Sommelier turns up the heat at wine bar and wood-fired pizza shop in Orange

Sommelier and restaurateur Rick Guzman has been planning his own business since 2015. The Orange native envisioned opening a little wine bar and retail shop where he could help people fall in love with lesser known vinos.

“I have been buying wine since then to get a place going so I would have cool, fun, old vintages once I opened,” said Guzman.

In September, Guzman opened Pizzeria Irene at 123 N. Olive St. in Old Towne Orange, and while he showcases an extensive wine list, people are lining up for his pies too. He grew up eating Mexican food at home with his family, but he associates pizza with celebrating with friends, and he decided to try his hand at making it.

A hot wood-fired margarita pizza from Pizzeria Irene, in Old Towne Orange.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Guzman learned pizza-making under Josh Mason, an expert pizza-maker who worked with legends such as James Beard award-winning Chris Bianco. Guzman recalls when he first stepped into the kitchen with Mason, he had an emotional moment lighting the big wood-burning oven.

“The very first time I turned on the oven I almost started crying because I felt like a 4-year-old in my grandmother’s kitchen,” said Guzman. “In Mexico, my grandfather built her a wood-burning oven, and that is what she would cook with every single day. She would start her fire every morning.”

He had found the second piece to his restaurant concept.

A research trip to Italy sold him on Acunto Neapolitan pizza ovens, built by the Acunto family, which has four generations of pizza makers, although now it mainly focuses on oven manufacturing. Lined with handmade clay bricks and a proprietary mixture of Neapolitan sand and volcanic rock, the oven can crank to up 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

Owner operator Rick Guzman stokes the cooking flames in his wood-fire oven at Pizzeria Irene in Old Towne Orange.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“With a lot of other ovens you have to be very careful with that because you can start burning the bottom of the pizza,” said Guzman. “With these it is no problem whatsoever.”

He named the concept Pizzeria Irene for his grandmother and invested in his own custom-made Acunto oven. The blue-and-white behemoth is covered in custom Venetian tile, and above the oven’s molten hot opening is the name “Irene” in cobalt blue letters.

“Every single time I turn on that oven, I can’t help but think of her,” said Guzman.

Guzman uses the oven to fire his pizzas made with a high-hydration pizza dough, roasting garlic and baking bread for the charcuterie boards. He eventually plans to use it for roasting vegetables too.

“There are no gas lines in the whole building, everything is coming out of this oven,” said Guzman.

The food menu is tight, featuring a few classic Neopolitan-inspired pies, along with some anti-pasta options. The charcuterie board is piled with items like brie, prosciutto and house-made wine, poached pears and pickled veggies. The Caesar salad is bright with fresh lemon zest and a healthy dusting of Parmesan. Pizzas are crisp but still have a satisfying chew.

Sommelier and owner-operator Rick Guzman stands with three of his wood-fired Neopolitan-inspired pizzas including a margarita, bianca and a calabrese, from left, at his new Pizzeria Irene in Old Towne Orange.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

The wine hasn’t taken a back seat to the food. Guzman said it is still a focus for him, leaning heavily on Italian varietals.

“I always say France was my first love with wine, but Italy is where my heart lays,” said Guzman. “It is my favorite country for wine.”

The menu is filled out with French wine and New World wines from places like California and Oregon. Guzman is also happy to help diners navigate the wine list.

“My first questions are usually what do you normally drink, how long have you been drinking and do you want to try something new or stick to your usual?” said Guzman “Where you are at in your wine journey? That determines everything.”

Owner, operator and sommelier Rick Guzman samples a Vigna Del Parraco wine at Pizzeria Irene in Old Towne Orange.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Pizzeria Irene opened just a few months ago but has already developed a strong neighborhood following, with people lining up each night. On Friday and Saturdays the wait has stretched beyond two hours. The restaurant is only open for dinner for now and does not take reservations.

While Guzman said he is pleased with the reception that restaurant has received, he wishes one thing would have turned out differently. He never got to tell his grandmother he planned to name his restaurant for her.

“I did my LLC in March and she passed away Thanksgiving day that same year. I had planned to fly out that December and show her the paper, kind of as a Christmas present,” said Guzman.

He smiles when he looks over at the oven with her name on it, though.

“I’m sure she knows,” he said.