Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Nibbles of Tidbits has partnered with Whole Foods Market to help celebrate the opening of their Newport Beach store and it’s going to be big — It’ll be a one-stop shop to gather ingredients for a perfect dinner party and I’m having a special one soon.  It officially opens September 19th, 2012.  Check back (and below) to see all that it has to offer and find out how our dinner turns out.  Why not enter the I Love Newport Beach Photo Contest while you wait?!

• The Tea Hive, a brand-new fusion café and tea bar that will offer green, black or oolong tea in almost any imaginable form – whether frozen, sparkling, iced or steamed – paired with natural fusion entrees, such as bowls and wraps using local and organic products
• Back Bay Tavern ~ a relaxing and casual bar/restaurant with a rotating selection of 24 craft beers on tap, plus wine and spirits, along with an extensive menu of beef, seafood, vegetarian and vegan meal options
• A smaller “Express” wine and beer bar with 12 beers on tap at the front of the store for quicker service
• In-house executive chef
• Meat department with a full line of locally sourced, 100% grass-fed beef, chicken and turkey and high end cuts of meat not easily found in other markets
• Seafood department featuring sustainably sourced fresh and seasonal specialties
• In-store bakery with scratch-made breads, muffins, cakes, pies, cookies, gluten-free items.
• In-store kitchen that features handcrafted pizza, in-house chips and dips, rolled-to-order sushi, organic salad bar, hot soups, meals-on-the-go and Weekday Deals
• 48 feet of local beers of which 8 ft. is canned beer selections
• Grass fed and raw milk cheeses
• A burger program, in-house smoker and ‘Get Crocked’ section that features complete meals that can be taken home and easily prepared in a crockpot
• Over 1300 gluten free items including dairy and frozen foods
• Seasonal and locally sourced conventional and organic produce
• Value-conscious items like 365 Everyday Value, hundreds of products priced on sale daily
• Expanded bulk and raw foods section
• Step Cleansing program in the juice bar
• Whole Body section with a focus on organic products for the body.
• “Upgrade your Bouquet” program in the floral department
• Indoor/outdoor seating for 150 with free Wi-Fi and plenty of parking

I’ve come to realize that any tasting at Pizzeria Ortica is going to be scrumptious.

We loved the opportunity to try several dishes on Pizzeria Ortica’s Fall/Winter Menu.

Many are pictured here and fully described below — Eat dish packed a lot of flavor.

I was reminded how good this restaurant is — Don’t let it go undiscovered.

Can you match the photos to the dish descriptions?  Hope so, as they’re not retyped.

The “Chick” (directly above) — Crushed San Marzano Tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano and Extra Virgin Olive Oil is simple and plain looking, but so good.  It’s named for a customer with standing reservations who inspired and loves it.  I surprisingly loved it too.  Thanks Chick.

And other favorites included the Pork Belly Terrine, Pancetta e Zucca and Ricotta Gnocchi.

The photos don’t do the food justice — We’re most impressed after each visit.

They also offer space for group mixers up to 60 people and a private dining room for 35.

We look forward to going back soon for more of the same — All was that delicious.

Thank you Pizzeria Ortica!  Enlarge MENU for a better view.