Chef Erik De Marchi will open his second Orange County restaurant, Oliver’s Trattoria, in Quail Hill Shopping Center, in fall 2023. The Italian-born-and-trained chef moved to L.A. in 2002 to work with award-winning chef Gino Angelini. In 2018, De Marchi opened Oliver’s Osteria, in Laguna Beach, which has earned a spot on the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list of eateries that offer exceptional value.

Tell us about your new restaurant.

Oliver’s Trattoria will be the sister of Oliver’s Osteria but a more modern take, with a focus on handmade pasta and pizza. It will be a larger space with patios, daily lunch, private-event spaces and a wood-fire pizza oven.

What is the cuisine?

Authentic cuisine from my hometown of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, focusing on handmade pasta and pizza in a more modern and fresh way.

Do you have a signature dish?

My signature has become my Tagliatelle alla Bolognese and my Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe, which is a traditional Roman dish. The Bolognese sauce cooks for hours and the Cacio e Pepe is a combination of high-end ingredients with a special technique to bring all the flavors together at the right time.

Why Quail Hill?

Many of my customers at Laguna Beach live in Irvine and Newport Beach, so I wanted a location close to those cities. Also, I own a home in Irvine and am raising my family here.