The Pizza Parlor

Pizzeria Bianco
623 E Adams St.
Phoenix, AZ. 85004
www.pizzeriabianco.com

The first time Pizzeria Bianco landed on my radar was via the pages of Bon Appetite magazine’s feature article “United Plates of America”, a state by state commentary on the best places to eat in America. With an upcoming to trip to Phoenix, I sought confirmation through additional research and quickly realized I could not pass up an opportunity to dine at an establishment with accolades from the likes of Martha Stewart and other accomplished reviewers. Brimming with the anticipation of experiencing such a highly reviewed establishment, I was balanced with moderately skeptical curiosity in that I don’t usually view pizza as a medium for an exceptional dining and flavor experience. Mistake number one.

Closed on Mondays, I figured 6:30pm on a Tuesday would be a good time to sneak a quick visit and hopefully score a little extra attention from a less than fully exerted chef. Mistake number two.

After searching twenty plus minutes for Adams Street, I finally discovered it as an inactive street--pedestrian thoroughfare -- in what appeared to be a “parkish” section of ASU’s four square block (or so) downtown campus. As we approached, I got my first inkling of what I will call the Pizzeria Bianco experience (I’m sure you will have no trouble defining this for yourself by the end of this posting), people waiting… lots of them. In light of this development, I hurriedly located the hostess inside the crowded dining room and asked for her best estimate to seat a party of two, 2.5 -3 hours…. Damn.

With shock and disbelief in my heart, I found my guest for the evening and relayed the news. Not wanting to give up on experiencing such a highly acclaimed meal, we decided to stick around for a few drinks and see if the hostess was an exaggerator. At this point, I finally took the time to look around and take in my surroundings. As mentioned above, the restaurant is located in a small park type setting and is comprised of several buildings. The dining room is inside a long and narrow rustic style building reminiscent of the old western towns you see on TBS movie reruns. With only twelve tables and a six person bar, the main feature of the building is the brick wood burning oven. Beautiful. With the oven opening facing the door, one can see the pizzas set next to a small stack of burning firewood, smoke swirling in a thick layer along the roof, as if channeling the rustic sensibility of the restaurant into the pies.

Because the dining room is so confined, there is little room to service the many guests patiently awaiting their turn, and trust me, patience is a virtue each and every guest must possess. Pizzeria Bianco solves this dilemma by placing the bar in a building adjacent to the dining room. Reminiscent of an old prairie cottage, the bar exudes the same rustic vibe as the dining building. In addition to the rustic nature of the physical architecture, each building is bordered by a garden of herbs contributing to the “Little House on the Prairie” feel. Between the two buildings is a long communal style picnic table made of hefty raw wood as well as several benches and other areas to await your time to dine. The result is a communal atmosphere where guests mingle and swap stories while enjoying a bottle… or two.

After enjoying a bottle of wine and several other beverages, I finally experienced the euphoria associated with the hostesses approaching the table and calling my name. This is where the real experience of Pizzeria Bianco, the food, began. Starting with the Antipasto-- a wood fired mixture of sugar snap peas, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, lightly brushed with olive oil and accompanied by mozzarella and sopresatta-- it quickly became clear that less is more and ingredients are king. The flavors were wonderful; particularly the mushrooms which exuded a woody, earthy, slightly musty flavor that was accentuated by the olive oil. In addition to the Antipasto, I also started with the tomato and mozzarella salad. Again a simple dish, this was the most unremarkable dish of the evening. Though not bad, the dish lacked a wow factor with tomatoes that were of the typical ‘hot house’ or ‘vine ripened’ variety one might find at any farmers market and mozzarella that was good, but not special.

Next up? The ‘Belle of the Ball’… Pizza. I couldn’t help but order the famed ROSA pizza; Red Onion, Parmegiano Reggiano, Rosemary, and AZ Pistachios set atop the most perfect crust I have ever tasted in artisanal pizza. Infused with a slight smoky flavor from the oven, the crust represents the perfect balance between chewy and crunchy; with slightly burnt bubbles offering a delicately charred characteristic that served as the backdrop for the toppings. In the case of the Rosa, the taste is a mixture of sour pungence from the Red Onions and salty bitterness from the Parmegiano and Pistachio. The end result is a taste that challenges the taste buds, forcing them to alertness and causing them to truly analyze every morsel of the delicious pie that passes my lips, searching to separate the explosion of flavors into their separate components, while still appreciating the whole. A truly wonderful experience.

My dinner partner opted for the Wiseguy. A combination of Wood Roasted Onion, House Smoked Mozzarella, and Fennel Sausage set atop the same crust, the Wiseguy served as the medium for the biggest surprise of the evening (excepting of course the wait time); the Fennel Sausage. Having been raised by a father as devoted to sausage on his pizza as the Pope is to Catholicism, I have always held a certain contemptuous place in my heart for this flavor profile. The sausage at Bianco, however, was a consternation of my taste buds. With an ever so slight sweetness accentuated by the licorice of the fennel, the sausage was like finding a twenty dollar bill in your pants pocket; unexpected yet totally appreciated. The smoky component of the crust, paired with the Smoked Mozzarella and Wood Roasted Onion, laid a foundation of richly layered flavors that smoothly built upon one another until finally reaching a crescendo at the sausage. Another truly wonderful gastronomic experience.

Thus concluded the unexpected journey of dining at Pizzeria Bianco, total time: 4.5hrs. Though certainly not the experience I expected, I certainly would not have changed any aspect of the evening; from the mounting-- and mounting, and mounting-- anticipation of the hostess’ call, to the simplicity of the food, to the unexpected eye openers, it was a meal born of a mind tirelessly dedicated to coaxing the inherent flavors from only the finest ingredients. To those who might be off put by the wait time, don’t be. Go with friends, make an evening of it, and enjoy the experience that is Pizzeria Bianco.