Endless pasta-bilities

By Sabine Wilson

For the TODAY

During a time where connection has proven harder to find, Mangia Italian Restaurant and Bere Wine Bar provides a warm place for great conversation and even better food.

“My business is everyone’s business,” said Steve Lockwood, owner of Mangia for five years this June. “Many people comment that this place feels familiar and welcoming.”

And this certainly rings true. Lockwood personally welcomes every party that walks in, engages them in conversation and says goodbye as they exit, perhaps leaving customers with the feeling that, in addition to enjoying a delicious dinner, they also made a new friend.

“Our job is to feed people of course,” he said. “But it is also to make people feel good and give them a positive experience.”

Lockwood is a self-taught chef with a knack for making something flavorful from whatever ingredients are in front of him.

“Most everything on the menu are creations from cooking with the ingredients I had available,” he said. “I just love to cook and really believe it is an art. Part of the art is making the dishes taste as lovely as they look, but it is also about making the ingredients you have taste incredible.”

The word “mangia” means “eat up” in Italian, a perfect description of the restaurant’s atmosphere.

Greeted by ambrosial aromas and a lovely dessert case, the only thing anyone can think about when walking into Mangia is eating.

Synthesizing 35 years of experience in real estate, a love for making food that is truly mouthwatering and experience as a world traveler, Lockwood has been able to successfully implement exceptional one-on-one customer service and high-quality food that would be tasty in any country.

“I’ve traveled all over the world,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate to eat at some of the best restaurants and some of the most rustic restaurants.”

And with this experienced palette, Lockwood’s current menu favorite is the Pasta Carbonara, which is packed with delectable ingredients.

First thing’s first — practically every aspect of Mangia’s menu items is made in-house from scratch. And you can taste it.

“All of the sauces are our own recipes,” Lockwood said. “They are simple and delicious tasting with notes of complexity that are not overwhelming.”

Picture the Mangia carbonara: fresh pasta noodles topped with European-style bacon, garlic and onion sauteed with white wine. It’s finished with the famous dish’s classic egg yolk and parmesan cheese. The sauce has a silky and creamy umami taste that’s not too heavy.

“Every bite makes you want more,” Lockwood said.

But the tempting bites do not stop at the carbonara.

Mangia’s sandwich menu includes items like the chicken parm, a meatball sub and the popular classic italian sub, made with salami, pepperoni, cured ham, provolone, firm tomato and crunchy lettuce drizzled with an olive oil and vinegar dressing and topped with herbs. 

“We have people that come in every week just for the sandwiches,” Lockwood said. “We use very high-quality meat and pride ourselves on not cutting corners. For instance, our pepperoni and salami are cut thick and the sandwiches will definitely fill you up.”

Another yummy treat are the Mangia flatbreads.

“Our flatbreads are all packed with flavor,” Lockwood said. “One of the most popular has a pesto base that is topped with spinach and mushrooms, mozzarella, goat cheese and oregano.”

The newest menu item is the vongole con linguini. This includes steamer clams in a white wine broth over linguini pasta, a nod to the fresh coastal seafood.

The impressive foods pair with a refined and tailored wine list. With the help of local wine wholesaler Ross Rehberg, Mangia is able to cover all the bases.

“Ross has done a phenomenal job at helping me shape the wine menu,” Lockwood said. “With his years of experience and guidance, he has created a small but substantial selection. We have a wonderful collection of chardonnays that mix very well with the seafood items. We also have a Bella Sera pinot grigio that is very popular right now. For the reds, we have a simple collection of pinot noirs and some excellent California cabernets. We have something for everyone.”

Mangia is currently offering two different specials for dine-in and for takeout. For dining in, the restaurant offers a two-for-one deal on Monday and Thursday where you get two entrées for $25.

For to-go dining, there is a “Dinner for Two On-the-Go” with two select entrées, two pieces of garlic bread, two salads and a bottle of wine for $47.

“We actually started as a deli, thinking we would just be open for lunch and then do to-go dinners,” Lockwood said. “But from our customer response we found we could also do indoor dinners.”

For indoor dining or at your home, hotel or even at the beach, you can “Mangia” in style thanks to this Central Coast favorite.

Mangia Italian Restaurant and Bere Wine Bar is located at 7755 Hwy. 101, in the Marketplace at Salishan. Mangia is open Thursday 4 to 7 pm, Friday and Saturday noon to 8 pm and Sunday and Monday noon to 7 pm. For more information, go to mangiasalishan.com, or call 541-764-2501.