Photo: Jody Horton
At this point, I’m not going to get into the debate about whether Austin needs another pizza place — we all have our favorite places, many of which we’ve been going to for decades — but the more interesting question for me is what Bambino, the newly opened casual, all-day pizza restaurant from L’Oca d’Oro owners Adam Orman and Fiore Tedesco, brings to the debate.
On our first visit to Bambino, we decided to go all in on the Neapolitan pizza and order one for each person. I chose the Chicken Parmesan pizza, which is a daily special, topped with chunks of breaded and fried chicken breast and an assortment of white cheeses. Meanwhile, my spouse opted for the Uncle Frankie, topped with fennel sausage, bell peppers, broccoli rabe, chili, and Parmesan. The two pizzas are contrasting, with the Chicken Parmesan being flavorful and heavy, and the Uncle Frankie being lighter on the palate. On a hot late spring day, I definitely preferred the lightness of the Uncle Frankie’s vegetables, with its finely chopped vegetables lightly jiggling with sausage bits. The Chicken Parmesan was great, but I think it’s best enjoyed after the summer is over. The leavened dough, made with Barton Springs Mill flour, was not as sour on my first visit as, say, the one at Bufalina. But when I tried the Margherita pie on my next visit, it was noticeably more flavorful.
I enjoyed the frozen Blood Orange Negroni, which was a nice surprise for me as I’m not a big Negroni drinker, but I do like frozen cocktails, especially when the weather is cold. I think freezing the drink helps tone down the bitterness of the Campari. My spouse also gave the House Margarita a thumbs up, praising the alcohol content and the traditional margarita flavor.
Chef Fiore Tedesco (Photo: Jody Horton)
I ordered a slice of peanut butter pie to take home as a token of my sobriety, but split it open and devoured it the moment I reached the kitchen. It was, in a word, phenomenal: the graham cracker crust, peanut butter mousse, and chocolate ganache reminded me in every way of the icebox pies I’ve had at church picnics past.
On a return visit, I insisted on trying other parts of the menu, this time ordering the Mozzarella Sticks, Govalle Green Salad and Margherita Pizza. For drinks, I chose the Amalfi Witch (an amaro, vodka and orange soda cocktail that was so refreshing and delicious that it disappeared in no time) and my spouse chose the Frozen Margarita d’Oro (more on this later).
The mozzarella sticks had a thick crumb and were uniform in size and shape, sparking a debate as to whether they were homemade. Honestly, there’s no debate about that, because they were so good. The salty cheese was a great match with the firm breadcrumbs. I ordered both marinara and cacio e pepe ranch dipping sauces. The former was smoky and flavorful, but the latter was not my favorite, lacking the savory tang of ranch dressing and the umami of cheese dip.
There’s a lot to recommend about Bambino: its owners are committed to fair wages and working conditions, they source ingredients from local farms and suppliers that share similar values, and they implement sustainable practices and ingredients.
The Govalle green salad was too bitter for my taste, and the homemade dressing was neither flavorful nor tangy enough to mask the tough frisée and radicchio. I can’t recommend the salad, nor the frozen margarita, which had an unpleasant earthy smell of turmeric. My spouse, who never returns food from a meal out, asked for something more to his taste (a rocks margarita, which he enjoyed on our first visit).
Service at Bambino is relaxed and friendly. You order at the counter and receive a numbered ticket at your table. From there, floor staff provide crockery and cutlery, bring drinks and food, encourage you to try their homemade chilli oil (try a little on your pizza! It’s amazing!), and take orders for additional drinks, desserts and takeaway items. Bambino can get quite busy at peak times, so I recommend bringing situational awareness. I’ve had several close calls between floor staff delivering drinks and hot food and inattentive customers who aren’t watching where they’re going.
Photography: Chase Daniel / Architecture and Interiors: Chioco Design
Bambino’s interior was designed by Chioco Design and evokes 1980s design motifs, from the wood-paneled walls to the curved bar to the metal window coverings that look like the wicker furniture Gen Xers stuck their fingers through as kids. The spacious patio is perfect for larger parties or those looking to watch the big game (any game) on the big-screen TVs.
At this point, I feel I should create a macro so that with a single keystroke I can enter the usual warning about dangerously loud noise levels. The exposed concrete beams of the ceiling provide no soundproofing and the overall industrial atmosphere creates fertile ground for cacophony. If you want to be heard or are sensitive to noise, I recommend sitting on the large patio. Those with tree nut allergies should be aware that almonds and pistachios are used liberally on Bambino’s menu. The cashier will ask if you have any allergies before taking your order, but diners should eat with caution as there is always the possibility of cross-contamination. I am allergic to pistachios and have avoided dishes containing them without issue, but I have had issues with cross-contamination when eating out at Roca D’Oro in the past, so I have decided to leave my tree nut-allergic teenager at home.
There’s a lot to recommend about Bambino: its owners’ commitment to fair wages and working conditions, their sourcing of ingredients from local farms and purveyors who share similar values, and their adoption of sustainable methods and ingredients. Given what you expect from a pizza place, do you think the menu could be a little more affordable (the $72 Osetra Caviar Pizza Special is a bit on the expensive side)? Yes, but I wouldn’t criticize the chef’s creative expression.
In short, Bambino is a pizza place that opened at the perfect time for its location—one that reflects not only the changing makeup of Austin’s historically underserved East Side, but also Orman and Tedesco’s effort to express their culinary ethos and progressive values through food that was once thought of as peasant food. And judging by the clientele, which ranges from people just finishing up their climbing training to celebratory groups and families, the neighborhood loves Bambino.
Bambino
979 Springdale State 153
Bambino Austin
