation since we were with a friend and wanted to be able to talk and hear each others' conversation and it was a Friday night after the 4th so we figured it would be busy. Lovely setting and ambiance. We were seated quickly, menues handed to us. Server returned fairly soon and took drink order. Only one of us knew what we were having so let him place that order while my friend and I reviewed menu. It took a bit of time but server returned. It was then we were told about the specials. It made all of us change our choices, including drink choices. My friend and I got our drinks and then we sat, and sat and sat waiting for our entries,(We had skipped appetizers) and two of us finished our wine. Finally we motioned to the server to ask how much longer til our dinners were ready. It had been a significant wait and the restaurant was not busy. Perhaps it was the specials needing the extra time. When it arrived the food was Delicious: Dover sole with vegetables for them, the Ragu pasta dish for me . The fish was boned at the table so got a little cool. My Rague hot plentiful and yummy. Garlic bread with meal hot buttery and crusty. Will definately go again. By the time we left it was filling up so highly suggest reservations. Good value for quality.

Everyone in our party loved their meals except my branzino had so many bones that it was difficult to eat. It could have also used more flavor. The watermelon burtata salad was amazing!!

The cuisine is marvelous. You can take a gal and impress her with your choice of a Restaurant tailored to the epicurean tastes. The food makers don't skip any steps. You'll love the food, but the prices reflect inflation of the day. Enjoy!

A meal at Delizie is a Delight! We loved almost everything. The cioppino was delicious. The Veal Marsala sauce and vegetables were wonderful, though the veal itself was pounded very thin and a bit tough. They do a lovely job of plating shared entrees, adding extra sides and making a nice meal for both diners. Our guest really enjoyed the Osso Buco special and said the accompanying risotto was also wonderful. I did notice that the Osso Buco shank bone was not sawed into pieces (usually done by the butcher). It made a great presentation, but did not expose the marrow, which is a big part of the classic dish. Our excellent waiter, Salvator (Manuel) presented our birthday girl with one of the nicest "birthday plates I have seen a lovely not too sweet Tiramisu surrounded by fresh fruit. Do not let these minor criticisms discourage you from dining at Delizie. It is a very special restaurant which aims very high and comes very close to the best of real Northern Italian cuisine. I recommend this restaurant highly, and suggest you look at the menu in advance. The most difficult part of dining here is deciding what to order!