True Food Kitchen

Bright, ingredient-forward and not pretending to be ascetic. True Food Kitchen in Newport Center smells of citrus and toasted garlic, with a patio that catches late afternoon light and the hum of shoppers from Fashion Island. The Roasted Butternut Squash pizza arrives blistered at the edges, a chewy crust under sweet squash and slightly bitter greens. Edamame dumplings are pillowy, lacquered with a sticky soy glaze that makes you forget the salad you ordered. Brunch spills out at 11, families and office people rubbing elbows, couples tucked at the bar nursing kale based juices with vodka on request. Service can be brisk when the dining room is full; plates sometimes come out in odd order. There is, annoyingly, a heater vent above a corner table that flaps when it kicks on. Sit at the bar. Order the edamame dumplings.