Tom Heffernan
In his column ‘The Verdict’, Judge Robert Gardner called Rossi’s Cafe “the finest Italian restaurant I have ever patronized.” He added, “Mama Rossi featured her pickled mushrooms, which had to be tasted to be believed. I have always thought that her pickled mushrooms were particularly good because Mama Rossi used wild mushrooms she picked on the hills surrounding the present Fashion Island.”
Rossi’s was located where CdM Restaurant is today at 2325 E. Coast Highway. According to an OC Register article, this location has also been the home of Matteo’s, Brio, Garlic Joe’s, Tiramisu, Belle Theresa, and more recently, The Crow Bar.
