A Perfect Match

There are many reasons to dine at Mizza, the recently opened artisan pizza/Italian restaurant located at the State Street entrance to charming La Arcada Plaza: long, high-top wooden tables with a State Street view, tasty wood-fired pizzas, delicious homemade pastas and tangy entrees all tended to by the lovely staff. But another stunning reason is warm, welcoming owner Kourtney Searls. (Her husband/co-owner, Brendan, is close at hand at Viva, also in La Arcada).

The face of Mizza, who has been long known for Pizza Mizza in La Cumbre Plaza, is now front and center with her trademark blonde corkscrew curls and helpful dining suggestions. Another weapon in the arsenal is Michael De Paolo, of much-loved Emilio’s, who consulted on the menu.

“We designed this with locals in mind,” Kourtney said. “It’s like you are coming to my house and I made you dinner.”

So let’s eat! All the food is made from scratch and sourced locally as much as possible. “Live produce” grown locally at Pilgrim Terrace is purchased by donation that helps the elderly around town.

Grilled peaches with fresh burrata and prosciutto are served on a wooden board with toasted French bread from Our Daily Bread. The julienne spinach in Belgium endive salad is loaded with Gorgonzola and crunchy pistachios. A dozen pizza choices range from traditional margherita to pancetta and smoked chicken; gluten-free crusts (using Thomas Keller’s recipe) are available.

The fragrant and flavorful wild mushroom (shiitake, portobello, button, and truffle) pizza bubbles with fontina cheese atop the excellent crust with puffy edges. The house-made spinach gnocchi are perfection: light, melt-in-your-mouth pillows in a spinach/ ricotta/foie gras/prosciutto cream topped with shaved pecorino/Romano cheese. Seven other pasta dishes to choose from — portions are hearty — include squid ink tagliatelle and mussels, bucatini and meatballs, or shrimp and pink vodka sauce. The fettuccini Bolognese, with pork and beef, makes a perfect fall or winter dish.

A piccata with wildcaught salmon, packed with flavor thanks to a great lemon-capers sauce, is definitely a highlight, served with broccolini with roasted garlic, roasted potatoes, and carrots. It’s a tasty twist on chicken piccata.

There’s a nice range of wines by the glass and by the bottle, and Mizza Wine Bar (next door) will be introduced by year’s end.

Be sure to save room for the house-made limoncello cake with a nice dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Mizza is great for dining solo or a deux at the long counter or in the highceilinged bright and airy inside dining room. It’s a great destination for large groups/family style dining to share the many delicioso items. Be sure to look up, both outside and inside, to appreciate the soaring ceilings and the building’s fine architectural details.

Brava, Mizza! —By Leslie A. Westbrook

MIZZA, 1112 State St, 805- 883 3935, is open for lunch and dinner (open until 10 pm) seven days a week. Also available for delivery via the Restaurant Connection. www.mizzasb.com

By Leslie A. Westbrook