The space Pizza e Vino occupies has watched countless well-meaning Italian eateries drift into obscurity. But it seems the curse has been broken. Pizza e Vino has begun to make a name for itself—not just in South County, but across the Atlantic as well. In April, the gourmet pizzeria and wine bar got its certification from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Ingredients are imported from the boot, combined in harmonic perfection and cooked in extreme heat in wood-burning ovens. The ambrosial food is complemented by a diverse wine-and-beer list and savory salads. The lakeside restaurant only has about a dozen tables, so you'll be sure to get very personal attention from the staff and congenial owner Steve Dickus. So, those of us who live in South County and want authentic, Naples-inspired pizza don't have to book a transnational flight—or drive all the way to Costa Mesa.