Sizzling Sicilian
By | November 09, 2010 2:55 PM
Photo by Kri Sado
Tucked away on a small peninsula in Newport Bay, Sabatino’s Sausage Company offers an unexpected slice of Sicily in Newport Beach.
Also known as Lido Shipyard Sausage Company, Sabatino’s specializes in sausage blended with goat cheese. Before refrigeration, the saltiness of the goat cheese helped to preserve the sausage. Now, its sole purpose is to make the sausage more juicy and flavorful. For more than 20 years, locals have flocked to the restaurant’s deli to bring the lean meat sausage into their own kitchens.
Developed by the Sabatino family in 1864, the secret family recipe for the sausage immigrated to the United States with the family in the 1930s. They originally settled in Chicago, the location of the original Sabatino’s, says Peter O. Sabatino, owner of the Newport location.
While his father fought in South Pacific, Peter’s mother Marie handmade the sausages in her kitchen sink and Peter delivered them throughout their Chicago neighborhood. By the time her husband was released from the Marine Corps, Marie was a successful entrepreneur.
After he also got out of the Marines, Peter took the recipe to California, where it was a big hit at the 1989 Taste of Newport. Two decades later, the children of original patrons still frequent the family-friendly restaurant.
Marked by charming red-checkered tablecloths, the outside patio is the ideal place to enjoy lunch or the popular Saturday brunch. Inside, quaint hand-painted murals grace the walls. Enjoy the Italian music floating throughout the restaurant as you sample the olive tapenade on fresh Italian bread.
For an appetizer, the World Famous Sizzling Sausage Platter is a must. Served with sautéed onions and red peppers, this addictive dish will please all palettes. Try the spicy or sweet homemade Italian sausage, or opt for the mild turkey sausage. Follow the platter with the restaurant’s award-winning Caesar salad, tossed with goat cheese, olive oil, anchovies and shallots.
Any entrée doused in the restaurant’s marinara sauce is sure to please. Cooked with carrots, the slightly-sweet sauce is flavorful without being acidic. Peter recommends trying the spaghetti and meatballs.
“All Italians are proud of their meatballs,” Peter says. “I’m not trying to knock anyone else, but ours are the best in the world.”
The stuffed peppers—-stuffed with veal, rice and sausage and served on a bed of linguini-—are mouthwatering. So is the vegetable lasagna, a vegetarian dish made with four imported cheeses and topped with both marinara and a creamy alfredo sauce.
Top the meal with a slice of homemade chocolate or red velvet cake. The restaurant also offers a wide selection of wine and beer, served by the friendly staff, many who have been at the restaurant for more than 15 years.
Sabatino’s Sausage Company
251 Shipyard Way, (949)723-0621, sabatinoschicagosausage.com
Hours: Mon. – Fri., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sat. – Sun., 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
