It’s a bruschetta summer at Postino in Irvine
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Every summer, the vibes are predicted in advance with viral trends like “brat summer” and “tomato girl summer,” for a couple of recent examples. Postino in Irvine is predicting a “bruschetta summer” for 2026.
The wine bar and restaurant at Irvine’s Park Place on Michelson Drive will hosts its annual Battle of fhe Bruschetta, a summer-long competition featuring six bruschette.
The Italian appetizer traditionally features grilled bread topped with a simple and refreshing mix of fresh tomato, basil and garlic. It’s also a signature bite at Postino, a concept that comes from the Arizona-based restaurant group, Upward Projects.
“We really wanted to create a place for the community to come meet,” Lauren Bailey, chief executive officer and co-founder of Upward Projects, told TimesOC in 2023, “ I know that seems simple, but we wanted it to be a place you could just come and have a glass of wine if you wanted, you could come and have lunch, you could have a date night … we wanted the space to flex between a lot of different people’s needs.”
Each summer, Postino uses bruschetta as a blank canvas to create new recipes with the classic antipasto. Each of the six new versions on the menu compete for a permanent spot on the menu, with guests voting for their favorite throughout the summer. The battle begins on June 15 with two different bruschette facing off each week. Past champions have included French onion and Mexican street corn bruschette.
This year, the bruschetta competition begins with a cherry mostarda version, topped with ricotta, cherry mostarda and mint verses a peanut butter, bacon and banana available June 15 to 30, followed by roast beef with horseradish and pickled red onions bruschetta versus a muffuletta-inspired bite with white cheddar, mortadella, olive tapenade July 1 to 14. On July 15 to 31, a mashed pea with whipped feta and spicy marcona almonds versions goes up against pear and cambozola (a creamy German cheese) with crispy pear and spicy honey drizzle.
Guests will vote by scanning a QR code in-restaurant with the two flavors that capture the most votes battling it out at Postino from Aug. 1 to 15, with the champion claiming its permanent crown on the restaurant’s fall menu.
Postino is located at 2981 Michelson Dr., Suite E in Irvine. For additional details on Battle of the Bruschetta, go to postino.com.
